2 Ee lee ee 
ew eee 
‘honours this kingdom affords. 
the Enquirer, No- XXI. 
at he who eansot walk alone?”? But 
without entering into a rigorous {crutiny, 
‘ but making a liberal allowance of every 
tpuied public fervice, it may be afked, 
Will our men of family confent to take 
precedence, according to the aggregate of 
meritorious deeds recorded of the whole 
race? It will not, I believe, come under 
the charge of {candalum magnatum to af- 
firm, that the nobility and gentry, neither 
of this, nor of any other cauntry, would 
acquiefce in fuch a propofal. In fact, a 
perfon muft be little acquainted with the 
fentiments that really prevail in the world, 
to fuppofe that the pride of anceftry has, 
in general, any connexion whatever with 
merit, either genuine or imputed. Its 
grounds are, fimply, relative fuperiority 
of condition, together with the length of 
time in which that fuperiority has been en- 
joyed. Itis, therefore, no other than a 
modification of the pride of wealth; and 
while more abfurd in its application than 
this fentiment, it is not at all more elevated 
or dignified in its nature. 
Yhe Englifh nobleman who traces his 
lineage to one ** who came in with the 
Conqueror,” is content to refer his origin 
to.a foldier of fortune, a fubaltern leader 
of banditti, who, for his affiftance in turn- 
ing out the lawful poffeffors, was rewarded 
with a fhare of their property. He was 
brave, as were all of his Norman country- 
men. The greedy appetite for fpoil would 
lead him, as it would the meaneft of his 
band, to confront any dangers; but he 
was ignorant, unlettered, unprincipled, 
and brutal. 
brought into the field, was eftimated the 
proportion of conquered land that fell to 
his fhare; and this proportion conftituted 
the fole difference between the greater and 
the inferior families built upon this foun- 
dation.” Where the fpoil was half or the 
whole of a county, it gave rife to an 
earldom or barony, which, defcending 
through various fortune to the. prefent 
time, has conferred the higheft hereditary 
Now, the 
original mode in which this property was 
acquired, certainly conveys no valuable 
jeflon to a defcendant; and amidft the 
train through which it has fucceflively 
paffed, may probably be found al] that 
variety of character and conduct which 
the human condition, joined to power and 
wealth, is likely to produce. 
them. were, of courfe, generals, minifters, 
heads of factions, now on the royal, now 
on the popular fide, as it fuited their in- 
terefis ; now rewarded with new honours 
and poffeffions as {upporters of the crewn, 
By the number of vaffals he. 
Some of- 
[May 1, 
now attainted and brought to the fcaffold 
as traitors. ‘ Treafon, facrilege, and 
profcription (fays Gibbon), are often the 
beft titles of antient nobility.” Is jt,- 
then, from a moral or intellectual eftimate 
of fuch men as thefe, that the idea of a 
‘noble and illuftrious race is derived by the 
judges of family confequence—the adepts 
in heraldry and genealogy? No.—It is 
quite fufficient for them to trace Bohuns 
and Mowbrays from century to century, 
as the pofleffors of certain hereditary ho- 
nours, and the owners of certain manors ; 
and all individuals are funk in the abftraét 
notion of a great houfe. ‘The Spaniards, 
though prouder of nobility than any nation 
in Europe, gave to their original great 
landholders only the appropriate title of 
Ricos Hombres—vich men. 
The untitled country gentleman cannot 
be fuppofed to entertain more elevated 
ideas of anceftry, than the ennobled pa- 
trician. ‘The connexion of his zame with 
a certain parcel of land at a remote period, 
is all that he thinks it incumbent upon him 
to eftablifh in proof of his gentility; and 
the meafure of his relative confequence 
‘is the number of acres in this land, com- 
bined with the length of time during 
which his family have been the poffeffors 
of it. Thefe two confiderations, it is 
rue, fomewhat interfere; fo that it may 
become a matter of doubt, whether an 
ancient race of {mall property be not more 
honourable than a more modern one with 
ampler poffeflions: and this is one of the 
modifications by which the pride of family 
fomewhat differs from the fimple pride of 
wealth. But the foundation of both being 
the fame, namely, diftinétion from the 
ma{s of people by a fuperierity in riches, 
it does not appear how the mere circum- 
tance of the length of time in which this 
has been enjoyed, can conftitute any eflen- 
tial difference in effe&t. In this country, 
where certainly more fobriety and con- 
filtency in eftimating the advantages of. 
‘life prevail than in moft others, it-is very 
feldom that the proudeft gentleman of an- 
tient defcent will refufe to ally himfelf to 
fuperior wealth and influence, how recent 
foever be their date. What is ufually 
meant when it 1s faid, Such an one isa 
perfon of good family? Is any other idea 
excited, than that of opulence and living 
at eafe? Do not we immediately paint to 
ourfelves a good landed eflate, a rich 
church preferment, or a thriving profef- 
fion? And if any moral notions aflociate 
themfelves with the word good, are they 
not merely fuch’ as naturally belong to a 
condition which rifes above the ordinary 
tempta-- 
