a degree next below a viscount, and the lowest of nobility. See Nobility.

A baron's is the most general and universal title of nobility; for originally every one of the peers of superior rank had also a barony annexed to his other titles. But it hath sometimes happened, that, when an ancient baron hath been raised to a new degree of peerage, in the course of a few generations the two titles have descended differently; one perhaps to the male descendants, the other to the heirs general; whereby the earldom or other superior title hath subsisted without a barony; and there are also modern instances, where earls and viscounts have been created without annexing a barony to their other honours: so that now the rule doth not hold universally, that all peers are barons. The original and antiquity of baronies has occasioned great inquiries among our English antiquarians. The most probable opinion seems to be, that they were the same with our present lords of manors; to which the name of court baron (which is the lord's court, and incident to every manor) gives some countenance. It may be collected from king John's magna charta, that originally all lords of manors, or barons, that held of the king in capite, had seats in the great council or parliament: till about the reign of that prince the conflux of them became so large and troublesome, that the king was obliged to divide them, and summon only the greater barons in person; leaving the smaller ones to be summoned by the sheriffs, and (as it is said) to fit by representation in another house; which gave rise to the separation of the two houses of parliament. By degrees the title came to be confined to the greater barons, or lords of parliament only; and there were no other barons among the peerage but such as were summoned by writ, in respect of the tenure of their lands or baronies, till Richard II. first made it a mere title of honour, by conferring it on divers persons by his letters patent. See Law, Part III. No civii. 12, 13, 14.

BARON by Tenure, one who held certain territories of the king, who still retained the tenure in chief to himself.

Barons of the Exchequer, the four judges to whom the administration of justice is committed, in causes between the king and his subjects, relating to matters concerning the revenue. They were formerly barons of the realm, but of late are generally persons learned in the laws. Their office is also to look into the accounts of the king, for which reason they have auditors under them. See Auditor.

Barons of the Cinque-ports are members of the house of commons, elected by the five ports, two for each port. See the article Cinque-ports.

Baron and Feme, in the English law, a term used for husband and wife, in relation to each other: and they are deemed but one person; so that a wife cannot be witness for or against her husband, nor he for or against his wife, except in cases of high treason.

Baron and Feme, in heraldry, is when the coats of arms of a man and his wife are borne par pale in the same escutcheon, the man's being always on the dexter side, and the woman's on the sinister; but here the woman is supposed not an heiress, for then her coat must be borne by the husband on an escutcheon of pretence.*

(Robert), a dramatic author, who lived during the reign of Charles I. and the Protectorship of Oliver Cromwell. He received the earlier parts of his education at Cambridge, after which he became a member of the honourable society of Gray's-Inn. During his residence at the university, he wrote a novel called the Cyprian Academy, in which he introduced the two first of the dramatic pieces mentioned below. The third of them is a much more regular and perfect play, and was probably written when the author had attained a riper age. The names of them are, 1. Deorum Dana, a masque. 2. Gripas and Hegio, a pastoral. 3. Mirza, a tragedy. Mr Baron had a great intimacy with the celebrated Mr James Howell, the great traveller, in whose collections of Letters* there is one to this gentleman, who was at that time at Paris. To Mr Howell in particular, and to all the ladies and gentlewomen in England in general, he has dedicated his romance.

(Michael), an excellent comedian of Paris, was the son of Michael Baron another comedian who was a native of Ilfordon. He wrote some poems, and several theatrical pieces, which are printed together in 2 vols 12mo. He died at Paris in 1729, aged 77.