Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-11-10
Beau Brulnmel.

A London correspondent of one of our New
York exchanges gives the following account OF
the celebrated Beau Brummel. 1t is well worth a
perusal:
"The story of Brummel, had the people been
SO astute as to seize its leading points, is amusing
as a romance. The audacious insolence with which
he trampled down the haughtiness of the high no.
bility OF England, was splendid-because success
full. His grandfather kept a confectionery shop in
Bury street, st. James's. London, and let lodgings.
The first Lord Liverpool, then almost obscure,
lodged in his house, took his son as his secretary,
got him office under Lord North, and allowed him
to feather his nest so well, that on his death, in
1894, there was f67, 900 to divide between two
sons and a daughter. George, the second, was ed
ucated at Eaton, and dressed so well, while early
in his teens: that the prefix of "Beau" was then
put to his name. In Oxford, he affected to be ex-
elusive, and on his fathers death, in 1894, at the
age Of sixteen, was presented with a coronetcy, in
the Xth Hussars, by the Prince of Wales, colonel
of that regiment. Henceforth, he was the Princes
constant companion. In two years he was a cap
tain, and then threw up his commission, and set up
as a gentleman at large. This was before he was
twentv-one, and the only reason assigned was, that
the regiment was ordered to Manchester which he
considered decidedly vulgar.
"He started as an independent gentleman, on
81 10000 small sum for carrying on such a pro-
Observation-Disclosures for one whose wardrobe cost
him fS,00Oa year, and who entertained fashion,
and even royalty, at his table. No man dressed
better; simply but richly, with elegance and taste.
In this he eclipsed his much-pufed successor, Dor
say, whose snowy attire made him look like what
he was-a tailor's walking advertisement. The
Prince Of Wales, whose wardrobe cost elO0.0 900,
was Brummels greatest rival, until corpulence,
which he hated, destroyed all his reasonable pre-
tensions to the throne of Davidson. Simplicity, of
the most studied kind, was Brummels great sys-
TEN.
"He mixed and visited in the first circles, for he
was young, handsome, satirical, and the fashion.
He rode well and was a good shot, but affected to
despise Melton and the pheasants, on the plea that
they were too troublesome. His great reform was
in the neckcloth, which then was a sort of white
muslin padding. He introduced the modern use OF
starch, which he gave the necessary stiffness, and
dispensed with the pad. He was curious in his tie
if the cravat did not glide into it at the first touch
he would almost invariably throw it aside and try
another. His valet, who was met with a heap of
these rumpled neckcloths on his arm, solemnly said,
" These are our failures"
"The Prince of Wales quarreled with him, after
nearly twenty years intimacy. The story runs that
In the frInces drawing room, he SAID, " Wales ring
the bell" which was done; and when the servant
came in, the Prince said, "Order Mr.. Brummel's
The Beau denied this, and attributed
his quarrel to something he said about Mrs. Fitz-
s%toutness. This was about 1911. Brum-
mel continued king of fashion, though he had quar-
relied with the Prince. But he took to gaming. In
1914, he lost all he had, and ten thousand pounds
raised all the money he could and retreated
to Calais; attributed his bad luck to his having part
ed with "a lucky sixpence," which, he maintained,
must have got possession of; was sup
ported in his exile by his brother and sister; was
70 liberal, when his remittance came, that the beg
yars called him Sic Roi de Calais" was made
British Consul at Caen, on the mediation of Lord
Wellington with George WITH; was removed with
'ut compensation, when that consulate was abol-
shed; lost his senses; spent his last hours in a
hospital for lunatic mendicants; and died March =
.S40."
1