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happens that he is raised to the peerage, in which case, he of course comes under the general rule often referred to in this article, namely, that of taking rank according to his peerage; or if he should, as more frequently occurs, be a member of the Privy Council, he then belongs to No. xc. XCIX. THE VICE-CHANCELLORS. The prece dence of this class of judicial officers has been settled by the 5th of Victoria, cap. 5, sec. 25, in these words, "And be it enacted, that the vice-chancellors to be appointed in pursuance of this act, shall during the continuance in office of the present vicechancellor, (namely, the vice-chancellor of England,) respectively have rank and precedence next to the lord chief baron."

C. PUISNE JUSTICES of the QUEEN'S BENCH Conform to the general rule of taking precedence amongst each other according to seniority of appointment. The place here assigned them collectively is on the ground of ancient usage.

CI. PUISNE JUSTICES OF THE COMMON PLEAS, on the same ground as No. c., and taking rank amongst each other according to seniority of appointment.

CII. PUISNE BARONS OF THE EXCHEQUER, on the same ground as No. c., and taking rank amongst each other according to seniority of appointment.

CIII. KNIGHTS BANNERET, created under the royal standard displayed in open war, the sovereign or the Prince of Wales being present. They would take rank amongst each other according to seniority of creation.

CIV. YOUNGER SONS OF VISCOUNTS are here

placed under the authority of letters patent, temp. James I., and rank according to the precedence of their respective fathers.

CV. YOUNGER SONS OF BARONS have this place assigned them in compliance with immemorial usage confirmed by the decree of James I. in 1612.

CVI. BARONETS.-This portion of the titled classes are created by letters patent, and the granting clause of each patent is to the following effect; that A. B. and the heirs of his body shall take place and precedence by virtue of the dignity of a baronet next after the younger sons of barons. Those patents, however, make exception in favour of knights banneret of the highest order, knights of the Garter, privy councillors, the chancellor of the Exchequer, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the lord chief justice, the master of the Rolls, the vice-chancellor of England, the chief justice of the Common Pleas, the chief baron, and the puisne judges of the Queen's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer. Such exceptions, in the absence of higher authority, may be regarded as confirming the positions assigned to them in this article. Baronets conform to the general rule of taking precedence amongst each other according to the dates of their patents respectively.

CVII. KNIGHTS BANNERETS, provided they be not made in the manner described at No. ciu. This position was allotted to such as were created by the commanders of armies in the king's name on the open field of battle.

CVIII. KNIGHTS OF THE THISTLE.-The order of the Thistle is scarcely ever conferred on any but Scottish nobles of very high rank, and of course

they take precedence according to their peerages. The statutes of the order are silent respecting precedence, and we have not been able to discover any acts of Parliament, royal ordinances, or letters patent, on the subject. In the absence of these authorities, the natural course is to place the orders according to priority of institution or revival.

CIX. KNIGHTS OF ST. PATRICK.-This order has never been, and probably never will be, conferred upon a commoner. Its right, therefore, to the place here assigned it in the scale of precedence is not likely to be soon decided. The warrant under which the order was instituted, declares, that in Ireland the knights of St. Patrick shall take precedence immediately after the eldest sons of barons. It has been sometimes supposed that the warrant or the statutes of the order gave them this rank in England, which would amount to granting them precedence over the knights of the Garter. The statutes of the order of St. Patrick do not take cognizance of, still less do they abrogate, any statute of the order of the Garter; and nothing is more evident than that the sovereign never intended to place the Irish order above the more ancient and illustrious fraternities of England and Scotland. It is a position clearly established, that baronets shall come next after the younger sons of barons, and that no knight in respect of his knighthood, (except those of the order of the Garter together with certain bannerets,) shall be entitled to precede a baronet. As the general rule then is, that knights come after baronets, the several orders of knighthood have been placed, as already stated, according to priority of institution or revival.

CX. KNIGHTS GRAND CROSS OF THE BATH are placed on the ground that that order is more ancient than any which are placed after it, excepting No. CXIV. (Knights bachelor). Their position here is authorized by the decree issued by James I. in 1612.

CXI. KNIGHTS Grand Cross of ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE are here placed under the authority of the statutes establishing the order in which each rank was granted precedence next after the corresponding ranks of the order of the Bath.

CXII. KNIGHTS COMMANDER OF THE BATH are here placed on the grounds stated at No. cx.

CXIII. KNIGHTS COMMANDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE are here placed under the authority of the statute referred to at No. cxi.

CXIV. KNIGHTS BACHELOR.-By various patents and ordinances, as well as by acts of parliament, several classes in the state have been assigned precedence over knights bachelor, and though they are the most ancient order of knights, we find them at Jength moved downwards by successive changes to this rank in the scale of precedence.

CXV. COMPANIONS OF THE BATH.-The Royal Ordinance issued in the year 1815, enlarging the Order of the Bath, assigned to the companions of the order" place and precedency of all esquires." The several classes entitled to the affix of esquire, are very numerous, and to each of such classes is assigned its own proper place, but the Companions of the Bath are entitled to rank above them all.

CXVI. COMPANIONS AND CAVALIERI OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE are here placed under the authority

of the statutes of the order before referred to. Such members, however, of this class as were nominated previous to the publication of the statutes of 1832, are entitled, under the older code, to a higher precedence. Of this class only two individuals are now living, and their place within the Ionian islands and Malta, is immediately before all Knights Bachelor -a rank three degrees higher than that belonging to those who have been nominated subsequent to 1832.

CXVII. ELDEST SONS OF THE Younger Sons Of PEERS are here placed under the authority of an ordinance of the Earl Marshal's Court, dated 18th of March, 1615.

CXVIII. ELDEST SONS OF BARONETS are here placed on the same ground as No. cxvII. viz., the ordinance of the Earl Marshal's Court.

CXIX. ELDEST SONS OF KNIGHTS OF THE GARTER are here placed on the ground of ancient usage, which is confirmed by implication in the ordinance of the Earl Marshal's Court already referred to.

CXX. ELDEST SONS OF KNIGHTS BANNERET, on the same ground as No. cxIx.

CXXI. ELDEST SONS OF THE KNIGHTS OF THE THISTLE, on the same ground as No. cxix.

CXXII. ELDEST SONS OF KNIGHTS GRAND CROSS OF THE BATH, on the same ground as No. cxIx. and, inter se, they rank according to seniority of their respective fathers in the order of the Bath.

CXXIII. ELDEST SONS OF KNIGHTS' GRAND CROSS OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE occupy this position in correspondence with that of their fathers after grand crosses of the Bath.