The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-30 00:00:00

.G.R4ND B.dt,L AT THE HOTEL DE VIL LE.

PARIS, Friday.—Nothing is more remarkable in
the magnificent fetes given at the Hotel de Ville than
the very different aspects which they are made to
assume ; like Cleopatra, " age cannot pall their in-
fiinte variety." Who that was present at the admir-
able entertainment given within the month to the
Grand Duke Constantine would recognise any simi-
larity to it worth speaking of in the sphindid ball of
last night in honour of the King of Bavaria ? With
the -exception of the fine old bnildibg itself, and the
lights and flowers inevitable to every such festive
scene, all was changed. Evim the exterior of the
municipal palace presented a more wonderful
illumination, in the nuintrous lines of gas which
I ran, one over the other, along the whole extent of
the facade, until they were lost at last among the
fretted pinnacles which surmount the roof. A tent

fitted up with crimson velvet and gold, and laid
down with such rich carpeting that one almost re-
gretted to press the lovely flowers with the foot,

-
was erected at the central entrance.

There the

King and the more honoured guests of the evening
had the privilege of alighting. A flight of steps
led up to the marble court of Louis XIV, which,
we must presume, his now arrived at its acme of
ornamentation, for nothing more charming can ever
have suggested itself to the fervid imagination of an
East .rn tale-relater. The whole has now been in-
vt sted with marbles of various colours, hat moniously
blending together, the bases of the pillars •all
round the ball being surrounded with corbeils
of living flowers, on which a shower of spray
descends from fountains gushing forth above,
while all the background is occupied by a
1 golden trellis-work supporting creeping plants,
most of which are now in flower and present
the most brilliant appearance. The large foun-
tain in the centre of the beauiful horse-shoe
staircase has undergone some further improve-
ments, and long lines of lamps at present run.
along its edges, both inside and out. Four
silvered feinale. figures' support immense masses
of waxlights, while all round the hall above
cupids in varied attitudes bear aloft groups of
ground-glass lamps, shedding a chastened light over
the whole. The grand' entrance at the other side of
the building, which responds to the beautiful Cour
Louis XIV., was one mass of beautiful flowers, and
above a similar lavish display was everywhere to
be seen, causing the spectator to wonder how such
an immense amount of floral productions could be -
obtained at once. The distinguishing feature of
the whole ornamentation of the night was, in fact,
the extraordinary profusion of flowers collected.
They were seen everywhere—among the falling
waters,, on the staircases, in every available recess
and half-concealed nook, and even on the sills
of the .windows in the principal rooms. The King
' of Bavaria *arrived, with his suite, at ' a little after
ten, in three of the court carriages, and with an
escort of the Dragons de l'lmperatrice, an immense
crowd having assembled along the whole way fiord
the Tuileries to the Hotel de Ville. His Majesty,
on alighting from his carriage, was received" by
Baron Haussmann and the members of the muni-
cipal council, and. conducted at once to the Cour
Louis XIV., with the extreme beauty of which his
Majesty was exceedingly struck, as indeed all per-
sons must be on first beholding it. The august
visitor then proceeded to the Galerie des
Fetes, where Prince Napoleon, the Princess
Mathilde, the Duchess of Hamilton, and a num-
ber of other high personages had already ar-
rived, and after a moment's pause devoted to, the
magnificent scene before him, took his place in.the
court quadrille. , His Majesty,. who was dressed in
a short light blue tunic of the Bavarian service,
with the grand cordon of the Legion of Honour,
1 and long white trousers, danced with the Princess
Mathilde, and had for a vis• a-vis Prince Napoleon
and the Duchessait Hamilton. It was soon appa-
rent that his Majesty looked on dancing in a ,ierl
conscientious manner, ashe did not content himself
• with merely walking listlessly through a' quadrille,
as "trick of custom," but really danced in -the real
meaning of the word, and, what is more, danced
gracefully and well. The result was, that all the other
personages were obLged to throw a little life into
' their movements ; and before the second figure was
over, the King's quadrille presented some .very
elegant dancing. Subsequently, when the King
stood up with 7 Mine. Hausstnann, and Prince
Napoleon with the Princess Matildebe effect was
still more striking, for, from the very commence;
went, every person danced with a certain additional
animation, which rendered the whole spectacle
well worth being looked at. In the same quadrille)
Marshal Pelissier danced. with the younger Mlle.
Haussmann, and acquitted himself in a manner
to fully respond, to the graceful bearing of his,
youthful partner. But the result of this royal
innovation was most strikingly manifest during
the night, for listlessness everywhere disappeared,
as all present endeavoured to imitate bis Majesty's
example. Waltzing was at first somewhat at a
discount, for as the King only took part in the
quadrille figures, the other guests thought it only
right to act similarly. At last,, on the second waltz
being played, some daring couples ventured on a
turn in the immediate vicinity of the royal pre-
sence, and as the King seemed to look at the spec,'
tack with interest, other dancers followed, and
in a few seconds waltzing was triumphant in
every part of the room. The King, it was re-
marked, scarcely sat down during the evening,
so that from ten until a little after one, when his
Majesty took his departure, he was not seated
perhaps more tbau half an hour. His Majesty in
going round the rooms also, in place of proceeding
first towards the Prefect's apartments, which is the
usual custom, went in the opposite direction, 0,
the great disappointment of a great number Oil
guests, who, beingaware of the general course, had
placed themselves along the other end of the rOcana
There were on this occasion three ball-rooms thrown
open, Strauss's band being placed in the long gal"
lery where the King and his party danced. . TOO
number of guests was about 6,00 Q ; but notwitlr
_ standing so great an assemblage of persons, ever 9,
one seemed to have "ample room and verge enough,
after the first great crush towards the King's circle
had subsided, to move about freely. Refreshments
were, as usual, furnished in abundance, buffets being
placed iu every part of the building. His West/
partook of scarcely anything during the Whole)
evening. It was after one o'clock when th,_!
King left the grand ball-room, and passing_ inr"
the Salle des Cariatides, his Majesty paused to el‘"
amine the beautiful sight presented by the double
staircase, and asked Baron Haussman several quo'
tion in explanation. His Majesty also paused in
the Cour Louis XIV., and passing down between
two lines of elegantly-dressed women, and hiving
thanked the prefect and the city of Paris for the
noble hospitality afforded to him, took his depar:
ture. The other guests, however, and in party
cular the younger portion, did not follow, thin
example 'as readily as that given by his Majesty
in the ball-room, for several thousands were still
dancing gaily at half-past three iu the morning.