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CXXIV. ELDEst Sons of KNIGHTS COMMANDER OF THE BATH, on the same ground as No. cxIx.

CXXV. ELDEST SONS OF KNIGHTS COMMANDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE are here placed, on the ground that the general practice with respect to precedence gives to the descendants of titled persons a station amongst each other, analogous to that enjoyed by their fathers.

CXXVI. ELDEST SONS OF KNIGHTS BACHELOR are here placed under the authority of letters patent temp. James I.

CXXVII. YOUNGER SONS OF BARONETS are here placed on the same ground as No. cxxvi.

CXXVIII. ESQUIRES OF THE KING'S BODY are here placed on the ground of ancient usage.

CXXIX. GENTLEMEN OF THE PRIVY CHAMBER, ON the same ground as No. cxxvIII.

CXXX. ESQUIRES of the KNIGHTS OF THE BATH, on the same ground as No. CXIX.

CXXXI. ESQUIRES BY CREATION, on the same ground as No. cxix. For a statement of the mode in which esquires may be created, the reader is referred to the article Esquire in a later portion of the volume.

CXXXII. EsQUIRES BY OFFICE, on the same ground as No. cxIx.

CXXXIII. YOUNGER SONS OF KNIGHTS OF THE GARTER, on the same ground as No. cxIx.

CXXXIV. YOUNGER SONS OF KNIGHTS BANneret,

on the same ground as No. cxIx.

CXXXV. YOUNGER SONS OF KNIGHTS GRAND CROSS OF THE BATH are placed on the same ground as their elder brethren hold their places.

CXXXVI. YOUNGER SONS OF KNIGHTS GRAND CROSS OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE, on the same ground as the eldest sons of these knights hold their precedence.

CXXXVII. YOUNGER SONS OF KNIGHTS COMMANDER OF THE BATH, on the same ground as

CXIX.

CXXXVIII. YOUNGER SONS OF KNIGHTS COMMANDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE, on the same ground as their elder brothers.

CXXXIX. YOUNGER SONS OF KNIGHTS BACHELOR, on the same ground as No. cxxv.

CXL. GENTLEMEN ENTITLED TO BEAR ARMS. CXLI. DOCTORS OF DIVINITY, on the ground of ancient usage.

CXLII. DOCTORS OF LAWS, on the same ground as No. CXLI.

CXLIII. DOCTORS OF MEDICINE, on the same ground as No. CXLI.

CXLIV. BACHELORS OF DIVINITY.-The degree of a bachelor in any of the faculties of law, physic, or divinity, is rarely obtained otherwise than as preparatory to the superior degree of doctor; and in divinity it generally happens that those who take a bachelor's degree are also in priest's orders; they have, therefore, the prefix of reverend: but if that were not the case, they in common with all bachelors of faculties would be entitled to the affix of esquire; this place, therefore, amongst esquires is assigned them on the ground of analogy and ancient usage.

CXLV. BACHELORS OF LAWS, on the ground of ancient usage.

CXLVI. BACHELORS OF MEDICINE, on the same

ground as No. CXLV.

CXLVII. CLERGYMEN are placed above all other professional persons, not only by the universal consent of society, but by the distinct recognition on all occasions and by all authorities, that the precedence of the "faculties" is as follows: 1st, Divinity; 2nd, Law; 3rd, Medicine. But there is another consideration which imparts to this profession a temporal dignity, to say nothing of its pre-eminence in a spiritual point of view, and that is, that a member of it takes rank next to the royal family, that four members of the clerical profession take precedence of all dukes, and that bishops are lords of parliament superior to barons. On these grounds it is held, that no man, merely in right of his profession, is entitled to precedence over a clergyman. Deans and archdeacons are usually doctors in divinity, but supposing them to be otherwise, the course of precedence would be as follows:-1st, Deans; 2nd, Archdeacons ; 3rd, Rural Deans; 4th, Rectors; 5th, Vicars; 6th, Curates, the members of each class amongst themselves according to priority of admission. If a curate, vicar, or rector, rural dean, or archdeacon, should, as sometimes happens, have taken the degree of D.D., or of LL.D., or of D.C.L., he of course takes rank accordingly.

CXLVIII. SERGEANTS AT Law, by ancient usage. CXLIX. QUEEN'S COUNSEL are placed above all other barristers in right of their patents.

CL. BARRISTERS are esquires by ancient usage; but according to the rule of precedence in the profession, they are merely regarded as holding a

position in the common law, somewhat analogous to that of the bachelor in the civil law; the sergeant in the one being regarded as of similar rank to the doctor in the other.

CLI. OFFICERS IN THE NAVAL AND MILITARY SERVICE." Both branches of the service," and the "united service," are phrases familiar to every one; and in the table of naval and military precedence, the reader will find the relative rank of each officer correctly set forth; but in a table of general precedence this is their proper place: it is, however, to be observed, that such of them as are peers, baronets, knights, lords, honourables, doctors, bachelors in any of the faculties, esquires, members of any order of knighthood, or possessing any rank whatever, do not lose their stations by entering upon the naval or military service of the state. The rank which they acquire on so entering is that of gentleman. Every public officer, whether in the navy, the army, or the civil service, is a gentleman; certain commissions, however, confer the distinction of " esquire," which all who have held them retain for life; but the subaltern officers of the navy and army do not, merely in right of their commissions, enjoy any rank above that of gentlemen.

CLII. PROFESSIONAL GENTLEMEN, as solicitors, attorneys, proctors, engineers, architects, medical practitioners, artists, literary men, merchants, master manufacturers, scientific professors, and others not engaged in manual labour, farming of land, or retail trade, are considered to possess some station in society, although the law takes no cognizance of their ranks.

CLIII. GENTLEMEN. - In another part of the volume will be found a statement of the circumstances which entitle a man to the affix of gentleman. One who is a gentleman neither by birth, academical degrees, profession, office, or creation, is not raised or depressed in the scale of precedence by the amount of his possessions; he is merely superior to retail tradesmen, farmers, and artisans.

END OF THE GENERAL TABLE.

In the preceding pages the relative positions of all ranks and orders have been detailed, without regard to whether those rights be founded on hereditary, official, or personal distinctions; but solely with a view to utility and practice. There are, however, some details which could not conveniently be included within a general table of precedence, and which are, therefore, perhaps best examined by themselves. Thus a table of hereditary ranks, arranged in order of precedence, may prove curious and interesting, as by this means their numbers, extent, and succession may be seen at a single glance. For the same reason, tables of such official and personal distinctions as confer precedence follow each other in due course, and are similarly arranged. These again are succeeded by statements of judicial and legal precedence, clerical precedence, military, naval, East Indian, and university precedence, comparative rank in the army and navy, precedence of women, &c.

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