NOBILITY AND GENTILITY. 223 



the contrary, when the king holds a court, it is thus an- 

 nounced: " Demain matin, le Roi recevra les hommes et les 

 femmes;" and when he addresses the united Chambers of 

 Peers and Deputies, he styles them " Messieurs." In short, 

 there is no degradation to persons of quality to be called men 

 and women,- but, by following up a different system, and call- 

 ing a mixed society " gentlefolks," we have destroyed the 

 true meaning of the word in England.* 



FREDERICK. 



Then what is, after all, the true meaning of the term 

 " gentleman?" 



That is, perhaps, rather a difficult question to answer, but 

 I will endeavor to explain it as well as I am able, Accord- 

 ing to an old writer, | " Gentlemen be those whom their blood 

 and race doth make noble or known." "The Commonwealth 

 of England is governed by three sorts of persons: the sove- 

 reign; the Gentlemen (which are divided into two parts -^ the 

 Barony or estate of Lords, and those which be no Lords, as 

 knights, esquires, and simple gentlemen); the third and last 

 sort of persons are named Yeomen." 



ESTHER. 



Then this division identifies noblemen and gentlemen in 

 the same class. 



MRS. F. 



Yes. Nobility means notability; noble is, worthy of 

 notice or being known. Any individual who distinguishes 

 himself may be said to ennoble himself. A prince judging him 

 worthy of notice, may give him letters of nobility. Nobility, 

 therefore, may be acquired gentility must be innate. No- 

 blemen may be only persons of rank and distinction, but 

 gentlemen must be persons of family and quality, inasmuch 



* Lawrence on the Nobility of the English Gentry, 

 t Sir T. Smith, who died in 1577. 



