a place of honour to which a person is entitled either by courtesy or by right. The former is that which is due to age, estate, or the like, and is regulated by custom and civility; the latter is settled by authority, and when broken in upon, gives an action at law.

In Great Britain, the order of precedence is as follows:—

(1) The sovereign, (2) the queen's consort, (3) the princes of the blood, (4) the archbishop of Canterbury, (5) the lord high chancellor, (6) the archbishop of York, (7) the archbishop of Armagh, (8) the archbishop of Dublin, (9) the lord treasurer of England, (10) the lord president of the council, (11) the lord privy seal, (12) dukes, (13) the eldest sons of dukes of the blood royal, (14) marquises, (15) dukes' eldest sons, (16) earls, (17) marquises' eldest sons, (18) dukes' younger sons, (19) viscounts, (20) earls' eldest sons, (21) marquises' younger sons, (22) bishops, (23) barons, (24) speaker of the House of Commons, (25) lord commissioner of the great seal, (26) viscounts' eldest sons, (27) earls' younger sons, (28) barons' eldest sons, (29) knights of the Garter, (30) privy councillors, (31) chancellor of the exchequer, (32) chancellor of the duchy, (33) lord chief justice of the Queen's Bench, (34) master of the Rolls, (35) lord chief justice of the Common Pleas, (36) lord chief baron of the Exchequer, (37) puisne judges and barons, (38) knights banneret if made in the field, (39) masters in Chancery, (40) viscounts' younger sons, (41) barons' younger sons, (42) baronets, (43) knight banneret, (44) knights of the Bath, (45) knights bachelors, (46) baronets' eldest sons, (47) knights' eldest sons, (48) baronets' younger sons, (49) field and flag officers, (50) sergeants at law, (51) doctors graduate, (52) esquires, (53) knights' younger sons, (54) clergymen, (55) gentlemen bearing coat armour, (56) citizens and burgesses of towns corporate, (57) yeomen, (58) tradesmen, (59) artificers, (60) labourers. It is to be observed, that ladies, except those of archbishops, bishops, and judges, take place according to the degree of quality of their husbands; and unmarried ladies take place according to that of their fathers.