The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-26
THACKERAYs LECTURES ON THE GEORGES.
GEORGE THE FOURTH.
IContinued from the last issue Of THE EYES
WnLEaRApH.l


prince, and ind some half dozen stock stories
indeed, not many more-common to all the his
tories. de was good-natule ed; an indolent, volup-
tuous prince, not unkindly One story, the most
favorable to him OF all, perhaps, Is that as
prince regent, he was eager to hear all tnat
could be said in favor OF prisoners condemned to
death, aud anxious, if possible, to remit the
capital sentence. He was kind to his servants,
There is a story common to all biographies, OF
Molly the housemaid, who, when his household
was TO be broken mp, owing to some reforms
which he tried absurdly TO practise, was dis
covered crying as she busted the chairs because
she was TO leave master who mad a kind word
Tor all his servants Another tale is that of
groom OF the princes being discovered in corn
and oat peculations, and dismissed by the per
sonage at the head of the stables; the prince
had word OF Johns disgrace, demonstrated with
him very kindly, generously reinstated HIM,
and bade hum promise to sin no more-a pro-
mise which John kept. Another story is very
fOndly told of the prince as young man hear
ing of an officers family in distress, and how he
stTaiRhtway borrowed SIX or eight hundred
pounds, put his long fair hair under his hat
and, SO disguised carried the money to the
starving family. He sent money, too, TO Shep-
dan, on his death-bed, and would have sent
more had not death ended the career Of that
man OF genius. Besides these, there are few
pretty speeches, kind and graceful to persons
with whom he was brought in contact But
ne turned upon twenty friends. He was
fond and familiar with them one day. and he
passed them on the next without recognition.
de used them liked them, loved them perhapsln
MS way, and then separated from them. On Mon
day he kissed and fonded poor Perdita and on
Tuesday he met her and did not know her. On
Wednesday he was very atfectionIte with that
wretched Brummell, and on Thursday forgot
him; cheated HIM even out of q snuf-box which
he owed the poor dandy; saw him years alter
wards in his downfall and poverty, when the
bankrupt Beau sent him another snuH-boX, with
some OF the snuff he used to love, as piteous
token OF remembrance and submission, and the
King took the snuff and ordered his horses and
drove on, aud had not the grace to notice his
old companion, favorite, rival, enemy, superior.
In WraXall there IS some gossip about him.
When the charming, beautiful, generous Duchess
OF Devonshlre died-the lonely lady whom he
used to call his dearest once, and pretend to ad-
mire as all English society admired her-he
said, "Then we have lost the best bred woman
in Bngland.n 'Then we have lost the kindest
heart in England said noble Charles Fox. On
another occasion, when three noDemen were to
receive the garter Gays WraXall, "a great per
sonage observed that never did three men re.
celve the order in so characteristic a manner.
The Duke of A. advanced t. the sovereign vita
a pblegmatic, cold, awkward air, like clown.
Lord B. came forward fawning and smiling like
d ceprtler. Lord Q. presented himself, easy, un-
embarrassed, like gentleman" These are the
stories one has to recall about the Prince and
King-kindness to a housemaid, generosity to
groom, criticism on bow. There are no better
stories about him; they are mean aud trivial,
and they characterize him. The great war of
empires and giants goes on. Day by day VIC
tories are won and lost by the brave. Torn,
smoky 1aPS ana DaJlereu eagles are WrenCneu
from the heroic enemy and laid at his feet; and
he sits there on his throne and smiles, and gives
the guerdon of valor to the conqueror. He!
Elliston the actor, when the Coronation was
performed, in which he took the principal part,
used to fancy himself the King, burst into tears,
and hiccoueh blessing on the people. l be-
lieve it Is certain about George lV that he had
heard so much OF the war, knighted so many
people, and worn such prodigious quantity Of
marshals uniforms, cooked hats, cocks feathers,
scarlet and bullion in general, that he actually
fancied he had been present in some campaigns,
and, under the name of General Brock, led a
tremendous charge OF the German Legion at
Waterloo.
He is dead but thirty years. and one asks how
a great society could have tolerated him. Would
we bear him now? In this quarter of century
what silent revolution has been working!
how it has separated us from old times and man
ners how it has changed men themselves! 1
can see old gentlemen now among us, of perfect
good breeding, and quiet lives, with venerable
gre heads, tondling their grandchildren; and
look at them, and wonder at what they were
once. That gentleman OF the grand old school,
when he was in the 10Th Hussars, and dined at
the princes table, would fail under it night
after night. Night after night that gentleman
sat at Brookes or Raggetts over the dice. II,
in the petulance OF play or drink, that gentleman
spoke sharp word TO his nelghbor, he and the
other would infallibly 90 out and try to shoot
each other the next morning. That gentleman
would drive his friend Richmond the black
boxer down to Moulsey, and hold his coat, and
shout, and swear, and hurrah with delight while
the black man was beating Dutch Sam the Jew.
That gentleman would take a manly pleasure
IN pulling his own coat off and thrashing a
baIgeman in a street row. That gentleman has
been in q watch-house That gentleman so eX-
quisitely polite with ladies in a drawing room,
so loltily courteous, il he talked now as he used
among men in his youth, would swear so as to
make your hair stand on end. met lately an
old German gentleman who had served in our
army at the beginning OF the century. Since
then he has lived on his own estate, but rarely
meeting with an Englishman, whose language
the language of fifty years ago, that is-he pos
sesses perfectly. When this highbred old man
began to speak English to me, almost every other
word he uttered was an oath, as they used il
(they sWore dreaofully in Fanders) with the
Duke of York before Valenciennes, or at Carlton
House over the supper and cards. Read Byron's
letters. So accustomed is the young man tC
oaths, that he employs them even in writing tC
his friends, aud swears by the post. Read this
account of the dOings OF young men at Cam
bridge, of the Ilbald professors, one of whon
''could pour out Greek like drunken Helot,'
and whose eXcesses surpassed even those OF the
Young men. Read Matthew'S description of the
boyish lordling's housekeeping at Newstead, the
skull-cup passed round, the monks dresses frou
the masqueI ade warehouse, in which the yOune
scapegraces used to sit until daylight chanting
appropriate songs round their wine. 1--WE come
10 breakfast at two or three O'clock Matthew
saws, "There are gloves and foils for those who
like to amuse themselves, or we fire pistols at 8
mark in the hall, or We worry the wolff 4
ioily life. trulyi The noble young owner of thu
mansion writes about such affairs himself in
letters to his friend Mr.. John Jackson, pugllist
in London. N. ,..,,. -.-
story of of manners and pleasure. In WraXhal
William Pitt, engaged in high jnks with pei
sonages of no less Importance than Lord Thur
In Tho lord chancellor, and Mr.. Dundas, tn