Complicated.

Otago Witness, Issue 2239, 28 January 1897, Page 53

Complicated.

In Holland if one is not to be considered as a very ill-bred individual, one must have a great variety of phrases and titles of address ready to be applied to all parson*, aocording to their birth, station, tad condition ia life, and these raust not be confused or displaced on penalty of being written down a boor. In what straits this places the unfortunate Hollanders may be imagined from the following : — Bach grade, eaob function, has its distinctive sign and its special qualifications, and these titles do not exolode one another. By his birth a- person has a- right to certain of them ; by his university degrees or his office be employs others; and it is necessary for one to be very careful about them for fear of wounding his correspondent and of showing himself to be ignorant. * Here are some of the obligatory appellations. A count has the right, before his title, to the epithet of " Hoog Geboren Hear" (high, wellborn lord). When one belongs to a good bourgeois family, one is a " Wei Sdol Geboren Heer" (a very nobly-born lord). In public life things are more complicated. Ministers, • ganerala, councillors of State, and ambassadors have right to the title of "excellence." The members of the States-general and of high , administrative departments must be called "nigh, noble,' severe lord." Pastors or curates are "very honourable," and archbishops should be addressed as " most eminent and highly honourable."