Manners and Rules of Good Society Part 10

=The King has deemed it desirable=, in the conditions brought about by the present war, that those princes of his family who are his subjects and bear German names and t.i.tles should relinquish these t.i.tles and henceforth adopt British surnames.

=His Majesty has conferred Peerages= of the United Kingdom on the following:--The Duke of Teck to be a Marquis; Prince Alexander of Teck to be the Earl of Athlone; Prince Louis of Battenberg to be the Marquis of Milford Haven; and Prince Alexander of Battenberg to be the Marquis of Carisbrooke.

=Indian Princes.=--The exact status of Indian princes has never been actually laid down, but all who are "Highnesses" are given precedence at the English Court and in society after the Royal Family and foreign princes. In the procession at Court entertainments they go in front of amba.s.sadors.

No Indian prince is considered to be of blood royal, and they do not stand in the line at levees and Courts, but all have the private _Entree_.

CHAPTER VIII

POINTS OF ETIQUETTE WHEN TRAVELLING ABROAD, AND PRESENTATIONS AT FOREIGN COURTS

The acquaintanceship of foreign residents is of considerable service to English people purposing to winter abroad, or to remain for any length of time in a continental city, as by its means they obtain an entrance into foreign society. An introduction to the English Amba.s.sador or Minister at a foreign Court is of still greater service in this matter.

People of recognised position in society have the privilege of leaving cards at the English Emba.s.sy at any foreign city in which they intend making a temporary stay.

So thoroughly is the position of English travellers known to the English Ministry at a foreign Court, that should a person, who is not received in English society, leave cards at the English Emba.s.sy, they would be at once returned as an intimation that the acquaintance is declined.

It is erroneous to suppose that by leaving cards upon foreigners of distinction, an acquaintanceship can be commenced, for unless introductions have been formally made, leaving cards is a useless proceeding.

At far-away spots little frequented by the general run of travellers, and where there are but few, if any, resident English, travellers requiring advice or a.s.sistance from the English consul, can, without an introduction, call upon him, nationality being the ground upon which to do this, and if of equal social standing, they would be received with social consideration; if otherwise, all a.s.sistance would be given to them from an official point of view. Many people when travelling abroad make pleasant acquaintances even without the help of introductions, the occasion of a meeting being as it were a semi-introduction in itself.

Such casual acquaintanceships are, however, attended with certain risks, especially to persons who have been absent from England some little time, or who when in England have entered comparatively but little in society, and who are thus apt to drift unawares into close friendships with people perhaps well bred and agreeable, although tabooed at home for some good and sufficient reason. _Contretemps_ such as these are painful to kind-hearted people when subsequently compelled to avoid and to relinquish the acquaintance of those with whom they have become pleasantly intimate. An introduction to an English resident in either town or city obviates any unpleasantness of this nature, as one so situated is generally kept _au courant_ with all that takes place in society at home.

=When persons desire to enter into society abroad= they endeavour to obtain letters of introduction from friends and acquaintances to residents in the cities they purpose visiting.

Unless English travellers have been duly presented at the Court of St James's, they cannot obtain presentations at foreign Courts through the English Emba.s.sies.

When a lady desires a presentation at a foreign Court, she should write to the English Amba.s.sadress and request the honour of a presentation, and should state the date of her presentation and the name of the lady by whom she was presented. After her statement has been duly verified the request is granted. In a like manner when a gentleman desires a presentation at a foreign Court, he should write to the Amba.s.sador and request the honour of a presentation, and should state the date of the Levee at which he was presented, and the name of the person by whom the presentation was made.

Presentations at foreign Courts take place in the evening, and the persons to be presented, and those who attend, a.s.semble previous to the entrance of the royal personages: the rule is for the grand _maitresse_ to present each lady in turn to her royal mistress, who makes the tour of the apartment for this purpose, and addresses some courteous observation to each.

CHAPTER IX

THE RECEIVED MODE OF p.r.o.nOUNCING CERTAIN SURNAMES

There are, perhaps, two reasons why various surnames are so frequently misp.r.o.nounced, the one being unfamiliarity with the freak of fashion which governs the p.r.o.nunciation of certain well-known names, the other ignorance, or want of education.

When sensitive persons hear a name p.r.o.nounced differently from the way in which they have themselves but just p.r.o.nounced it, and in a tone and manner strongly suggestive of correction, it is wounding to their _amour propre_.

As a rule, when persons are in doubt as to the correct p.r.o.nunciation of any particular name, it would be best to avoid mentioning it, if possible, until their doubts are set at rest by some one better informed than themselves.

Names that have a fashionable or peculiar p.r.o.nunciation, or are p.r.o.nounced otherwise than as they are spelt, are but few, and names which it is possible wrongly to accent are also not very numerous; but it is surprising how often these names occur in the course of conversation.

The names of distinguished artists that are open to misp.r.o.nunciation occur far oftener in conversation than do the general run of uncommon surnames.

There are many celebrated hunts and hunting quarters of which the names are open to considerable misp.r.o.nunciation.

With regard to placing the accent on the wrong syllable in the p.r.o.nunciation of names, it requires but little thought to avoid making this mistake, a popular error being that of placing the accent upon the last syllable of a name; whereas, in a name of two syllables, the accent should invariably be placed upon the first, and the second syllable should be as it were slightly abbreviated or slightly altered.

In names of three syllables the error usually consists in placing the accent upon the last syllable, whereas the accent should be placed upon the second syllable. There are occasional exceptions to this rule, and the few names given in this chapter, both as regards their p.r.o.nunciation and accentuation, will serve as a useful guide in the p.r.o.nunciation of uncommon names.

SPELT. p.r.o.nOUNCED. REMARKS.

Abergavenny. Abergen'ny. _Av_ not sounded.

Arbuthnot. Arbuth'not.

Arundel. Arrandel.

Beaconsfield. Beckonsfield.

Beauchamp. Bea'cham.

Beauclerk or } Bo'clair. Accent on first syllable.

Beauclerc. } Belvoir. Be'ver.

Berkely. Bark'ley.

Bethune. Bee'ton.

Bicester. Bis'ter. Accent on first syllable.

Blount. Blunt.

Blyth. Bly. _Th_ not sounded.

Bourke. Burk.

Bourne. Burn.

Bowles. Boles.

Breadalbane. Breaddal'bane. Accent on second syllable.

Brougham. Broum.

Buchan. Buck'an. Accent on first syllable.

Burdett. Burdett'. Accent on last syllable.

Burnett. Burnett'. Accent on last syllable.

Bury. Berry.

Calderon. Cal'dron not Cauldron.

Charteris. Charters.

Cholmeley. Chum'ley.

Cholmondeley. "

Cirencester. Cis'ester. Accent on first syllable.

Clanricarde. Clanrecarde. Accent on second syllable.

c.o.c.kburn. C[=o]burn. _Ck_ not sounded.

Colquhoun. Kohoon'. Accent on last syllable.

Conynham. Cunyingham.

Coutts. Koots.