PRINCE is the Latin word princeps, which was originally used to denote the person who was entitled prioceps senatus in the Roman State. He seems to have been originally the eustos of the city, and his office was one of importance. Subsequently it became a title of dignity, and the princeps was named by the censors. (Liv. xxvii., 2.) In the senate he gave his opinion first after the magistratus. Awe: tus and his successors adopted the title of princeps, as a name that carried no odium with it : and this became henceforward the charac teristic title of the master of the Roman world. Accordingly the constitutions of the emperors are called principum (Gaius i. 2) or principales. The word princeps is formed similarly to aneeps, mnuiceps, Sze., and contains the same element ns " primes." In the course of time the word prince, which is derived from prineeps, has come to be applied to persons having personal pre-eminence, and especially to certain sovereigns of smaller states possessing either perfect independ ence of all others or enjoying under some superior high political rights. Of the first kind were the old sovereigns of Wales, who, under the name of princes, enjoyed the same right and power which belong to kings; and of the second, the heads of certain states of Germany, comprehended in the great Germanic confederation. But the word seems not to have acquired so definite a sense as that which belongs to king, duke, marquess, earl, and some others of the class ; but rather to denote persons of eminent rank in certain states, as in Prussia, Russia, Italy, and other continental states, where no sovereignty, properly so called, conies along with it, or persona who are junior members of sovereign houses, as the younger members of the ducal families of Saxe and Anhalt. Frequently, however, such members have specific
titles given, such as duke, count, itc., but never prince.
In England it has sometimes been the practice of the heralds to speak of a duke as the high and mighty prince; but the word seems rather to be restricted among us in its application to persons who are of the blood-royal, that is, a son, grandson, or nephew of a king ; and it would probably be extended to the remote male posterity, though no such case has arisen in the course of the last three centuries. But in its application it is merely a term of common parlance, not being conferred, like the title of duke, in any formal manner; • and even the precedence which is given to blood-royal leis respect to birth, and 'not to the enjoyment of this word as a title of honour. The eldest son of the sovereign ie however made l'rinee of Wales by a special act of creation ; the younger eons are princes until they have other titles conferred ; the daughters continue princesses.