| Citation |
SCAGG.769.001
2-9 Jan 1769:11 (12/531)
London, October 11. The masquerade ball at the King's
theatre in the Hay Market yesterday evening is generally
allowed to have been the most numerous and brilliant ever
known in this Kingdom. The King of Denmark entered the room
early in the evening, and there were present, besides his
Danish Majesty and the noblemen in his train, the Princess
dowager of Wales, the Princess Amelia, their royal
highnesses the dukes of Gloucester and Cumberland, together
with most of the nobility of both sexes. The illumination
of the house was particularly splendid and elegant; the
front of the galleries, which were full of people, being
decorated with several rows of small lamps, as were the
pillars on the stage, and other parts of the theatre. The
ladies seemed to vie with each other in the taste and
magnificence of their habits, which are ornamented with a
profusion of jewels, adding to the splendour of the
appearance of the whole entertainment. Some of the most
remarkable serious characters on this occasion were a Diana,
a Minerva, a Cleopatra, an Indian family, &c. and of the
comick kind, a witch, a serjeant at law, an old woman, a
chimney-sweeper with his bag, shovel and scraper; and a bear
with a bull's head, all of which were supported with great
spirit and humour. At twelve o'clock were opened the supper
rooms, in which an elegant cold collation was prepared. The
whole entertainment was conducted with the greatest order
and regularity possible on such an occasion, and gave the
highest satisfaction to everybody present, who could not but
be thoroughly sensible of the honour conferred on them by
the royal personage, who had been pleased to give this
signal mark of his satisfaction at the reception he met with
amongst us. The ball was opened by the King of Denmark and
the Dutchess of Ancaster. His Danish majesty, being master
of the house, appeared unmasked, in order that the masks
might pay their compliments to him, which they did. He was
habited in only a yellow silk domino, trimmed with silver
lace. Many of the ladies were dressed in fine Spanish and
Turkish habits, several as shepherdesses, and with crooks,
and some were like dancers. An East India director was
dressed in the real habit of a Chinese mandarin, ornamented
with diamonds, particularly the collar, which was entirely
covered with diamonds to an immense value, which greatly
attracted the notice of his Danish majesty, who viewed the
same for a considerable time; the lady of an eminent
merchant had her dress ornamented with jewels to the amount
of 30, 000 l. and another lady was dressed in sable, in the
character of night, and covered with stars. His Danish
majesty retired about one o'clock in the morning. His
Britannick Majesty was there incog., in a side balcony,
fitted up for his private reception, but did not mix with
the company either at supper or at the ball.
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