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Show HEIR TO DUKE OF NORFOLK. Birth of San to Catholic Leader and Premier Peer Regarded as National Na-tional Event in England. The recent birth of a son and heir to the Duke of Norfolk was treated as an event of almost national importance in England. The Duke of Norfolk is a man of mark in many ways. He is the fore most Catholic in Great Britain ana acts to all intents and purposes, when occasion arises, as British ambassador to the Vatican. He also the premier peer of Great Britain, and the birth of a son insures the continuation in the direct male line of the acient family of Howard, which stands next to the blood royal at the head of the English peeeragc and traces its descent back to Saxon times. Arundel castle, the duke stately Sussex home, dates from the time of King Alfred, who mentioned it in his will. It seems strange that with so long and continuous a family history the child born on Saturday should be the first heir to the dukedom that has been born In the historic castle. The titles to which he will succeed are more nui merous than those held by almost any other peer. The present duke is probably one of the most unassuming men in the British Brit-ish Isles. He succeeded his father as fifteenth duke in 1860. when only 13, and seventeeen years later married a daughter of Lord Donnington. There was only one child of this marriage, a son, whose mental and physical weakness weak-ness was the tragedy of hifi parents' life. In 1S87 the duchess died, and the duke, always a deeply religious man. wished to retire from the world and spend the rest of his life in some religious re-ligious order, but the urgent representations represen-tations of 'his friends, including Queen Victoria. Lord Salisbury and Cardinal Newman, prevented him from taking this course. Instead he devoted himself him-self to the care of his invalid son and the performance of any public duty that came his way. In 1S92 his son died, and two years later the duke married mar-ried again. In spite of his vast wealth and high position, the present Duke of Norfolk scorns delights. He prefers old garments gar-ments to new, and can boast the proud distinction of beins the worst dressed man in the house of lords, which has been called the worst dressed assemblage assem-blage in Europe. Very short, with a bustling, rolling gait, a long, dark, untrimmed beard: dressed in old, unfashionable, even shabby clothes, he certainly does not suggest externally the premier Duke and Earl Marshal of England. Once it is said he went into a shop in Portsmouth, Ports-mouth, and the proprietor, thinking he had come in answer to an advertisement advertise-ment for an assistant, told him the place was filled and offered him six-pense six-pense to cover his disappointment. The duke, who is not without humor, took it with thanks and went. On another occasion, when the beautifully beau-tifully kept grounds of Arundel were thrown open for a school children's treat, the Duke was crossing one of his lawns when a teacher followed him, shouting: . "Come off the grass! It's people like you get these places shut to the public- |
