New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-18
The LAST OF THE FRENCH D4yDIES
From The London Daay Ye,ss.

From TIE London Daily News.
M. Barley dAuTeyly writes ch2rmlngly, he
talks well but it is his great pride and 10y To be
fOp He glOIes IN the name IS much as ever George
Ill. gloried in the name of Brton Ills faith on tins
subject Is all set down in a great little book OK
which he is the author, which has brummel Tor the
hero OF its story. lie has described IL as book
On Eop, by Fop. for fOps" bopplsLness, no
declares, is uliserably misunderstood 10 i but
form of vanity and vanity Is but lCrm OF tnag
desire to please which is tue handspring of ali good
and of most great actions Ii is only our lncuTable
hypocrisy that keeps as from owning as much;
But We must distinguish between toppshness and
dandyism oppishness Is the desire to please others
by the cultivation of outward graces; dandyism IS
rather the desire to please one sell. Danuyism IL
q special form of vanity of one race, the English,
who surpass all the world IN the power Of beng
themselves. The Frenchman may shine as Top.
but he Is tar too sympathetic to De dandy, no
may put on dandylsm. and give himself every
morning his little Disguised air. but II VIII be only
rs he puts on a garment. The distressing thing -
that the English themsees do not know what
they possess In this manifestation Of char
acter. In certain sense the clothes nave nothInS
to DO with it, 10 IS the manner OF wearing them;
10 is the man inside. Lord Spencer IN rags was
dandy, aud Biummel one day IN a freak set tho
fashion OF wearing napless coats Dy having MS own
scraped with glass. The next day half the coats IN
London were being treated 10 the same way. liz
introduced glove. aud people raved Of ITS beautl-
ful i; which showed the very outline OF the nails
beneath; but his superatlye danIyl was not IN
the tit, it was in the tact that he had the glove
made by FIVE different artists, ono for each hnger
and one for the thumb. Byron knew what he WAS
about when he SAID that he would rather Do
Brumme than Napoleon.
Brummel had all the requisite gifts OF nature f0r
hi, great northumberland aud pleasing lace as
a matter of course with an Intense sung yrgH tnab
nothing could dscountenance or disturb and above
all a quick intelligence, free from the genius tha5
spoiled many another dandy OF that glorious epoch.
This last disturbing quality gave sheridan MS
suDerabunuance OF Wit ana his passion; Ooth lataL
to perfect equilibrium OF manner aud 10 mado
Byron a dandy only Tor one moment, bat sometuln
else the next. Brummel was dandy at ali times.
Dandyisn introduces the antique calm in the midst
Of rot inn. huf fha IN Of
came from the harmony OF the faculties, ana from
the force Of a life freely developed, while the calm
OF dand yisn Is the repOse OF mind which has made
the tour of many ideas, and which IS too dsgusted
for animation Brummel was always Ike TINS.
His faultess dressing and the cold I9nguor OF ms
manners distinguished him as hoy at itoh' anu ue
was known as = Buck Brumme" the name or
Dandy" had yet to be- No other boy had such
influence IN the school, except perhaps George Can.
ming and his was an influence OF totally diilerent
order. On leaving Oxford Brummel went mo inc
Tenth Hussars commanded by the Prince OF Wales,
afterward George ". and was naturally at once
taken to the stuffed bosom of that prince OF fo0s;
He possessed what tue Prince must have esteemed
most of all human things, Youth, Drought OUT lhto
strong relief by the surety ana GOODNESS OF man
who had life, and who knew he was IT'S master,
the finest and the strongest mixture OF lmpeTtlnence
and Of respect the genius OF DRESSING ptotecleu w
n power of repartee hat was never without w.t."
Women who. like priests, are always on the side or
force, sounded with their yermilion lips enc IAN
fare OF their admiration for Brummel: they were
the tTumpets OF his glory buC they remained that
and nothing else. And herein is the originality OF
world calls a bertine. In a country like England
it was pquant" TO a man, and such young
man who combined IN himself every conventional
and every natural charm, Furnishing women for
their pretensOns by abnegatiOn OF this sort. BruIn-
mel was a sultan without a handkerchief and yet
his influence over women was extraordinary.
duchess was Overheard telling her daughter ID pay
particular attention to her attitude, gestures and
speech if by chance Mr.. Brummel should deign 10
speak to her She right; his notice was fame,
for he never did common thing Thus he gave up
dancing almost ut the outset OF his career Ito
simply stayed few minutes ut the door 81 2 oali-
room took The whole thing in ut a glance. judged it
with word and disappeared, thus applying the
famous principle of dandvlsm, 4" in society never
20 until You have produced your effect: the mo-
nent 1t is produced, vanish" He knew his crush
ing prestige. The little treatise winds up
curOtisy; below its last gage stands Ind or
Dandvism and of George Brummel' 1t reads I'M
commonly like an epitaph such is Barley PAure-
Willy aud such is his little gospel. There have been
worse in each kind. tie believes IN 1t all and in
mis- Old World coat and cuffs and fringed tie, he is
himself the great sublime he draws