a slight transformation, it was forgiven by his admirers, since the
rest of his person remained intact. When we are prepossessed by the
attractions of a favourite, it is not a trifle that will dispel the
illusion; and Brummell continued to govern society, in conjunction with
the Prince of Wales. He was remarkable for his dress, which was generally
conceived by himself; the execution of his sublime imagination being
carried out by that superior genius, Mr. Weston, tailor, of Old Bond
Street. The Regent sympathised deeply with Brummell's labours to arrive
at the most attractive and gentlemanly mode of dressing the male form,
at a period when fashion had placed at the disposal of the tailor the
most hideous material that could possibly tax his art. The coat may
have a long tail or a short tail, a high collar or a low collar, but
it will always be an ugly garment. The modern hat may be spread out
at the top, or narrowed, whilst the brim may be turned up or turned
down, made a little wider or a little more narrow, still it is inconceivably
hideous. Pantaloons and Hessian boots were the least objectionable
features of the costume which the imagination of a Brummell and the
genius of a Royal Prince were called upon to modify or change. The hours
of meditative agony which each dedicated to the odious fashions of the
day have left no monument save the coloured caricatures in which these
illustrious persons have appeared.

Brummell, at this time, besides being the companion and friend of the
Prince, was very intimate with the Dukes of Rutland, Dorset, and Argyll,
Lords Sefton, Alvanley, and Plymouth. In the zenith of his popularity
he might be seen at the bay window of White's Club, surrounded by the
lions of the day, laying down the law, and occasionally indulging in
those witty remarks for which he was famous. His house in Chapel Street
corresponded with his personal "get up"; the furniture was in excellent
taste, and the library contained the best works of the best authors