Nobility

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Title:     Nobility
Author: Isaac Disraeli [More Titles by Disraeli]

Francis the First was accustomed to say, that when the nobles of his kingdom came to court, they were received by the world as so many little _kings_; that the day after they were only beheld as so many _princes_; but on the third day they were merely considered as so many _gentlemen_, and were confounded among the crowd of courtiers.--It was supposed that this was done with a political view of humbling the proud _nobility_; and for this reason Henry IV. frequently said aloud, in the presence of the princes of the blood, _We are all gentlemen._

It is recorded of Philip the Third of Spain, that while he exacted the most punctilious respect from the _grandees_, he saluted the _peasants_. He would never be addressed but on the knees; for which he gave this artful excuse, that as he was of low stature, every one would have appeared too high for him. He showed himself rarely even to his grandees, that he might the better support his haughtiness and repress their pride. He also affected to speak to them by half words; and reprimanded them if they did not guess the rest. In a word, he omitted nothing that could mortify _his nobility._

[The end]
Isaac D'Israeli's essay: Nobility

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