The evening times., 1899-08-18
COUNT D'oRsAY.
The yicissitudes of a Famous Dandy
of the Forties.
(From the Gentleman's Magazine D

in this country: THE youth OF 81. James
gave him a wonderful welcome. The flight
OF Mr. Brummen had left them as sheep
without a shepherd. They had even cried
out against the inscrutab!e decree Of fash
ion and curtailed the height OF their
stocks. And, 10, here, ambling down the
Mall with tasseled cane. laughing in the
window al Whites, or in Fop's Alley pos
turing, here with the devil in his eyes and
all the graces at his elbow was d'orsay.
the prince paramount, who should dorni-
nate London and should guard life a
monotony by the daring of his whims
First at Seemore Place. then at Gore
House-once the residence OF William VIII
berforce of pious memory-Lady Blessing
ton and her friend electrified society.
JelSyll describes their dwelling as "a bijoa.
or. as Sir w. Curtis lady said perfect
bougie." Thither hastened the elite OF
England. In the reception-rooms, with
their frescoed ceilings, their chandeliers OF
crystal and silver, their Oriental embroid-
cries. their priceless pictures. Wings 70;
a while forgot their hatred of Tories, men
of letters rubbed shoulders with the club
tics and the bucks. Lord Chesterfield was
there, who passed his life in imitation OF
Count d'0rsay. Every day the
circle widened, became richer In variety.
a common meeting ground for al who
were distinguished. talented, or witty.
Side by side were TO be seen German
highness Russian prince. a French mar
quis, an Italian duke. And, observed OF
all observers on an ottoman in a studied
attitude of negligence, the central figure
of brilliant throng, with nod and mot
for everyone who passed, lounged the hero
Of the moment Alfred d'orsay, very
splendid, but undefnable He seemed
showily dressed until you looked to par
ticulars, and then il seemed only simple
thing fitted TO very magnificent person. 3"
One afternoon he strolled into the studio
Of a brother painter-Haydon; white great
coat, blue satin cragat, hair oiled and curl
ing, daintily curved hat gloves primrose
in tint, skinlike in tightness, smelling
fregrantly of eau de jasmine With gra-
cious condescension in this pride Of dan
dyism he caught up a nasty dirty hog
tool" and immortaliZed a portrait OF the
great dukes charger, Copenhagen, by
deftly altering the sky. "A complete young
Adonis," Hayden calls him, mot made up
at all. He bounced into his cab and drove
of like young Apollo with a fiery Pega-
sus." This was in 1889. Ten years later
ce jeune cupidon was fleeing from the
country in the dead of night, taking with
him one valet and but one portmanteau
Gore House was occupied by baiiiffs, Jews
and brokers; its entrance was as the en-
trance to a fair. Phillips, the auctioneer,
sat in the drawing-room; dealers and
sightseers thronged the magnificent apart
ments.
The tragedy of the finale was inevitable
An income Of e.. 0G0 a year. aided by the
sums which dOrsay contrived to borrow
upon the security of the estates in Dublin
all this was but a single raindrop in the
sea of debt which soon encompassed them
Many and various were the expedients to
which the beau and his fair friend resort
ed in the attempt 10 keep the creditors at
bay. BY writing and by painting they
deferred the end. To Lady Blessington
are due those erstwhile famous novels of
high life: The Follies of Fashion; or,
the Beau Monde Of London The Vic
Tins of Society,"" The Belle of the Sea-
son." and Grace Cassidy" From her
originating spirit sprang the well-known
books of beauty, charming of their kind,
which for many years remained in vogue
On this side d'0rsay early turned his tai
ents TO account, and his studio became the
fashionable lounge His portraits. 125 in
number, were published by Mitchell. of
Bond Street, and include almost everyone
N note; Carlyle, Disraeli, Countess Guic-
cioli, Landor, Dickens, Theodore Hook,
Napoleon III, Monckton Milnes, Landseer
Marryat and Eugene Sue AT last" ex-
painted like gentleman, I'll never sit to
anyone else"
There still exists a curious series of
letters which throws some light upon
Count d'Orsays methods at this time
For a long time the tradesmen
with whom he dealt refrained from sending
him their bills. lest he might withdraw
his patronage and lose them other custom.
In this connection ii is said that his tailors
before delivering his clothes were accus-
toned to slip a roll Of banknotes into the
pockets. Once for some reason this pleas
ant practice was omitted. D'Orsay RETURN
ed the garments TO the makers with a DO
ntely worded note: The lining has been
forgotten. Please Tectify the error" BV
such strange makeshifts did the beau sue
coed in keeping his head above water.
Yet his popularity never for one moment
wared. Albany Fonblanque has left on
record that ''he could be wittier with kind
ness than the rest Of the world with NAL
ice, and his generosity was proverbial.
Were friend in distress he could scrape
together 9J0 stake the whole with unruf-
fed ease upon a single coup at Crockford's.
and, as Disraeli puts it. Mon ami. best
joke in the world. / broke Crooks bank
three times. OF course / told you So Di
rectiF am awake I will send you the three
thousand, and ! will lend you the rest un
III your marriage" This was the man
Eer OF the man; he could never be ANYTHING
but popular. The leader of the dandies.
they copied the cut of his coat, the style
OF his cTaVats, the fashion of his canes,
while bootmakers, tailors, and gloyers
dubbed their wares with his name and en-
sured a ready sale.
The scandal Of his connection with tho
noble hostess OF Gore House gave him "a
certain piquant interest," and the ladies
VINO would have perished rather than be
seen with Lady Blessington, almost fought
with one. another in the desire to secure
MS company. We send back our dearest
dOrsay,' Disraeli wrote to Lady Blessing
ton when the count had been STAYING with
him at Bradenham, with some of the boo
ty OF yesterdays sport as our homage to
you. His visit has been very short, but
very charming, and everybody here loves
MIN as much as you and do" Never did
dandy create a greater sensation in So
ciety.
Meanwhile difficulties began to flock
about him. He lived in continual danger
OF arrest; his appearance in public, except
Dy night. became impracticable; his exer-
else ground was limited to the spacious
gardens OF the Gore House. That mansion
was in a state of siege, under lock and
ward. His debts amounted to the
respectable total of e120.00O. which sum
vas mainly due TO London tradesmen On
her side Lady Blessington was in no better
plight. The crash came in lS49.
A sheriff's officer penetrated into the sane
tusry In the guise Of a pastry cooks boy.
BAH" exclaimed Beau d'Orsay as care
leeely as ever. Escaping from the clutches
OF the myrmidon by miracle, before day
dawned he was upon the road to Paris.
Lady Blessington soon Joined him
Are you going TO stay long In France?"
enQuired the recently elected head of the
republic, as their carriages stopped side