The Works of Max Beerbohm · Chapter
King George the Fourth explained
This chapter presents a revisionist defense of King George IV, arguing that he has been unfairly maligned by historians like Thackeray.
What happens
This chapter presents a revisionist defense of King George IV, arguing that he has been unfairly maligned by historians like Thackeray. It portrays George as a giver of tone who brought refinement to society, a patron of the arts, and a figure whose life was a poem in praise of pleasure. The essay critiques the moralizing Victorian perspective and emphasizes the aesthetic unity of George's life, from his flamboyant reign to his secluded, decadent decline.
Themes in this chapter
Royalty and Public Perception
The chapter examines how George IV has been judged unfairly by history and the public, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of his reign and character.
Dandyism and Aestheticism
George IV is depicted as a 'giver of tone' who brought aesthetic refinement to society, embodying the dandy's pursuit of beauty and pleasure.
Historical Revisionism and Style
The chapter explicitly revises Thackeray's moralistic history, arguing that style and aesthetic unity should inform our judgment of historical figures.
Characters to notice
- King George IV
The subject of the chapter; portrayed as a misunderstood voluptuary and giver of tone, whose life is defended against Thackeray's denunciation.
- Thackeray
Criticized for his biased and superficial portrayal of George IV in his history of the four Georges.
- Mr. Brummell
Mentioned in passing as a figure of dandyism, though not directly involved in the chapter's narrative.
- Princess Caroline
Referenced indirectly as part of the 'constant persecution' George faced from wives and ministers.
Key passages
“He was a giver of tone. At his coming, the bluff, disgusting ways of the Tom and Jerry period gave way to those florid graces that are still called Georgian.”
George IV set the cultural standard, replacing the coarse manners of the earlier era with the elegant Georgian style.
Highlights George's role as a trendsetter in society.
“I wish that Carlton House were still standing. I wish we could still walk through those corridors, whose walls were 'crusted with ormolu,' and parquet-floors were 'so glossy that, were Narcissus to come down from heaven, he would, I maintain, need no other mirror for his beauté.'”
The author laments the loss of Carlton House, a symbol of George's aesthetic vision, and imagines its opulent interiors.
Expresses nostalgia for the physical remnants of George's reign.
“He had passed them and they had seen him, monstrous and moribund among the cushions. He had been borne past them like a wounded Bacchanal. The King! The Regent! … They shuddered in the frosty branches.”
Four gentlemen who spied on the secluded king were shocked by his grotesque, decaying appearance, seeing him as a tragic figure of excess.
Illustrates the contrast between public perception and the king's private decline.