he nor his successors for several ages thought fit to raise a subject to so high a dignity.

The first duke we meet with in England, properly so called, was Edward, surnamed the Black Prince, eldest son to King Edward III., whom his father, on the 17th March, 1337, created in parliament Duke of Cornwall: by which creation the first-born sons of the sovereign of England are Dukes of Cornwall from their birth.

A duke is said to be so called from dux, a leader or captain, because the duces of the ancient Romans were leaders of an army, and chosen in the field, either by casting lots, or by the common voice; but now the dignity of duke is generally conferred by kings and princes, and descends to the heir; though in some nations sovereigns are so called, as Duke of Savoy, Brunswick, &c.

Dukes, marquesses, earls, and viscounts were formerly created by investiture with much ceremony. The creation is now simply by letters patent of the sovereign under the great seal.

A duke's mantle or robe of estate is the same as that of the prince, with this difference, that it has only four guards of ermine with a gold lace above each, that of the prince having five.

The mantle which a duke wears at the coronation of a king or queen over his surcoat, &c., is of crimson velvet, lined with white taffeta, and is doubled with ermine below the elbow, and spotted with four rows of spots on each shoulder.

All dukes' eldest sons, by the courtesy of England, are from their birth styled marquises if their fathers enjoy that title; if there is no marquisate in the family they take the next highest title; thus the eldest son of

the Duke of Northumberland has the courtesy title of Earl Percy, there being no marquisate among the family honours. The dukedom of Manchester has neither marquisate nor distinct earldom, so the eldest son is Viscount Mandeville. The younger sons are all styled lords, with the addition of their Christian name, as Lord Thomas, Lord James, &c.; and all dukes' daughters are styled Ladies.

A duke has the title of grace; and in formal superscriptions or addresses is styled, most high, potent, and noble prince; and dukes of the royal blood, most high, most mighty, and illustrious princes.

For coronet, see Pl. XLIII., n. 6.

MARQUIS.

A marquis, which by the Saxons was called markenreve, and signified a governor or ruler of marches and frontier countries, hath been a title with us but of late years, the first being Robert Vere, Earl of Oxford, who, by King Richard II., in 1387, was created Marquis of Dublin, and from thence it became a title of honour; for, in former times, those that governed the marches were called lord marchers, and not marquises.

His robes are the same as that of a duke, except that he has only three guards and a half instead of four on the shoulder, and his coronation mantle has four rows of spots on the right shoulder and but three on the left, whereas a duke's has four rows on each.

The honour of marquis is hereditary, as is that of a duke, earl, viscount, and baron; and the eldest son of a marquis, by the courtesy of England, is called earl, or by the next highest title in the family when there is no earldom; thus the Marquis of Salisbury's eldest

son is by courtesy Viscount Cranbourne. The younger sons of marquises are called lords by their Christian names, as Lord John, &c.; and the daughters of marquises are born ladies; the eldest son of a marquis ranks next beneath an earl.

EARL.

The next degree of honour is an earl, which titic came from the Saxons; for in the ancient Anglo-Saxon government, earldoms of counties were not only dignities of honour, but offices of justice, having the charge and custody of the county whereof they were earls, and for assistance having their deputy, called vicecomes, which office is now managed by sheriffs. The first earl in Britain that was invested by girding with the sword, was Hugh de Pusay, or Pudsey, Bishop of Durham, who, by King Richard I., was created Earl of Northumberland.

An earl's robes nowise differ from a duke's or marquis's, except that a duke's mantle has four guards, a marquis's three and a half, and an earl's but three, with a gold lace and his coronation mantle is the same as theirs, with only this difference-a duke's has four rows of spots on each shoulder; a marquis's four on the right, and but three on the left; and an earl's has but three on each. His cap is also the same, but his coronet is different; for as a duke's has only leaves, a marquis's leaves and pearls of equal height, that of an earl has the pearls much higher than the leaves. Pl. XLIII., n. 8.

After a man is created an earl, viscount, or receives any other title of honour, above the title he enjoyed before, it becomes part of his name, and not an addition only; and in all legal proceedings he ought to be styled

by that of his dignity. An earl has the title of lordship; and, being written to, is styled right honourable.

By the courtesy of England, an earl's eldest son is born a viscount if there is such a title attached to the name, otherwise he is called lord only, as in the case of the Earl of Derby, whose eldest son is Lord Stanley, and an earl's daughters are all ladies; but his younger sons have no title of peerage.

VISCOUNT.

The next degree of honour to an earl is that of viscount, which was anciently an office under an earl, who, being the king's immediate officer in his county, and his personal attendance being often required at court, had his deputy to look after the affairs of the county, which officer is now called a sheriff, retaining the name of his substitution (in Latin vicecomes); but about the 18th of Henry VI., 1440, it became a degree of honour, by his conferring this title upon John Lord Beaumont, by letters patent, with the same ceremony as that of an earl, marquis, and duke.

The mantle of a viscount has two guards and a half, each having a gold lace; his coronation mantle has three rows of spots on the right shoulder, and two on the left.

His coronet, which is a circle of gold, is adorned with twelve silver balls. Pl. XLIII., n. 9.

The title of a viscount is, right honourable and truly noble, or potent lord.

The eldest son of a viscount has no title of peerage, nor are his daughters ladies; but the eldest son and daughter of the first viscount in Great Britain and Ireland are said to be the first gentleman and gentlewoman without a title in the kingdom.

ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS.

The two archbishops have superintendence over all the churches of England, and in some respects over the other bishops; and the Archbishop of Canterbury has a kind of supereminence over the Archbishop of York; for he has power to summon him to a national synod or convocation, and is primate of all England, and next in rank to the royal family; precedes not only dukes, but all the great officers of the crown; nor does any, except the lord chancellor, or lord keeper, come between him and the Archbishop of York.

He is "primate and metropolitan of all England," and has the title of grace given him, and most reverend father in God.

To the Archbishop of Canterbury it properly belonge to crown the sovereign, to consecrate a new-made bishop. and to call provincial synods: the Bishop of London being accounted his provincial dean, the Bishop of Winchester his chancellor, and the Bishop of Rochester his chaplain.

The Archbishop of York, who is "primate of England and metropolitan of his province," has the honour tc crown the queen-consort, and to be her perpetual chaplain he hath also the title of grace, and most reverend father in God.

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Next to the two archbishops in the episcopal college, the bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester have always the precedence, by a statute made 21 Hen. VIII.; and all the other bishops according to the priority of their consecrations.

The Bishop of London precedes, as being bishop of the capital city of England, and provincial dean of