EARL, a British title of nobility, next below a marquis, and above a viscount. Earls were anciently called comites, be cause they were wont comitari regem, to wait upon the King for council and ad vice. The Germans call them graves, as landgrave, margrave, palsgrave, rhein grave ; the Saxons ealdermen, unless .that title might be more properly applied to our dukes ; the Danes, eorlas ; and the English, earls. The title, originally, died with the man. William the Conqueror first made it hereditary, giving it in fee to his nobles, and allotting them for the support of their state the third penny out of the sheriff's court, issuing out of all pleas of the shire whence they bad their title. But now the matter is quite other wise ; for whereas heretofore comes and comitatus were correlatives, and there was no comes or earl but had a county or shire for his earldom, of latter years the number of earls increasing, and no more counties being left, divers have made choice of some eminent part of a county, as Lindsey, Holland, Cleveland, &c ; some of a lesser part, as Strafford, &c. ;
others have chosen for their title some eminent town, as Marlborough, Exeter, Bristol, &c.; and some have taken for their title the name of a small village ; their own seat or park, as Godolphin, Clarendon, &c. An earl is created by cincture of sword, mantle of state put upon him by the King himself, a cap and a coronet put upon his head, and a char ter in Isis hand. All the earls of Eng land were formerly denominated from some shire, town, or place, except three ; two of whom, viz. Earl Rivers and Earl Paulet, take their denomination from illustrious families ; the third is not only honorary, as all the rest, but also officiary, as the Earl Marshal of England.