EARING, in the sea language, is that part of the bolt-
rope which at the four corners of the sail is left open,
in the shape of a ring. The two uppermost parts are put
over the ends of the yard arms, and so the sail is
made fast to the yard; and into the lowermost ear-
ings, the sheets and tacks are seized or bent at the clew.
EARL, a British title of nobility, next below a marquis,
and above a viscount. Earls were anciently called
comites, because they were wont comitari regem, to wait
upon the king for council and advice. The Germans
call them graves, as landgrave, margrave, palsgrave,
rheingrave; the Saxons ealdormen, unless that title
might be more properly applied to our dukes; the
Danes, colras; and the English, earls. The title, ori-
ginally, died with the man. William the conqueror
first made it hereditary, giving it in fee to his nobles,
and allotting them for the support of their state the
third penny out of the sheriff's court, issuing out of all
pleas of the shire whence they had their title. But
now the matter is quite otherwise; for whereas here-
tofore comes and comitatus were correlatives, and there
was no comes or earl but had a county or shire for his
earldom, of later years the number of earls increasing,
and no more counties being left, divers have made
choice of some eminent part of a county, as Lindsey,
Holland, Cleveland, &c. some of a lesser part, as Staf-
ford, &c. others have chosen for their title some emi-
nent town, as Marlborough, Exeter, Bristol, &c. and
some have taken for their title the name of a small vil-
lage; their own seat or park, as Godolphin, Clarendon,
&c. An earl is created by cincture of sword, man-
tle of state put upon him by the king himself, a cap and
a coronet put upon his head, and a charter in his hand.
All the earls of England are denominated from some
shire, town or place, except three; two of whom, viz.
earl Rivers, and earl Paulet, take their denomination
from illustrious families: the third is not only honorary,
as all the rest, but also officinary, as the earl-marshal of
England.