New-York daily tribune., 1844-07-03
THE TRIRUNE
Frun Blackwood's Magazine 70, June.
Beau Brusnmeil.
[Conc,uded1

maker of punch, 10 exhibit his talent IN that ari
at the royal entertainment, and also sent pres
sent of some excellent maraschino. But no re-
suit followed. The King SAID TO have trans
mitted TO him hundred pound note; but ever
this is unluckiIy aprocryphal. Leieux, l'is iaiid
lord, thus gives the VERSION. me Ehg'Sh Co'is"
at Calais came TO Mr.. Brummcll iafe one even
ing, and ln,imated that the king was ont q
snuff. saving, as he took up one OF the boxes lynn
on his table, /" Give me one OF yours" +" Witt
all my heart was the reply; "but not that box.
fox if the King saw it | should never have il
agan"-implyirg that there was some story al
tached to it. On reaching the theatre the Con
sn presented the snuff, and the King turning
said, '' sir, where did you get your snuff? Ther'
Is only ono person that know that can miX
snuff in this way? ?'' cit is some OF Mr.. B:um
mells, your Msjesty," replied the Consul. Tll
next day the Ktng LEI. Cal4,s and, as he seatea
himself in the carriage, he said to Sir Arthur
Paget, who commanded the yacht that brought
him over, 81 leave Calais, and have not seen
Brummell.' From this his biogrdpher iniers
that he had received neither money nor message,
and his landlord IS Of the same opinion.
But slight as those circumstances are, 1t seems
obvious that George Nv had a iorglv!ng heafi
toward the Beau notwithstanding all his lmpeF
tinsnces, that ne would have been glad to forgive
him, and that he would in all probability, have
made some provision for his old favorlie, II
Bummell had exhibited any Signs Of repentance
On the other hand, Brummell was a man 81
spirit, and no mar ought 10 put himself III the
way Of being treated contenptuously even ny
royalty but it seems strange that. with al
his adroitness, he should not have hit upon
middle way. There could have been no great
tho kIuUW
receive him, in sending respectful message, IN
offering his loyal congratulations on the hing's
arrival, or even in expressing his regret at his
long alienation from Prince towhom he had been
once indebted for so many tavors, and who Ger
tainly never harbored resentment against man
Brummell evidently repented his tardiness on this
occasion; for he made up his mind to make
more direct experiment when the King should
visit the Town. Hall on his return. But opPortn-
mites once thrown away are seldom reedinra.
The KING on his return did not visit the Town
Hall, but hurried OH board, and the last chance
of reconciliation was gone
Yet during his long residence in Calais. the
iberality of his own connections in England en-
abled him to show good face to poverty. He
paid his bills punctuay whenever the remittance
oame, and was charitable To the mendicants who,
probably for the last thousand years, have made
Calais their head quarters. The general name
for him was the Roi de Calais An anecdotc Of
his pleasantly in almsgivlng reached the public
ear. A French beggar asked hun for twosous
piece. al don't know the coln," SAID Brumneil
"never having had one; but | suppose you
mean franc: There, take it." HIS former &C.
lebrity had also spread far and wide among the
population. A couple of English workmen IN
one OF the factories OF the town, one day followed
AL ,Jn.. 10
to Brummell He heard one of them say to the
other Now, Ill bet you a pot that's him"
Shortly after, one of them stroled up to him,
with, "Beg pardon, sir-hope no offence, but NC
two have got bet-now, ant you George Ring
the Bell" Brummel's habits of Irritation did
not desert him in France; and in one instance
he paid such marked attention to young Erg-
lsh lady, that friend was deputed t, inquire ms
purposes Here Brummcll's knowledge of every
body did him good service. The deputy on This
occasion having once figured as the head Of a
veterinary hospital, or some such thing. but be
ing then in the commissariat,--" Why, Vulcan"
exclaimed Brumme what Il humbug you must
be to come and lecture me on such subject!
You, who were for two years at hide and seek TO
save Yourself from being shot by Sir L. S. for
running off with one OF his daughters" Dear
me-" said the asionshed friend, "you have
touched painful cord; / will have no more to
do with this business The business died
natural death.
His dressing.tabl was recherche. Its batteTIe
dc toilette was curious, complete, and Of silver;
one part of it being splitting dish, he always de-
claring that sit was impossible to spit in clay"
His making up every morning occupied two
hours When he first arrived in Caen he carried
a cane, but often exchanged 1t for Il brown silk
umbrella, which was always protected by silk
case of remarkable accuracy OF tit--the handle
surmounted by an ivory head of George tie
Fourth, in well-curlcd wig and gracious smile.
In the street he neucr took off his hat to any one,
not even to lady; for it would have been ditli-
cult to replace it in the same position ii having
been put on with peculiar care. We finish by
stating that he always had the soles of his boots
blackened as well as the upper feathers; his rca
son for this being, that in the usual negligence Of
human nature, he never could be sure that ,he
polish on the edge of the sole would be- accu-
rately produced, unless the whole underwent tho
operation. He occasionally polished u singie
boot himself, to show how perfection ON thus
point was obtained. Clogs, SO Indispensable in
the dirt of an unpaved French street, he al
ways abhorred; yet, under cover of night, he
could now and then, condescend TO wear them.
"Theft," as the biographer observes, " IN Sparta
was a crime-only when it was discouered."
But after this life of fantasy and frlvolity, on
which SO much clcverness was thrown away. the
unfortunate Beau finished his career miserahiy,
On his application to tho Foreign Office, repre-
senting his wish to be removed to any other Con-
sulate where he might serve more effectualiy, and
of course with better income; the former part
of his letter was made the ground of abolishing
the Consulate, while the latter received no
answer. We say nothing of this measure, any
farther than that il had the effect of utter ruin
poor Brummell. The total loss OF his intellect
followed; he was reduced to absolute beggary,
and finally spent his last miserable hours ia
Hospital !or Lunatic Mendicants. Surely Il
could not have been difficult, in the enormous
patronage OF Office, to have found some relief lur
the necessities of man whose official character
was unimpeached; who had been expressly put
into Government employ by Ministers ios the
sake of preserving him from penury; who had
been the companion. the friend OF Princes and
MOBILES; and whose faults We're not an atom
more fragrant than those Of every man of fashion
in his time But he was now utterly ruined and
lcaf rr.a ta