When once society had thus established an order and regulated the means by which persons might be admitted into it, the desire would become general of admission to the privileges and advantages which belonged to it, in persons who had any pretensions to aspire to such advantages. It was then easily discovered that society had thus an unexpensive way opened to it of rewarding very eminent services. A community has not always manors and lands to give to the man who performs for it such services, nor are money pensions out of the taxes, continued from generation to generation, agreeable to those who contribute to the payment of them. But a society accustomed to such an order, and sensible of the benefits which attend the existence of such a state of things, willingly sees advanced into it men who are distinguished by very eminent talent, very eminent services, or very eminent virtues. It is a reward not given all at once, but through a long succession of years.
In the different countries of modern Europe there are nobles various in their titles and various in the privileges belonging to them. In England, Scotland, and Ireland, the heads of the families which are noble are either dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, or barons ; all, except the last, originally names of office, originated in that state of society where the nobiles were all men in actual political employ ment. To the beads only are political privileges given, the chief of which is, that the English peers have seats in the House of Lords, and consequently a voice in all projected changes of the law. But the junior members of the family are accounted noble, and have certain titles or honourable distinctions united with their names.
By the English constitution the privilege of placing a family in the rank of the nobility is vested solely in the sovereign. The phrase by which this is usually expressed is, that the sovereign is the fountain of honour. It is done by letters-patent declaring that such or such a person is created to the dignity, &c., to descend to the
heirs male of his body, or in such manner as the crown may choose to direct.
The persons admitted into the order of 'nobility in England are now usually—I, Peers of Scotland or Ireland ; 2, Persons distinguished for services in the army, navy, diplomacy, and for political services; 3, Younger branches of families already noble; 4, Persons of ancient wealth, with sometimes, though rarely, persons of large fortunes which have been recently acquired ; and 5, Persons promoted to high judicial appointments, as the lord chancellor, the chief justice of the King's Bench, and others, usually called the law-lords.
New creations are essential to keep up the order, as extinction is perpetually taking place in a nobility such as the English, where few of the titles descend in any other way than to the male descendants of the person first ennobled.
There are modern communities, such as the United States of North America, in which them is no nobility in any respect resembling that of Europe. Wealth of course gives some influence and importance to the possessor, but it is also an object of jealousy. which must always be the case, more particularly in democratic constitutions. Office, so long as it is held, gives greater distinction than wealth ; but office is only held for a short time, and wealth, although it may be acquired by an individual, is seldom transmitted to a single person, but is usually distributed in moderate or small portions among several persons. Thns it has been observed, that in the United States a family seldom maintains any great wealth or importance for more than two generations. Names which have been made illustrious by an indi vidual are remembered only because of him who first elevated them to distinction, and the descendants of the wealthy lose with their wealth the remnant of that importance which their ancestor acquired. Thus one family of distinction after another sinks into obscurity, and its place is soon filled by a name before unknown.