The Sun.
London, England, 1821-04-14 00:00:00

TIIE DAY AFTER THE BALL.

----... ,
Foin:ane,. „like glory,
.has its disativantays. Sliotpd a rich'•
Banker give, or propeae giving, -an entertainment- to-the b'e'st
society of- Paris, not one that would surpass every thing of the .
kind renown before in the -annals of luxury, but such an enter-
taint:lent as is usually given once a year by the first i^ 4.1 k
and quality ainong the Noblesse, every body visits this Banker; •
they congratulate, they complith re
ent him ; every form of fla ••
tery is exhausted in his praise, and the prettiest women scruple
not to ask him the favour of an invitation, 'though they have' -
not the least acquaintance with him. In the City and at Curt'.
nothing is now talked of but the fete in preparation... Eyery
person exercises his imagination on the wonders of that night,,
which is to surpass in magnificence all that we read' Of •in the
Arabian Nights. Jewellers, milliners, dress-makers, confec-
tioners, all are in requisition,' and the only words now ;uttered
are, "do you go to R's ? Have you received a card-of ix;lvi-•
tation delightful it will be !"
The important hour arrives ; a thousand- women, rivalling
each other in grace, youth, and beauty, are ushered into the Sa-
loons, and not a seat is left unoccupied ; the crowd Still increases.
and presses forward,One elbows another, and all are nearly suf.;
focated. The master of the house gives orders which remain
unexecuted, welcomes his guests, who take no notice `of him,,
and inquires the names of a Multitude- of persons whom 113
never saw before. At length the confusion becomes-general.
In one saloon refreshments are distributed in profusion; in the
next none can be obtained; here they complain of the heat, ,
and there of the cold ; here not a single danner is to be 'Seen., •
-there a quadrille of sixteen is formed in a space six-fdensquare
whilst fresh crowds of elegant and young
.women are,detninot.
perhaps three hours on the staircase, waiting for an bpportii-
nitfto enter, amusing themselves in the mean-tune With-pinata'
ing the flowers which ornament the portico ofathe ion*,
With difficulty, this brilliant assembly, can you procure a,
glass of lemonade to relieve a beautiful ycung woman who is ,
fainting with thirst, and so oppressive arc the-I:eat and croivtin
that even young men, though amply supplied with all kinds of
refreshment, .have. scarcely strength sufficient :to dance.
when the sapper is announced, what an astonishing change !
All the - guests are now surprisingly eager. and, •animat-
ed.. The most elegant and exquisite - repast acovers
the table, consisting of every delicacy and every -variety,
which is presented to the eye of the half-famished and long-
ing Spectators, by a species of enchantment but in vain
do the numerous domestics endeavour to anticipate every
wish and gratify every taste, the symmetry of the banquet is
deranged in an instant, all is.. cut up, broken, 'destroyed, con-
suinedn.n.-" Wait, Gentlenien; pray wait ; each shall have his
turn." •" Oh, yes,- wait indeed,' exclaim several voices, " and -
soon not even the arm of HERCULES himself would be able
to seize the wing of a chicken." It is true, those will tell you
who are often thus amused, that there is no splendid fete without
a little confusion, that-it is copied from the English, who call it
a ILOUT,—and- that. this petty gastronomic anarchy has its de-
lights ; every-body gives his orders, every body helps
and every body is at home—except the master of the house.
-The next day the scene cha.ngts. Yesterday the hero of the
feast was polite, obliging, and- affable; to-day he is odious,
prestiming, and ridiculous. He is accused of having courted
thscOrtipany.of the great, as if he were the only financier who
did not associate with his equals., of having given his ball out
of ostentation, as if such fetes were ever given in the spirit of
humility ; of having obtruded his invitations on all the world,
as if all the world had not solicited the honour of receiving
them ; und lastly, they accuse him of having squandered 20,40 a
francs in one night to deceive the public and enlarge his credit,
as if this magnificent foreigner could not • plead in excuse the
example of 20 of our modern men of fashion. But this is
trifling to what follows : epigrams, anonymous letters, and
lampoons pour in upon him ; all the world is informed that he
had the presumption to wish to please the Court, that he
thought to play the petit Jourdain ; and to crown all, obscure
writers, who study French manners in coffee-houses or in the
saloons of Frascati, do not miss this opportunity of attacking
him with the bitterest satires; happy still may be think himself
if they spare his family and his country.
You, perhaps, fancy this unfortunate Crmstis deserving of
pity: quite the contrary : he has made a noise in the world,
which was all he wished ; and -most likely he consoles himself
in the words of the Athenian mentioned by Horace,
Populus me sibilat ; at mini plaudo,
Ipse domi, simul ac nummas contemplor in area ;
amitho: next year he will probably.give a ball still more nag,.
nificent.,. Even his, vexations are subjects of envy to common
financiersnand his spectilations are not on that account . the less
faittiriate. Next to the pleasure of getting money, the greatest
gratifications plebeian can receive is to be able to exclaim, with
his hands in his pockets while dancir, about his saloon, "Good'
d4s,'lllitrqums, ' or, " Adieu, my dear Duke."
Paris;_April 1821;

M. A.