(Sir William), an eminent English historian, antiquarian, and herald, born in Warwickshire in 1605. He was introduced into the herald's office by Sir Christopher Hatton; and ascended gradually through all the degrees, until he became garter principal king at arms. His chief work is the Monasticon Anglicanum, in three vols folio; containing the charters and descriptions of all the English monasteries, adorned with engravings: in the former part of which work he was assisted by Mr Roger Dodworth. Nor are his Antiquities of Warwickshire less esteemed. He wrote likewise, among other things of less note, the History of St Paul's Cathedral; a History of Embanking and Drainage; a Baronage of England; and completed the second volume of Sir Henry Spelman's Councils, with a second part of his Glossary. He died in 1686. His son, Sir John, was Norroy king at arms, and published a Catalogue of English Nobility: his daughter Elizabeth married the famous Elias Ashmole.

DUKE is either the title of a sovereign prince, as the duke of Savoy, Parma, &c., the grand duke of Tuscany, Mulcavy, &c.; or it is the title of honour and nobility next below princes. The commanders of armies in time of war, the governors of provinces and wardens of marches in times of peace, were called dukes under the later emperors. The Goths and Vandals divided all Gaul into duchies and counties, the governors of which they sometimes call dukes, and sometimes comites. In France, under the second race of kings, though they retained the name and form of ducal government, there were scarce any dukes except those of Burgundy, Aquitain, and France.

In Britain, a duke, though, in respect of his title of nobility *, he is inferior in point of antiquity to many others, yet is superior in rank to all of them; his being the first title of dignity after the royal family. Among the Saxons, the Latin name of dukes, duxes, is very frequent; and signified, as among the Romans, the commanders or leaders of their armies. But after the Norman conquest, which changed the military polity of the nation, the kings themselves continuing for many generations dukes of Normandy, they would not honour any subject with that title till the time of Edward III.; who claiming to be king of France, and thereby losing the ducal in the royal dignity, in the twelfth year of his reign created his son, Edward the black prince, duke of Cornwall; and many of the royal family especially, were afterwards raised to the same honour. However, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, A.D. 1572, the whole order became utterly extinct; but it was revived about 50 years afterwards by her successor, who was remarkably prodigal of honours, in the person of George Villiers duke of Buckingham.

A duke is created by patent, cincture of sword, mantle of state, imposition of a cap and coronet of gold on his head, and a verge of gold put into his hand. His title is Grace; and, in the style of the heralds, Most high, potent, high-born, and noble prince.