The Portland daily press., 1895-03-16
THE BALL OF THE AGE.
Old Warwick Castle the Scene of the
Remarkable Fete.

tess of Warwick and Her Adventures
In Society and Politics.
1t is said that the ball at Warwick Castle
a few weeks ago was the most brilliant fete
of the century in England. Writing of the
ball London correspondent said:
The costumes were strictly confined to
the time of Louis XIV. and Louis XVI, ana
not only were the numerous attendants at
tired in the dress of that period. but even
the musicians of Herr Wurm's viennese or
chestra, who supplied the dance music,
wore Louis XIV. costume picturesq ue!y
carried ont in white and god. The suite
of principal rooms al the castle lead one
into the other, so that the vista of magnifi-
cent and brilliantly lighted apartments was
superb. Over 1000 wax candles we're USED,
in addition to the electric lights, which
were made to simulate wax candles so that
nothing should be incongruous Or inharmo-
nious. The corridors were lighted with crys-
tai candela bra, in which were tall wax cam
dies. unshaded-as they were. indeed.
throughout the suite Of rooms-as light used
to be brilliant at the French court festl, i
ties of that time. The cedar drawing-room
was used as ballroom. 1t is so called be-
cause paneled in cedar. a perfect back
ground for the fine Vandyck family ron
traits hung around it. Supper was served
in the banqueting hall at about fifteen
round and oval ia bles, a square ono in the
center being for The Queen and members OF
her court.
The Countess of Warwick received her
guests in the center state drawIng-room adj
joining the ballroom attired as Mar An
toinette, wearing the Warwick family dia-
monds round her neck as superb collar.
turquoise velvet cap clasped with Jewels
on her white coiHuIe and bandeau OF
family jewels under the cap. Her court
| mantle was fastened at the shoulder with a
| lara of diamonds. widened ont SO as to
clasp the cloak from shoulder to shoulder
"a truly queenly presence and one whom
| it seemed iii to greet with the obeisance, as
many of the guests did in entrance Near,
Marie Antoinette was the Duchess of
| Sutherland. attired as Marie Leczinska,
| wife of Louis XIV, and wearing a white
satin dress wrought handsomely with silver
and regal robe or mantle of ruby velvet
| embroidered with gold. The front of the
/ long pointed bodice was fairly ablaze with
jewels-rubias, emeralds, and diamonds of
| the sutherland family collection. A long
riviere of very large brilIiants was used to
| loop up the court mantle at the shoulders, a
| pointed diadeln was worn on the torches I'D ,
| and large pearl ornament with PENDANT
pear-shaped pearls at one side. The coiflu1e
was low in Louis XIV. sty le. and eminentls
suited for her Grace. Lady Angela ST.
Clair Erskine had her dress copied from one
| of the family portraits at Trentham, and
was in white satin with lovely lace sleeves
nd char nil I, Of 1,
blue satin with ostrich pIumes.
Truly these three sisters formed trio of
singular beauty! Had Paris again been
bee puzzled to decide to which of them the
apple should be given
The opening quadrille vas danced ry the
house party, the Countes SIS OF Warwick hav-
ing Count Deym. tie Aust1 O. Huugsri.
Ambassador. as a partner; N. de Sovers |,
the Portuguese Minister, dancing with ;he
Duchess of Sutherland: Pi incess Henry OF
Fless with the Earl of Warwick, and Prince
Henry of Pless with Lady Fec Stuart At Il
O'clock three trumpeters. attired in uni
forms of whiie and scarlet with much gold
blew fanfare of trumpets, also torrec1l,
or the time. and a procession was formed
to the supper-room. The Countess Of War
wick led The way with Count Deym, fol-
lowed by five couples-thesa twelve occu-
pying the center table, while the other
guests seated themselves at the Other
tables.
Lady Warwick wore a gown of opal tinted
brocade. bearing a handsome design in
crimson roses, thrown into relief by ara
besques of gold and silver thread. The
train of turquois velvet was emhr old cred
III tho lilies of France in geld thread. l..
and fastened across the shoulders with dia-
mods stars. the letters A. r. being also ar
ranged on the corsage. The couture was
ad orn ad with outstanding plumes OF white,
pink. and blue feat theirs. OF the many beau
titul women present none was so attractive
as the charming chatelaine who presides
with such grace over this stately mansion
j he Earl of Warwick was in the nc arJet uni
form of a lnonsquetaire, and most Of the
gent Iemen present had chosen military or
court costumes.
or the woman who gave this ball, Mr.
Robert P. Porter snid in recent lettr
Not long ago that exceedingly interesting
and handsome woman the Countess of War
wick candidate Tor Parish Councillor
in the village in which Warwick Castle is
located. Then she was posing as ''splen-
did pauper." and weeping over the woes
of the working classes. One of the farm
laborers of the village appropria ted a valu-
able cloak of my lady's when she was ou,
shooting. The cloak was found buried in
the woods. At the trial it transpired the
value of this garment was ESQ. or 81 O00
Then the charming Countess surprised all
England with letter to the i,oes. IN
which she con iided the fact that The cloak
was present. and added that, in her opin-
ion, with SO many people starving, no one
was justified in spending so icn upon a
single garment. Tie Countess was OF
course, elected to the parish coSncil. Last
week his same noble lady gave ball a,
Warwick Castle. which is said to have ex-
ceeded in lavish expenditure almost any
event of tile kind given in England This
century. The newspaper accounts read
more like descriptions OF similar entertain
ments given by the voluptualies of the
French court before the revolution. In
deed, in adopting he dress of the period of
Louis XIV. and XVI, this lady. who al
times suffers such pa nga for the poor and
starving, emphasized in every detail the
waste, extravaganza, and utter disregard
of the other extreme of the social scale