Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-04-30
Edward Curtis on Disraeli "Lo.
THAR" and George the Fourth.

| tudlE anu UcOISC tuc OuItus
In recent literary lecture Mr.. Cur.
tbs said With his many brilliant
surroundings, with every human wish
of the appetite or passions gratitied, en-
ioying to the fullest extent the pleas
! ures of society, courted and battered
and frowned upon by many g.; yet after
all how utterly useless was the life of
| Lothian. What an entire failure was
his whole career slothful in his mind,
slothful in his heart, if he ever had any
nerve it was pampered out Of him in
his luxurious youth. Like all men who
live without u purpose or some distino-
| ton in view, he never uttered manly
sentiment or robust thought, but
swaddled in feather beds he simply
lived to wear large variety of clothes,
to eat lengthy catalogue of elaborate
dinners, to drink certain quantity of
wine, TO beam upon u Rumber of insipid
ladies, to languidly order around u
multitude of servants, and then l sup
pose he lazily laid himself down and
died. He left the world debtor to it
in everything that is useful and emo
bling. In the marching columns OF an
aggressive age he had no place. He
was genteel no doubt and-lady- like.
But it is not of such material that the
real men of u country are Nade. Had
the present Prime Minister of England
held that exalted position in the reign
of George the Fourth, Lothian would
have been quito appropriate to the
times. George the Fourth spent CO.
600 year for the coats on his back and
$500. 900 year in other personal ex-
psnses. He was Prince, says his bi-
ographer, most lovely to look upon
50 lonely that he was christened by the
ladies' Prince Florizel.' His first pub
lie appearance is described in an old
magazine as follows: HIS coat was
pink silk, with white cuffs. His vest
WAS white silk embroidered with vari-
GUS colored fail, adorned with pro-
fusion of French paste, and his hat
ALI that hat was ornamentod with
ten rows OF steel beads 5000 in num-
Der. And yet it is written that the
boon companions Of this gorgeous King
were principally ballet dancers, French
cooks, bul1oons, and glmcrack mer-
chants. The companionship OF such
ministers and statesmen as Fox, Pitt
and SheridoD was distasteful to him.
Yet this mau in the literature and
chronicles Of seventy years ago is de-
scribed as the first gentleman in Eu-
rope This flop. this scapegrace, filled
the public eye of his times. And what
reflection 1t IS upon,those times. Who
says the world is degenerating when
every intelligent man knows that such
sovereign as George the fourth was
would not be tolerated in any civilized
country on earth to day. They would
behead him with rldicule or dispose of
him in some way that would be equally
etfectual. Well in the fullness of his
designations the Fourth George died.
And one of the best writers of q sue
ceeding generation undertakes to do
scribe him. He says try and take
him to pieces. And find silk stock
ings, padding, stars, fnger-rings and
watch chains, coat with frogs and fur
collar, blue ribbons. pocket handker-
chief profusely scented, q satin black
stock, under waistcoat under
waistcoats-and then-nothing. The
last analysis of this jeweled and fine
linen king is-nothing.
When we turn away from the con-
temptation Of such lie as that of
George the Fourth and look for mo-
ment to the glorious careers OF men who
had not his privileges, it is like rising
from the marshes and swamps, and
from the miasmas, reptiles and unclean
animals that dwell there, rising up into
the pure sweet air OF the mountain tops.
How NEARLY the Earl of Beaconsteld's
Lothian seems eontrasted with that
courageous and gallant officer who had
never known defeat though often in
battle. He had risen from TIE ranks
and when called on to surrender an
swered back, porish-but surrender
never. Come England-come the
whole world, and see how Marshal of
France can die How wide as the uni
verse is the contrast between George
The Fourth, and that of the statesmen
who by duplicity could have saved his
administration, yet exclaimed son !!
Italy, Oh my soul, I'd give my life
to serve my country but wouldn't dc
M can act to save it," How sickly are
all the heroiues of the Disracli style of
novels compared to the Spartan mother
who when bidding goodbye to her
warrior son said to him, Return:to me
with your shield or on your shield -
or that OF one of our own country
women who said to her husband as she
buckled his sword upon him, Do your
duty, however perilous, for l had
rather be brave mans widow than q
towards wife" But it is just such men
and women as these that have made the
world what it is-that time and again
have saved for us all that is worth pre-
serving"