“The Tenth.”
, These laughter-loving people have a relish for broad humour, beyond that of any other nation in the world. It is innate, deep, hearty, and real as their existence. Whatever occurs capable of being rendered ludicrous, instantly becomes the property of newspaper satirists and caricaturists; who are never known to have any bowels of compassion for their unfortunate victims, until they are fairly hunted down.
“The Tenth” has for some days been obliged, with whatever reluctance, to contribute to the amusement of the publick. This is no other than the Tenth regiment of Hussars, or the Dandy Regiment, as it is popularly termed; stationed at present in Dublin. It appears, that an honest, foolish fellow of a cornet was, for some cause or other, excluded from the mess-room, and put in Coventry by his brother officers; of which he made complaint to his superior. The affair got into the newspapers; and in the course of the discussion, the dandy arrogance and ill-manners of the sprigs of gentility belonging to the Tenth were brought to light, to the great satisfaction of all the lovers of fun.
The regiment, it is said, behaved well at Waterloo; but officers and privates have been changed since, and the squadron is now officered principally by certain exquisites from London, among whom is a son of Sir F. Burdett. “The Tenth” now figures in a very prominent manner in newspaper anecdotes, and in the windows of the print shops. , The Tenth lounges in a ball-room, with his leg mounted on the back of a chair, staring at the ladies through his opera-glass , The Tenth is exposed to the fire of an enormous blunderbuss, opened from the window of a newspaper office , The Tenth is swept off by scores into the sea, by an indignant Irish belle, who scatters dismay and confusion among its ranks, by the vigorous flourishes of a mighty broom , The Tenth, in short, occupies at the present moment a very painful pre-eminence in the public consideration.
Quoted from: Nathaniel S. Wheaton: A Journal of a Residence During Several Months in London; including Excursions Through Various Parts of England; and a Short Tour in France and Scotland; in the Years 1823 and 1824. Hartford: H. & F. J. Huntington, 1830: 221.