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.[58]

The most of these names have descended from the French invention, in whose
histories we shall read of them eight hundred years past.[59]

* * * * *

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 purpo