Certainly, people who thought
little of Philip Dormer Stanhope, thought a great deal of the
glass-merchant's reprobate son when he was in power, and submitted
without a murmur to his impertinences. The fact is, that the beaux and
the wits are more intimately connected than the latter would care to
own: the wits have all been, or aspired to be, beaux, and beaux have
had their fair share of wit; both lived for the same purpose--to shine
in society: both used the same means--coats and bon-mots. The only
distinction is, that the garments of the beaux were better, and their
sayings not so good as those of the wits; while the conversation of
the wits was better, and their apparel not so striking as those of the
beaux. So, my Lord Chesterfield, who prided yourself quite as much on
being a fine gentleman as on being a fine wit, you cannot complain at
your proximity to Mr. Nash and others who _were_ fine gentlemen, and
would have been fine wits if they could.
Robert Fielding was, perhaps, the least of the beaux; but then, to make
up for this, he belonged to a noble family: he married a duchess, and,
what is more, he beat her. Surely in the kingdom of fools such a man is
not to be despised.
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