TITLES OF HONOUR arc words or phrases which certain persons are entitled to claim as their right, in consequence of certain dignities being inherent in them. They vary in a manner eorreeponding to the variety of the dignities, or, in other words, with the rank of the possessor. Thus Emperor, King, Czar, Prince, are titles of honour, and the possessors of the high dignities represented by these words are, by the common consent of the civilised world, entitled to be so denomi nated, and to be addressed by such terms as Your Majesty and Your Royal llighneas. These are the terms used in England, and the phrases in use in other countries of Europe do not much differ from them. In fact one European nation seems to have borrowed from another, or all to have taken their titles of honour for this exalted rank from a common original ; so that little of the peculiar genius of the European nations can be traced in the terms by which they show their respect for the persons of.„ highest dignity. But it is different when we come to compare them with the Oriental nations. In those seats of ancient civilisation the most extravagant terms of compliment are in use, and a little sovereign of a wandering tribe rejoices in titles of honour numerous and inflated in the highest degree. In the series of Roman emperors, the word ()reser, originally the name of a family, became a title of honour; Augustus was another ; and I'ater Patrite a third.
The five orders of nobility in England are distinguished by the titles of honour, Duke,Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron ; and the persona in whom the dignity of the peerage inheres are entitled to be desig nated by these words, and in any legal proceedings are to be thus designated; that is, the law or the custom of the realm guarantees to them the possession of these terms of honour, as it does of the dignities to which they correspond. They are also entitled to be addressed by such phra.ses as My Lord, dry Lord Marquess, My Lord Duke, and they have usually prefixed to their titles, properly so called, certain phrases, as High and Mighty Prince, Most Noble, Right Honourable, varying with the kind and degree of the dignity posseesed by them. The other members of the families of peers have also their titles of honour. Thus the lady of a peer has rank and titles corresponding with those of the husband. All the sons and daughters of peers are Honourable, but the daughters of earls and peers of a higher dignity are entitled to the distinction of being called Lady, and the younger sons of dukes and marquesses are by custom addressed as My Lord.
The orders of nobility in other European countries differ little from our own. They have their Dukes, Marquesses, Counts, Viscounts, and Barons. We cannot enter into the nice distinctions in the dignities of foreign nations, or in the titles of honour which correspond to them.
The Baronet, which is a new dignity, not having been known before the reign of James I., has, besides its name, which is placed after the name and surname of the person spoken of, the privilege of prefixing Sir ; and their wives are entitled to the prefix of Dame, and to be addressed as My Lady and Your Ladyship. The title is, like
the titles of peers, hereditary.
Another dignity which brings with it tho right to a title of honour is that of Knighthood, and this is not hereditary. This dignity is of ancient origin, and, in the form in which we now see it, may be traced far into the depths of the middle ages, if it be not, as some suppose, a continuation of the Equites of Rome. Persons on whom this honour is conferred take rank above the gentlemen and esquires, and are entitled to the prefix Sir to their former name and surname. Their wives are also entitled to prefix the word Dame, and to ho addressed by the compellation Your Ladyship or My Lady. The knights of particular orders, as of the Garter, the Thistle, St. Patrick, the Bath, are a kind of select number of the body of the knighthood; and the name of the order to which they belong is ordinarily used by and of them, and thus becomes of the nature of a title of honour. The Bannerets of former ages were a class of knights superior to the ordi nary knight-bachelor, forming iu fact an order intermediate between the knight, in its ordinary sense, and the baron.
Besides these, there are the ecclesiastical dignities of Bishop and Archbishop, which bring with them the right to certain titles of honour besides the phrases by which the dignity itself is designated. And custom seems to have sanctioned the claim of the persons who possess inferior dignities in the church to certain honourable titles or compilations ; and it is usual to bestow on all persons who arc admitted into the clerical order the title of Reverend.
There are also academical distinctions which are of the nature of titles of honour, although they are not usually considered to fall under the denomination. Municipal offices havo also titles accompanying them ; and in the Law there are very eminent offices the names of which become titles of honour to the possessors of them, and which bring with them the right to certain terms of distinction.
All titles of honour appear to havo been originally names of office. The earl in Engle id had in former ages substantial duties to perform in his county, as the sheriff (the Vice-Comes or Vice-Earl) has now ; but the name has remained while the peculiar duties are gone, and so It is with respect to other dignities. The emperor or king, the highest dignity known in Europe, still performs the duties which originally belonged to the office, or at least the most important of them, as well as enjoys the rank, dignity, and honours; and on the Continent there are dukes and earls who have still an important political character.
Whoever wishes to study this subject In all its details, will do well to resort to two great works : one, tho late 'Reports of the Lords' Committees on the dignity of the Peerage ;' the other, the large treatise on Titles of Honour,' by the learned Selden. The latter was first printed in 4th, 1614 ; again, with large additions, folio, 1631.