cracy. "He did not admire Kings," say the Edinburgh Reviewers, No. xxx. 295, "because he did not happen to be born one, and because they were the only beings to whom he was born inferior: but he had the utmost veneration for nobles, because fortune had placed him in that order, and because the power and distinction which belonged to it were agreeable to him, and he thought would be exercised for the good of his inferiors. When he heard that Voltaire had written a tragedy on the story of Brutus, he fell into great passion, and exclaimed, "that the subject was too lofty for a French Plebeian, who, during twenty years, had subscribed himself Gentleman in ordinary to the King."

Republicans and Republics, ancient and modern, might supply me with abundance of “ anomalies," if not strictly "heraldic," yet looking much that way. What amazing credit have the republics of Greece and Rome acquired, for the independent spirit of the people, their love of liberty and equality, and yet it has been stated as a fact, that in Athens alone, there were at one time, (the population being divided into two classes only,) 30,000 nobles, Toxiτai, and 400,000 slaves! at Corinth, the number of slaves amounted

to 460,000; in the little island of Ægina, to 470,000; the Helotes of Sparta were 800,000 in number. These republican nobles indeed, were very proud and jealous of their own freedom, and privileges; but the slaves were very abject slaves. There are not wanting examples of a noble, for a slight offence, throwing his slave into the fish-pond, to fatten his fish. If one of these nobles was murdered in his own house, all his slaves, however numerous, were put to death upon a cross. At Rome once, on such an occa sion, no less than 400 suffered in the most cruel

manner.

ATTRIBUTES,

AND

SIGNIFICANT TITLES.

66

I CONFESS. I have an objection to any fixed titles or appellations betokening any thing of moral worth. How strange it would be to read in any of our foreign journals, that on such a day his Serene Highness Prince Such-a-one, dropped down dead in a passion! to " Highness" itself I have no objection; it may bespeak only the 'Prince's station in civil society. Majesty," though Pasquier in his Reserches sur la France reprobates its use, seems to me to be unobjectionable on the same ground; denoting, as Selden observes, merely a kind of special dignity, as if we should say in English, a "greaterness." "Majesty," says an old writer," is the modestest and justest title that can be given to Sovereigns." Royal Highness comes under the same description. There is a beautiful letter extant, from Sir Walter Raleigh to Prince Henry, son of James I., admonishing him to be aware of the

rent.

sycophants, who called his father God's Vicege"They adjoin," says he, Vicegerency to the idea of being all-powerful, and not to that of being all-good."-" Your father is called the Vicegerent of heaven; while he is good he is the Vicegerent of heaven; shall man have authority from the fountain of good to do evil?" But all distinctions by attributes, whether in the concrete or abstract, are hazardous, and likely to run into incongruities. Of the Ducal and Archiepiscopal Title of" Grace," for instance, which is of this nature, what shall we say? I know what it betokens; Gratia, decor, Venustas, &c.: but how strange it would appear to say to a Duke or an Archbishop, will your "comeliness," "beauty," or "fine mien," do me the honor of dining with me? I shall be proud to wait upon your "Felicity," or " Becomingness."

If the Title imply that the high personages themselves are really "Graces," we fall into greater difficulties; for, mythologically speaking, what Duke or Archbishop could wish to be taken for Aglaia, Thalia, or Euphrosyne, the daughters of Bacchus and Venus? with Duchesses it might be different, though Seneca would supply us with an objection applicable even to Duchesses, unless

they happened to be so in their own right, de Beneficiis, i. c. 3. I was amused with the application of the mythological title once to three very great personages, in a message from a cardtable. One of the party, a very young man, being importuned to give up his cards, and go into another drawing-room, where there were many beautiful young ladies, excused himself by sending them word, that he could not come directly, as he was playing with "the three Graces;" who, in fact, were a Duke and a Duchess, and the late amiable Archbishop of -. In regard to this Title of Grace, I cannot see why the Lord Chancellor, in his official capacity, should not be called so, as much as the two Archbishops, between whom he takes his rank; he precedes all Dukes, and if called upon to act as High Steward on state trials, is then actually so entitled! but this, by the bye-before however I take leave of the title of Grace, as belonging to our Archbishops, I cannot forbear giving a hint to dictionary makers, in their expositions and illustrations of such marks of dignity. In Chambers's Cyclopædia, I find the term Arch, for instance, explained in a very incautious manner; "Arch, from agxos, princeps, summus, prince or