n. They act upon their own pleasure in the matter.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Foreign Titles.

In this country, where everybody possesses one and the same title, that
of a citizen of this Republic, no one can claim a superiority of rank
and title. Not so in European countries, where the right of birth
entitles a person to honor, rank and title. And as our citizens are
constantly visiting foreign countries, it is well to understand
something of titles and ranks and their order of precedence.

ROYALTY.

In England, the king and queen are placed at the top of the social
structure. The mode by which they are addressed is in the form "Your
Majesty."

The Prince of Wales, the heir-apparent to the throne, stands second in
dignity. The other children are all known during their minority as
princes and princesses. The eldest princess is called the crown
princess. Upon their majority the younger sons have the title of duke
bestowed upon them, and the daughters retain that of princesses, adding
to it the title of their husbands. They are all designated as "Their
Royal Highnesses."

THE NOBILITY.

A duke who inherits the title from his father, stands one grade below a
royal duke. The wife of a duke is known as a duchess. They are both
addressed as "Your Grace." The eldest son is a marquis until he inherits
the higher title of his father. His wife is a marchioness. The younger
sons are lords by courtesy, and the daughters are distinguished by
having "Lady" prefixed to their Christian names. Earls and barons are
both spoken of as lords and their wives as ladies, though the latter are
by right respectively countesses and baronesses. The daughters of the
former are "ladies," the younger sons of both "honorables." The earl
occupies the higher position of the two in the peerage.

These complete the list of nobility, unless we include bishops, who are
lords in right of their ecclesiastical office, but whose title is not
hereditary.

All these are entitled to seats in the upper House of Parliament.

THE GENTRY.

Baronets are known as "Sirs," and their wives receive the title of
"Lady;" but they are only commoners of a higher degree, though there are
families who have borne their title for many successive generations who
would not exchange it for a recently created peerage.

A clergyman, by right of his calling, stands on an equality with all
commoners, a bishop with all peers.

ESQUIRE.

The title of Esquire, whi