The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-19 00:00:00

THE BALL TO THE BELGIANS AT THE
AGRICULTURAL-BALL.

Of all the entertainments prepared for the honour
and amusement of our Belgian guests the most
complete and successful has been the ball which
' was given last night at the Agricultural-hall,
Islington. The building itself—admirably adapted
by its size and shape to such a demonstration—had
been so lavishly and skilfully decorated as to trans-
form it into one of the handsomest of ball-rooms.
The presence of the Prince of Wales, the Prince
and Princess Louis of Hesse, the Duke of Cam-
bridge, and Prince Teck, added dignity to the
occasion, and gave the festivities a national and
royal character, which could not fail greatly to
enhance their importance in the eyes of our
visitors ; while the general character of the gather-
ing, including some of the noblest of the
aristocracy, and not rejecting humbler persons
who have no pretensions to be among
that mysterious number " the upper ten," must
have amply proved to the Belgians—if any such
proof was needed—the hearty and genuine interest
which is felt in themselves and their country by
all classes of the English people.
The transformation which had been worked in
the appearance of the interior of the hall was
almost marvellous. The dull cold walls were con-
cealed by white hangings enriched with lace, or
relieved by festoons of flowers ; the hard lines of
the aisles and galleries were covered by elaborate
wreaths ; the ordinary dull metallic hue of the prin-
cipal parts of the structure had been superseded
by a mixture of white and gold ; and the presence
of rch curtains, banks of flowers, old armour, gay
banners, innumerable chandeliers, and splendid
transparencies, gave an entirely novel and even
magnificent appearance to the Temple of Agri-
culture upon Islington-green. The Mean.
Defies had exerted themselves to the utmost,
and the result of their labours was more than satis-
factory—it was complete and perfect in every
respect. The dais which had been prepared for the
reception of the Praia) of Wales and other illus-
trious visitors was placed in the centre of the great
orchestra, and being elevated some seven or eight
feet above the level of the floor, commanded a
coup crcril of the whole interior. This royal dais
was not the least important part of the decora-
tions. The canopy was of polished maple, draped
with crimson satin relieved with hangings of bul-
lion, and was surmounted with a handsome but
not ponderous gilt cornice, bearing in the centre
the Prince of Wales' feather, in crystal. The
floor was covered with a crimson carpet, and the
gilt and while chairs which were provided for the
use of its distinguished occupants were covered
with velvet of the same colour. The back of
this platform of state was decorated with a
life-sized transparency portrait of her Majesty
in jewelled crystals, and similar representations of
the royal arms of this country and of Belgium.
Immediately beneath the portrait of the Queen
was an artistically-arranged trophy fashioned out
of a number of ancient arms, and taking the form
o: a gigantic star, which was illuminated by the
application of the lime light. The royal dais, the
ohairents of which we have thus imperfectly de-
scribed, was embosomed in a mass of shrubs and
green-house plants, which covered the remaining
space of the orchestra, and whose cool green foliage
threw out into b ighter and bolder relief the rich
hues of the crimson hangings and the bright tints
of the lighter ornaments. From this dais was of
course to be obtained the most complete and cora-
-1 prehensive view of the ball-room, with its thousand
and one adornments and attractions. Let us
for a moment imagine ourselves amongst its
privileged occupants, and briefly describe the
character of the scene which it commanded
even while the room was empty. When it
became filled with a moving crowd of
brilliant uniforms and gay dresses its appearance
almost defied description. The central space at the
opposite or western end of the hall was occupied by
a bank of plants and shrubs, some covered with the
brightest bloom, and others offering to the eye
a grateful relief in the cool verdure of their dark
green leaves. From amongthe miniaturegrove rose
the prismatic fountains of Mr. Silveater, and as
the many-coloured waters rose and fell in the bright
light of the chandeliers, this gracefully constructed
garden might, but for the press of the crowd, and the
hum of conversation around, have been mistaken
for the abode of fairies, or the chosen retreat of the
most favoured nymphs of the forest. Immediately
behind this mimic wood—this miniature forest,
with all its roughnesses shorn off to fit it for draw-
ing room society—and extending over the galleries
themselves, rose a Doric arch in crystalglassbearing
upon its face the appropriate inscription," Welcome
to England." Within the tympanum of this arch
were transparentportraits of the Prince and Princess
of Wales, as well as of the Sultan and the Viceroy
of Egypt ; while above were two stars of the Order
of the Garter, surmounted by shields of cryitalt
bearing the monograms of Victoria and Leopold.
Extending to the right and left the side aisles of
the building had been transformed into colonnades
some 600 feet in length, supported on either side
by about 90 pillars painted in whits and gold.