The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-08
A BRILLIANT BALL GIVEN
SORT LEY-MARTIN AFFAIR
GIVEN BY THE DUKE OF
DEvONSHIRE.
BEAUTIFUL HISTORICAL COSTUMES
The Courts of Queen Elizabeth and
the LOuises of France Were Re-
Observation-Disclosures Royal
PersOnages Were Present.

Duchess of Devonshire gave magnif-
cent fancy dress ball tonight at Devon
shire house, Piccadilly. 1t was an excep-
tionally brilliant affair. Nearly every
royal family in Europe was represented
among the guests. The costumes were
mainly those of the Sixteenth century,
being, for the most part, copied from por-
traits of the Rings and queens and cour-
tiers who tiourished in Europe during the
reign of Elizabeth.
Along with those were personages of
other historical or classical celebrities.
The Duke of Devonshire received his
guests, attired in the garb of the Emperor
Charles V. of Germany. Among the lat
ter were the Prince and Princess of
Wales and the Duke and Duchess of
York, the Duke and Duchess of Con-
naught, Prince Charles, Prince Christian,
Princess Victoria of Schleswig- Holstein,
Col. John Hay, the American ambassa-
dor, and Mrs. Hay, Lord Rosebery, Mr..
Arthur Balfour, Mr. Asquith, Sir Hor-
ace Farquahar, the Countess of Warwick
in a costume of the Marie Antoinette
period; Lady Tweedmouth, in an Eliza
bethian costume; the Duke and Duchess
of Marlborough, both in Louis Nv. style,
the latter very elegantly gowned in white
satin and wearing pearls and diamonds;
the Duchess of Portland in dress of the
time of Louis Kill; Lady William Beres-
ford Gillian, Duchess of Marlborough,
Mr.. and Mrs. George Curzon, Mrs. Ogden
Goolett in white dress covered with
diamonds crescents and diamond stars;
Lord Charles Montague, Lord Crewe,
Lord Stanley. Lady Mar, Lady st. Os-
borne, Lady DececOy, the Marquis Vite,
Lord Latham, Marquise Hautopoul Lady
Corinthia Graham, Mrs. Rothschilds,
Comte de Mensdorf and the Earl of Dur
ham, personating King Philip of Spain.
1t may safely be said that London never
saw scene so gorgeous. The rooms were
transformed into a paradise of flowers,
everywhere were clumps and banks of
beautiful roses and festoons of electric
lights.
After II o'clock the Prince and Prin-
cess of Wales arrived.
The chief feature of the ball. aside
from the dancing, which was desultOry,
was a procession of the various charac-
tiers, led by the Duchess of Demo-
Supper was served in the garden in a
huge tent, each table being arranged
around a palm tree. whose branches were
hung with electric lights. At the table of
the duchess were twelve dukes and
the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Fife,
Mr.. Balfour and Lady Randolph Church
hill. At the dukes table were the
Princess of Wales, Lord Roseberry and
the Duke of Marlborough. AT the
Duchess of York's table were Prince
Charles of Denmark, Lord Salisbury. the
lord chancellor, and Mr.. Chamberlain.
The procession to supper was led by the
Prince of Wales and the Duchess of De-
vonshire.
The principal dancing features were the
quadrilles, in which each set was danced
by ladies and gentlemen attired to repre-
sent a particular historical epoch
The Quadrille was danced in costumes
reproducing those of the court of Queen
Elizabeth: another reproducing those of
the court of Louis XIV. all of the men
being dressed as officers of the Royal
French guards and of the musketeers.
The dances were the slow, stately
minuettes and gavOttes of the times 10
which the originals belonged, and the
music was composed especially for the
occasion.
The Prince of Wales was dressed as a
knight hospitaler of Malta in black velvet
with Maltese crosses in white satin worked
on his cloak. and satin brOcade doublet
velvet trunks slashed with black satin,
high crowned hat with large Maltese
cross in diamonds in front and white
ostrich plumes at the back. Around the
hat was a silver chain. He wore the high
boots which matched the costume.
The Princess of Wales appeared as La
Refine Marget with brilliant array Of
train bearers. six courtiers of the time of
Henry Troi.
She wore n Paris made gown of white
and gold with an Elizabethian rufi1e and
heavy white train gorgeously embroidered
with gold silver and colored jewels. Her
other ornaments were diamonds and
pearls. The immediate attendants upon
her were her three daughters and the
Duchess of York.
The Duchess of Devonshire received her
guests as Zenobia, and wore magnificent
COSTUME