ESQUIRE, in the strict and legal acceptation of the term, is a name of dignity next above the common title of gentleman, and below that of knight. Its etymolo gy is evident, the English word being derived imme diately- from the French ccuyer, or, as it was formerly written, escuyer ; and the French term is derived from the Latin scutifcr or scutanus ; the root of all the terms being the Greek word cxvi-os, a shield. The rank of esquire was at first officiary, but now it is merely ho norary. In its original acceptation, as denoting an officiary dignity, it may be traced among the Greeks and Romans. Euripides mentions shield-bearers, vIrctr edv, and acmihc7rogos; and armiger and scu tigerulus are employed by Plautus. Butes is mention ed by Virgil as Dardanix Anchisx armiger. Even among the Britons, according to Tacitus, the office of esquire or armour-bearer was known ; for he informs us, that Cartismandica, queen of the Brigantes, mar ried the esquire (armigerum) of her husband. The knights of ancient Gaul were attended in their wars by two elocEi-ai, or ministers; who seem to have been the same whom Posidonius (apud Athenxum) represents as sitting with them at table, bearing their shields. In deed, almost all the ancient nations of Europe, who signalised themselves in arms, appear to have had this office. The Longobards denominated the person who held it Schilpor, i. e. shield-bearer ; and the Germans, in the time of Charlemagne, called him Schild-knapa: an appellation not uncommon among our Saxon ances tors before the word esquire was borrowed from the French.
Originally the office of an esquire was merely to carry the shield of the knight to whom he was attached ; but afterwards, as we have shewn in the article CHIVALRY, (to which we refer for what relates to esquire as con nected with that institution,) his offices were more im portant and numerous. Among the French, the grand escuyer was master of the horse. His business was to assist the sovereign in mounting or dismounting from his horse, and to give him his sword and belt. In the court of the eastern empire, there was an officer called nallaew, who used to bear before the emperor the sa cred standard, and his osallaerov, or shield, in a case. • It appears, from these instances, that the titles, ar miger, ecuyer, esquire, &c. did not originally imply that the persons possessing them were entitled to bear coats of arms, but only that their office was to carry the arms of the knights, or of those persons of superior rank to they were attached ; so that there is no con nection between the strict etymology of the name, and the common acceptation in which it is generally used.
The name of esquire began to be honorary about the time of Richard II. there being an instance of a person being made esquire by patent, with arms, by this king. It is, however, still a matter of difficulty and dispute, what constitutes the distinction, or who is a real es quire; for it is a vulgar error, that any estate, however large, can confer this rank upon its owner. The fol lowing are undoubtedly entitled legally to this rank and denomination, viz. esquires of the body; of these there are four to attend on his majesty's person: the eldest sons of knights, and their eldest sons successively: all noblemen's younger sons, and the eldest sons of such younger sons; the two latter species of esquires, Sir Henry Spelman entitles armigeri natalitii. Fourthly, such to whom the king gives arms with this title: these are created either by letters patent, or by investiture, which used to consist in a collar of S. S. and silver spurs: the right of primogeniture in their lineal pos terity is also accompanied with this honour. Fifthly, esquires by virtue of their offices, as justices of the peace, but only while he is in commission, unless he is otherwise qualified to bear the title; the officers of the king's courts, and of his household. All the titulary lords, who are such on account of office, or of high birth only, have not, by the common law, any title but that of esquire. In the commission appointing those who were to treat of an union between England and Scotland, a person holding the highest civil station, next to the royal family, is denominated "William Cooper, Esquire, our Keeper of our Great Seal of Eng land." Foreign peers are only esquires in law. To the five sorts of esquires already named, may be add ed the esquires of Knights of the Bath, each of whom constitutes three at his installation. The sheriffs of counties retain the title during their lives. The heads of some ancient families are said to be esquires by pre scription. Colonels, Sergeants at law, and Doctors in the three learned professions, are ranked above the dig nity of esquire, and next to that of knighthood. See Selden's Titles of honour. Verslegan's Restitution of decayed Intelligence. Blackstone's Commentaries. (w. s.)