[3] 1 Sam. ii. 15; 1 Kings i. 7.—­H.

      [4] Here follows a long paragraph on the character of the clergy
      which is more appropriate to the chapter on “The Church.”—­W.

Dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons either be created of the prince or come to that honour by being the eldest sons or highest in succession to their parents.  For the eldest son of a duke during his father’s life is an earl, the eldest son of an earl is a baron, or sometimes a viscount, according as the creation is.  The creation I call the original donation and condition of the honour given by the prince for good service done by the first ancestor, with some advancement, which, with the title of that honour, is always given to him and his heirs males only.  The rest of the sons of the nobility by the rigour of the law be but esquires; yet in common speech all dukes’ and marquesses’ sons and earls’ eldest sons be called lords, the which name commonly doth agree to none of lower degree than barons, yet by law and use these be not esteemed barons.

The barony or degree of lords doth answer to the degree of senators of Rome (as I said) and the title of nobility (as we used to call it in England) to the Roman Patricii.  Also in England no man is commonly created baron except he may dispend of yearly revenues a thousand pounds, or so much as may fully maintain and bear out his countenance and port.  But viscounts, earls, marquesses, and dukes exceed them according to the proportion of their degree and honour.  But though by chance he or his son have less, yet he keepeth this degree:  but if the decay be excessive, and not able to maintain the honour (as Senatores Romani were amoti a senatu), so sometimes they are not admitted to the upper house in the parliament, although they keep the name of “lord” still, which cannot be taken from them upon any such occasion.

The most of these names have descended from the French invention, in whose histories we shall read of them eight hundred years past.[5]...

      [5] Here follows a learned disquisition upon “Valvasors.”—­W.

Knights be not born, neither is any man a knight by succession, no, not the king or prince:  but they are made either before the battle, to encourage them the more to adventure and try their manhood; or after the battle ended, as an advancement for their courage and prowess already shewed, and then are they called Milites; or out of the wars for some great service done, or for the singular virtues which do appear in them, and then are they named Equites Aurati, as common custom intendeth.  They are made either by the king himself, or by his commission and royal authority given for the same purpose, or by his lieutenant in the wars.[6]...

      [6] Here follows a discourse upon Equites Aurati.—­W.