The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-11-03
ECL|PSED A PRINCE
Beau BrummeI Outshone and
Then Snubbed the Regent.
STORY OF A FAMOUS CRAvAT.

After His Historic Quarrel With Wales
the Beau Won a Sartorial Triumph
That Almost Choked His Royal Mas
ter With Envy and Dismay.
It was Beau Brummel who was de-
scribed as 1.-The glass Of fashion and
the mold Of FORM" and today there are
ordinarily only two things which the
name Of the famous dandy Of the Eng
lish court suggests. One is an arbiter
Of fashion, the other the incident in
which Brummel asked of a companion
OF the Prince of Wales, "Who is your
fat friendY
In 1886 Beau Brunmel still was liv-
ing, and the New York Mirror, q week
ly publication devoted to literature
and the fine arts" printed biograph-
ical sketch Of him as a figure in con-
temporary history. Reading it today
makes very real character now little
more than q tradition.
For an obscure individual without
fortune or rank to have conceived the
idea of placing himself at the head of
society In a country the most thor
oughly artstocratic in Europe. relying.
too, upon no other weapon than well
directed insolence; for the same indi-
vidual to have triumphed splendidly
over the highest and the mightiest-to
have maintained contest with ROYALTY
Itself and to have come Off victorious
even In that struggle-for such a one
no ordinary faculties must have been
demanded" the Mirror said in its issue
of June 4, 1886.
1t will be well to recall here that
George Bryan. Brummers father. was
Lord North's secretary; that the son
at Eton and later at Baliol college ac-
quired reputation for being q "swell
dresser" and that still later he was q
favortte of the Prince Of Wales. who
was to become George Nv. of Great
Britain. The Mirror related the ia
miliar story of the "fat friend" immor-
taliZed in Punch cartoon, explaining
the circumstances which led up to it.
mutual friend had dared Brummel
to give an order to Wales, who was
then prince regent, and at dinner the
dandy said to him, wales, ring the
bell' The prince did so and when
servant appeared said, "Show Mr..
Brummel to his carriage" 1t was to
repay the regent for this public humil-
1ation that Beau Brummel uttered his
famous question the next day in the
street. The prince was growing cor
pulent and sensitive Of the fact, so a
feud between the two was launched
with the remark.
II is ali old story up TO this point, but
the Mirror proceeded with some facts
which probably have never been pub.
lished since. Brummel boasted that
ne would put the prince regent out of
fashion, made his plans at once and
sprang his coup at brilliant ball
given by the Duchess Of Devonshire.
In the Mirrors own words:
when the whole assembly were con-
versing upon his supposed disgrace,
Brummel suddenly stood in the midst
OF them. Could IL be indeed Brum-
mel? Could 1t be mortal who thus ap-
peared with such an encincture of ra-
diant glory about his neck? Every eye
was upon him, fixed in stupid admira-
ton; every tongue, as 1t slowly recov-
cred from its speechless paralysis, fall
tered forth, What a cravatv"
And then the description of the era
vat which confounded the guests at
the Duchess Of Devonshires ball:
There it stood, smooth and stifr, yet
light and almost transparent; delicate
as the music Of Ariel, yet firm as the
spirit Of Regulus; bending with the
grace Of Apollo's locks, yet erect with
the majesty Of the Olympian Jove;
without a wrinkle, without an indenta-
ton. What a cravat! The prince re-
gent saw and shook, and, uttering a
faint Rurgle from beneath the wedded