SIR. The title of “Sir” in former times, was given to all who had taken a degree, or had entered into orders. Thus Hearne, the antiquary, after he had taken his degree of B.A., was addressed as Sir Hearne (Aubrey's “Letters,” i. 117); and Waynfleet (afterwards Bishop of Winchester) was called Sir Waynfleet after he had taken the same degree.—Chandler's “Life of Waynfleet,” p. 54.

CHANCELLOR. The title of Chancellor originated with the Romans. It was adopted by the Church, and became a half ecclesiastic and half lay office. The Chancellor was entrusted with all public instruments which were authenticated ; and when seals came into use, the custody of them was committed to that officer. The mere delivery of the King's Great Seal, or the taking it away, is all the ceremony that is used in creating or unmaking a Chancellor, the officer of the greatest weight and power subsisting in the kingdom. The first Chancellor in England was appointed in the reign of William the Conqueror, and, with only one exception, it was enjoyed by ecclesiastics until the time of Elizabeth, when such officers were called Keepers of the Great Seal. From the time of Sir

Thomas More's appointment, which took place in the reign of Henry VIII., there is only one instance of a clergyman having been elevated to the office, namely, Dr. Williams, Dean of Westminster, in the time of James I. The Chancellor is a Privy Councillor by Office, and Speaker of the House of Lords by prescription. He takes precedence of every temporal lord except the Royal Family, and of all others except the Archbishop of Canterbury.

EMPEROR.

Emperor, from Imperateur or Imperator, a General or Commander of Legions; this is the actual meaning, although assumed as one implying more consequence.

In 1731, Mr. Whitworth, afterwards Lord Whitworth, Envoy from Queen Anne to the Russian Court, received the title of Ambassador Extraordinary, and on the 5th of January he had a public audience, at which, by order of the Queen, his mistress, he employed, the title of Emperor in speaking to his Majesty; and in the letter which the ambassador delivered from the Queen, the same title was found, instead of the ancient one of the Czar. Charlemagne assumed the title of Emperor after his coronation at Rome; and from his time the title was claimed exclusively in Western Europe by the rulers of Germany.

On the dissolution of the German Empire in 1805, the title passed to the Emperor of Austria, and in the same year Napoleon assumed it in France; the Czars of Russia claimed it in the reign of Alexander. It was re-assumed in France in 1853, by Napoleon III. ; by Frederick III. of Prussia, as Emperor of Germany, in 1873, and by Queen Victoria, as Empress of India, in 1876. BOURBONS, AS KINGS OF SPAIN.

The first Bourbon who ascended the throne of Spain was Philip IV., grandson of Louis XIV., in the year 1713. The “glorious wars” of Queen Anne, as they are called, were in opposition to that succession; and although the Duke of Marlborough did not lose a single battle, yet the French carried their point; the party whose interest the English espoused—viz., the Emperor's son—having died suddenly, which terminated the war. The peace of Utrecht, in the year 1713, followed the twelve years' war, when the Bourbon succession to the Spanish monarchy was agreed to by this country.

THE POPE, or Bishop of RomE. The title of Pope is derived from an Oriental word signifying Father, and in earlier times applied indiscriminately to all bishops, and in the East even to

ministers; but for many centuries the term has been confined to the Bishop of Rome, who is also designated by Roman Catholics as the Holy Father. The supremacy of the Roman bishop was unknown in the Christian Church for the first six centuries, although a primacy of order in the Western Church was conceded to that see from early times, arising from its apostolical origin, and from the temporal dignity of the city of Rome. -

KING OF THE ROMANS.

The son of the First Napoleon was styled King of Rome, which title originated from that of King of the Romans. The Emperors of Germany, to bring in their sons as their successors, politically got them elected King of the Romans, which was a part of the sovereignty. To get his son elected King of the Romans, the Emperor Charles IV. gave each Elector IOO,OOO ducats, and was forced to mortgage several cities to raise the money, 1376; the descendants of the mortgagees continue still in possession of them. There were then only seven Electors, they being reduced to that number in 999.

HORATII AND CURIATII.

The Romans and Albans, contesting for superiority, agreed to choose three champions on each side to N

decide it. The three Horatii, Roman knights, and the three Curiatii, Albans, being elected by their respective countries, engaged, in which the Horatii were victors, and which united Alba to Rome, 667 B.C.

AMBASSADOR.

The word ambassador is of very uncertain derivation, but is supposed to be derived from the Italian word ambasciare, to solicit. An ambassador is not only the agent of the country which sends him, but also represents personally the dignity of its sovereign.

CARDINAL.

The Cardinals were originally nothing more than deacons, to whom was entrusted the care of distributing the alms to the poor of Rome; and as they held assemblies of the poor in certain churches of their several districts, they took the title of these churches. Thus two of the minor canons of St. Paul's, London, are still called cardinals of the choir, whose duties are to preserve order in Divine service, administer the Eucharist, and officiate at funerals. They began to be called Cardinals in the year 300, during the pontificate of St. Sylvester, by which appellation was meant the chief priests of a parish, and next in dignity to a bishop. This office grew more considerable afterwards, and by small degrees arrived at its