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Article ON THE TITLE OF ESQUIRE. ← Page 3 of 5 →
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On The Title Of Esquire.
But mechanics and tradesmen are not the only persons who assume the title Esquire without the right to it . The hi gher orders of commercial men , such as merchants and bunkers , assume it with no better title ; nor can the landed interest prove that they have a superior claim : for as Blackstone observes , an estate , however large , does not confer this rank upon its owner . But , in flat contradiction to those of honourhow man }' ' thousand esquires does
, this nation contain *! Beside persons concerned in trade , it is assumed by every man who has no visible means cf living , and who therefore calls himself a gentleman , and is by others denominated an esquire . Even debtors in jail are frequently addressed by this title ; and I recollect to have seen , in a newspaper , under the-head of Old Bailey Intelligence , the " Trial of George Barrington , Esquire , "
the most infamous pickpocket and thief that ever disgraced a good understanding . Is not this enough to sicken us of Squireship ? Low mechanics retired from business , and who repair to Hampstead or Hackney , to doze away the remainder of their lives in solitude which they cannot improve , or diversions of which they cannot partake , are to a man Esquires . —It was said above , that personj enjoying patent places under the king , or offices of municipal
administration , are entitled to the rank and title of Esquire ; such as commissioners of the customs , excise , comptrollers , Src . To render this as ridiculous as . possible , we find the title of Esquire almost always bestowed on persons who enjoy the high office of Stewards to tavern dinners . Whether they enjoy this title only durante officio , or for life , with remainder to their eldest sons , I know not ; but his majesty ' s ift appears to lose considerablof its valuesince
g y , his privilege of conferring honours can be assumed by Codgers , Odd Fellows , and Easy Johns ! If the question be asked , why the title of Esquire is thus confounded , and rendered common to the meanest as well as the greatest , I know of no answer but by referring to vanity ; a princi ple in our nature too often powerful enough to acquire the mastery over
reason and common sense . There is often a very great degree of vanity in ostentatiously proclaiming the titles to which we have a -right ; and it is perhaps always a sign of weakness to value ourselves on names , which abstractedly imply no intellectual merit , and no superior virtue . But to assume a title to which we have no right , is an uncommon degree of arrogance ; and to be proud of it , may , without any breach of Christian charity , be denominated a very
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Title Of Esquire.
But mechanics and tradesmen are not the only persons who assume the title Esquire without the right to it . The hi gher orders of commercial men , such as merchants and bunkers , assume it with no better title ; nor can the landed interest prove that they have a superior claim : for as Blackstone observes , an estate , however large , does not confer this rank upon its owner . But , in flat contradiction to those of honourhow man }' ' thousand esquires does
, this nation contain *! Beside persons concerned in trade , it is assumed by every man who has no visible means cf living , and who therefore calls himself a gentleman , and is by others denominated an esquire . Even debtors in jail are frequently addressed by this title ; and I recollect to have seen , in a newspaper , under the-head of Old Bailey Intelligence , the " Trial of George Barrington , Esquire , "
the most infamous pickpocket and thief that ever disgraced a good understanding . Is not this enough to sicken us of Squireship ? Low mechanics retired from business , and who repair to Hampstead or Hackney , to doze away the remainder of their lives in solitude which they cannot improve , or diversions of which they cannot partake , are to a man Esquires . —It was said above , that personj enjoying patent places under the king , or offices of municipal
administration , are entitled to the rank and title of Esquire ; such as commissioners of the customs , excise , comptrollers , Src . To render this as ridiculous as . possible , we find the title of Esquire almost always bestowed on persons who enjoy the high office of Stewards to tavern dinners . Whether they enjoy this title only durante officio , or for life , with remainder to their eldest sons , I know not ; but his majesty ' s ift appears to lose considerablof its valuesince
g y , his privilege of conferring honours can be assumed by Codgers , Odd Fellows , and Easy Johns ! If the question be asked , why the title of Esquire is thus confounded , and rendered common to the meanest as well as the greatest , I know of no answer but by referring to vanity ; a princi ple in our nature too often powerful enough to acquire the mastery over
reason and common sense . There is often a very great degree of vanity in ostentatiously proclaiming the titles to which we have a -right ; and it is perhaps always a sign of weakness to value ourselves on names , which abstractedly imply no intellectual merit , and no superior virtue . But to assume a title to which we have no right , is an uncommon degree of arrogance ; and to be proud of it , may , without any breach of Christian charity , be denominated a very