New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-22
ENGLISH TAKERS.
ILL.,.
s,aiErY TALK-THE PRINCE AND SOME OF
HIS Sci, AND OF OTHER SEIS-ARr
TALK AND TALkERS.

mt of the political world, men of character ana
accomplishments, like, for example, Lord Carnar-
Won, whose talk is remarkable for us refinement
and funess But the political is very lar lrVu'
being the only. world. and 70 matter now rapiu
the glance, you must look further anelo TO eeU
anything like a notion of social London as
whole; though to attempt any account oil social
toudon as a whole is far beyond the scope OF
these two or three letters.
Society has weights and measures of its own
for conversation ms il has for other points oil con-
duet. There are many men whose talk wOuid
make no figure in print; who have neither learn
ing nor brilliant wit; who give themselves 50
far as oae can see, particular trouble to amuse
their fellow men, whose company is nevertheless
sought: whose position seems TO have been gained
BY their power of making themselves agreeable.
Wby are they not to be thought good takers?
So much depends circumstances they wouI
not shine, certainly, at a meeting of the Royal
Society, any more than some Fellows oil mat
illustrious body would shine in purely SOCIAL
snheres Their position, or the position OF some
of them. 10 sem-pubhc. They are known 10
everybody who enters London drawlpg-room.
Colonel Oliver Montagu, whose talk lacks neither
viqor nor sudacity; Colonel OhphaDt, whose
conventional courage rivals that OF his brother
officer with q dash OF originality; Major seymour
Wynne Finch with his dry humor and his s'ngu-
lar power Of saying precisely what he wants 10
say Lord Rosslyn belongs TO a rather earlier
period he had shining gifts had he cared 10 make
any serious use Of them. And there is group oil
interesting persons, known 10 other and less IN
teresting persons as the souls, name WHICH,
for some reason, they feel disnchned TO accept
though it by no means implies that they nave
not bodies BOO They are clever, individual, some
Of them, perhaps, disposed to repeal ana re-enacU
with amendments some part of the general body
Of social statutes.
Questions of the sort we are discussing ough'
never to be answered positively without some
helm from the better half Of society. A womanS
perceptions are worth more than mans pest
Judgment and what a woman thinks about any
social obem may be decisive, il You can Only
find out So in your interest, we'll as IN my
own, 1 asked one of these radiant, swlit-gahcihg
creatures whom she thought good takers IN
puscy social ssnse She named at once some OF
those who have been named already. But who
interests YOU, whom would you choose II you
could choose, to take you into dinner
She considered a second-t was really Dht
fraction of a secondhand gave me the h'ih'S
Of three men They belong so entirely
10 private life that to rcpea5 lh'Ir
nasncs might be an indelicacy and the mere
names would mean nothing in America bu'
had cot what 1 wanted. Her point of view was
The same: She too thought and felt that 'hefe u
n kind of talk which is in way dependent Oh
celebrity, and a kind OF social success whch Is
mainly conversational ard has TO be dccouh'e"
for ON principles quite different from those ON
which general reputation is based
II ,le art OF saving the right thing to the
right person at the right moment be good con-
versation-and IL migbt be hard 10 dellhe j.
bctter-thc Prince Of Wales must be put hish
upon the list He would be surprised to hnd
himself there for nobody makes less pretence
20 briliancy or learning or many other Things
which, sometimes enhance the at1ractlVeness OF
good talk yet not OF ITS essence lie Nus
knowledge in the sense that he knows more
than any one else of the matters in which society
is most interested, and he has that sixth sense
which tells man what to avoid, and his full
share of kindly common sense and shrewd per-
eeption which must be the basis Of the best
social intercourse.
In,d Rowton was long known as Mr.. Montagu
CORY and Lord Beaconsfeld's private secretary
n position which OF itself implies rare qualities,
though perhaps the power of talk is less essential
IN il than the power of silence. Monty Cory
had and has both. IL il were not for fear
of Mr. Phelps's epgram, l should say OF Lord
Rowton that he is one OF those men
who never make mistake, never
saw The wrong thing; never forget who are
urcsent nor who their fourth cousins are never
say a thing 20 give pain: and know how TO say
one that will give pleasure. His stock OF SOCIAL
knowledge is immense his perception OF what
ought TO he said and his powet OF saying 10
neatly. amiablv and cheerfully at all seasons
something entirely his own. II need not be
alleged that he takes equal pains TO talk well
i'm all companies: there is nothing that suggests
effort: the flow is natural and easy, as from
fountain. and the stream clear and sparkling,
That is not rho image one would choose for
Lord Charles Bercsford, who has renown IN
private life not less than in public. An lrishman
who belongs to the days when Irish wit and Irish
humor had lost none of their gloss. Anybody
can see / came out of bog he said Of himself
one morning when his humOr had been Il trillc
more riotous than usual Is Ireland bog, or IS
bog the natural home Of the son OF Marquis !!
Lord Charles brought with him, wherever he
came from an assortment of stories which would
have made his reputation, if his own sayings
had not been better than those he repeated from
other people. Never was man since jim
Bludso more careless in his talk, and that he Is
an awkward hand in a row the Nile compaign
proved and the performances of the Condor IN
the harbor Of Alexandria. If YOU ask what that
has 70 do with conversation, tire answer is that
Lord Charles Beresfords talk is an epitOme of
his life though his own exploits are the last
thing he is likely TO discourse upon lie is all
Of a piece: serious talk and the most roaring
farce 90 hand in hand; the condition of the
Navy one moment and joke that convulses the
company the next He is, in "a word. one OF
the few men whose force and fun add real
zest 70 life in London. Much of what l say
OF Lord Charles might be said of his brothers.
Lord Marcus and Lord William. Those who know
all three will dispute with you which of the three
in the cleverest, or quickest, or most amusing
Lord Charles is of course, by far the most widely