Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-09-16

uoT IcttllS Illc l;tSl lele UaN Ol tllc ldlltu
emperor with Il sigh. for it made him a
poorer man by many million of francs than
he was when he handed his charming wife
nto his carriage and bade his coachman
drive to the opera
4 Gentleman.
1t is common in our dav to speak of
gentlemen of position. gentlemen of means.
gentlemen of the press, commercial and
sporting gentlemen. etc. alt was not in
this vague sense that the word was used
! by James l., who when his nurse entrcat-
ell him to make her son II gentleman, re-
oiled that he could make him a lord, bu;
that it was out of his power to make him
Il gentlemtn. The word does not bear
the Interpretation it formerly did in Eng
land. While ut one time it expressed the
idea which the term gcntihOntlne does In
| France-wherc it retains its original sig
nlhc;lnce to designate the members of :,
caste. distinct and ;tpart-lt has, III success
iv" periods. been applied to degrees more
widely extended. All classes now ;tssocl-
ate more freely than would have been toll
er ted IN previous generations, and men
no longer drcs>, either iigurativclv or really
in buckles and buckram. The glrb of tn,
Purltan-dcSpi>ed in the days when it wa>
the fashion for Il man to bcdizen himself
in rullles and lace-iS now the rule, anl
is appreciated for its plainness, lis com
fort, and its practical utility. The ordi-
nary costume of gentlemen, free, easy, and
devoid of outward show and pretcn~e, Is
IN index of tn il mental condition. They
eschcw stiffness, they abhor formality,
they dtspise all teming. Their manners.
though refined, are simple.
The gentleman is n representative
character. a reflection of his era. We may
trace the manners of the times in their
various types: in the warlike and semi
harbarou>, the chivalrous and ronanti,
the ctltminate and ornate, the Soldierly
and scholarly. down to the earnest, accom-
plishel, and practical specimen i'll our
own day. As now understood. the term
is Indicative of conduct rather than line
age. of chal rather than p"sitlon OF
the intrinsic qualities that contribute to IT.
formation is much aS their manifestation
in the life. y gentleman i something
unique. apart from amy consideration OF
rank. education or pursuits. There are
many men of plain manners and limited
means rs thorough gentlemen rs any no
BILE in the land. The late Justice Taltourd,
III his charge To the Jury III an acton
wherein it WIS alleged that the defendant
had said to the plaintiff. do not speak to
me. am Il gentleman. You are a trades
man. took occasion To- observe: Nen
tleman is a term which i not confined t'
any station. The man of rank who de
ports himself with dignity and candor. th'
tradc>man who discharges his duties witt
INTEGRITY. and the hunblr,t artisan who
fultiI> the Iuti,, in,.umb,nf unon him Will
virtue and honor. ar alikt. intit eI 10 III,
name of gentlemen. in preference to th'
man. however hirh his station. who in
dulccs in ribald and offensive remarks.
We may hayn = correct conception O
the. chara,t,r without brino able to entc
into an anaIv,iS of il Courtesy and sim
plicitv are lis lradiu~ features. The mos
hirhIy cultivated men are. ever the lra>
rnur,jtrd. and we generally find that tn
pc,lantic are men Of small understanding
Chesterfield cmbolic~ tin. constituent cle
mcnt> in the term " pnlitcnr~>." which H.
defines os , h.novoinrr in tritle,. or
nr,.f.r,n,.,. of other, ,o ourselves in tn
ordinary o..,.nrr,n,.... of lif,. Grntl,nc->
the foundation Of the character. impIic,
reserved nnv,.r ,nI it i tn he DISTINGUISH
ed from weakness. a, it i from a pa>Siv
t,mrn,,, of ,,irit and nm unr,a.onahl
rom,,Ii.n.. with ia. dictates or the vii
of others Itr,noIn,c, no inst RIGHT frot
r th. fear of their frown. and Yields no i'm
n,r.,nt truth ,o th,.ir t],tt.rv \ prom
nont feature of ,h. character is consider
,,cnr.s which may he s,iI tocou>i>t !
delicacv in the u,c of p,wcr-phv>ica
moral and social Performance and wi,
dom in the c>erci-. of this power,
th,t which thr husband .xerci-r- over IN
wife. the father over his children. II
, to,chrrov,r his nn,ils the old. over youn
. fine stronr over weak. tn. master over h
hands the rich over the poor. IN. e lurat.
over fine IGNORANT. the experiencrI ov,
j, tn. onti1inr-m,rl IN. gentleman
R,shf,lness i not inrnn~ist,n mt with II
,l,.,r,,.,.r .,ul W.. ar. .urnri>.d that
,,r,. , n,,litv i not more, hirhlv ,unr,
,.;,t.d Thn th,nrh,s and f.rlinrs If II
i r,,irinr in disno,ition ar, not les rctin,
althou1h they may not he expressed wit
: th. ,,,:,cof,ln... nf IN. rn,dv sneaker
-, the imnctuo,itv of the rattlrpa'c Th
u lisno,ition frcuucntlv arises from the mi,
running in channels other than the con
monplaces of ordinary conversation. M
u , suhseuucnt consciousness of inferiori
e in the art of plca>ino. The a>sumption
the character is often but simulation
> the more agreeable habits of society a,
Vi only the veneer which hides lcprav,
y tastes and Viz lou, propcnsitic>. \othir
It more DISPLAYS a frivolous. selfish. Al
a vulv,r mind than inottcntinn to the simn
q courte,ics of life. and without this. ev,
= profound learning is no more than tir
X some pcdantrv. 4 person of this desert
1t ton saws he can be a gentleman when
II ,leaseS tr,,e gentleman never pleas
II to he anvthjno else. and never, by any =
le c;d.nt drrnw,tcs frnm this stand.rl I
[e can not stoon I, a mean ,hino. He ney
If struts in borrowed nluma~e. He nev
Il st,bs in the dark. lie is not one thinr
e ., mans f,rc and ,nothcr hrhind his b,c
le P,pe,s not meant for hi. eve arc. s,cr,