LETTER X.
Bal des étrangers, (a public subscription ball).—Thinness of the ladies’ dresses.
Paris, december 27th, 1801 (6th nivôse).
MY DEAR SIR,
I was last night at a public ball, given by a club or society, called, “le salon des étrangers.” This is an establishment, formed on the plan of our subscription houses in England, and lately opened in a handsome hotel in la rue Grange Batelière, the windows of which look on the Boulevard. It consists of frenchmen, who are admitted by ballot, and of foreigners of all nations. The latter are received, (being introduced by a member) on paying the annual subscription of five louis. The house is handsomely furnished, and consists of several large rooms, which are open every morning and evening, for the use of the subscribers. Besides the ordinary games played in such sort of houses, there is a very excellent billiard table, and a room fitted up for reading, in which are found periodical publications, and all the newspapers, french, german, and english. It was this latter circumstance which induced me to subscribe; and it is here where I usually end my walk, and amuse myself for half an hour, in running over the publications of the day.
The club or society, by way I suppose of gaining to its aid the protection and interest of the fair, without which nothing is to be done in France, or, to speak the truth, any where else, gives a ball, about once in ten days, and it was at one of these assemblies, that I was present last night.
At twelve o clock, Mrs. ⸺ and I drove to “le salon des étrangers,” (for no ball begins at an earlier hour) and the string of carriages was so very long, that we were nearly an hour in getting up to the door. I cannot help taking this opportunity, of commending the admirable order preserved by the police, on all such occasions at Paris. Though, from several streets meeting on the Boulevard, the crowd was great, yet there was not the least accident, nor even the smallest confusion. The staircase, by which we ascended, was elegantly ornamented with orange, and other artificial flower trees. When we entered the outward room, there were already so many persons assembled, that it was not without considerable difficulty, that we made our way into the salon, or drawing room. Never shall I forget my surprise, when, looking round me, I perceived the dress, or rather the nakedness of the ladies. I had heard much of the indecency, of which some females were guilty, in respect to costume at Paris, and I had already seen specimens of the thinness of their apparel; but till this evening, I thought it only the failing of a few. I now saw at least two hundred women, of different ages, and different situations in life, all displaying, without reserve or disguise, the beauties, which they had either received from nature, imitated by art, or believed themselves by the aid of flattering fancy to possess. The young and the old, the handsome and the ugly, the fair and the brown, all prodigally dragged into common view, those charms, which a virtuous woman conceals from motives of modesty, and a sensualist from those of discretion. The buxom girl of sixteen, the newly married woman, and the superannuated mother of a numerous family, were all equally exposed. Naked necks, naked backs, and their form, scarcely concealed by a transparent petticoat, left nothing to the powers of fancy.
You will think, perhaps, that I am drawing an exaggerated picture; but I can assure you, on the honour of a man of truth, that such was the costume of at least two thirds of the ladies present at this ball. The head-dresses, classically imitated from the ancient statues, were elegant; and the number of diamonds, pearls, and other precious stones, strikingly brilliant. There were many handsome women; but their beauty was uniformly of one kind. The embonpoint, and the nez retroussé, characterised them all. I looked in vain for those graceful figures, and those grecian countenances, which form so often the ornament of an english assembly. Among the most celebrated belles, madame R⸺, the young wife of an affluent banker, was pointed out to me; madame V⸺, an Italian lady, much the fashion at Paris, and the renowned madame Tallien. I think the first rather remarkable, for the singularity of her dress, (her head being ornamented “à la cochoise,” that is to say, as the peasants of a particular province dress their hair) her extreme fairness, and downcast look, than for any real extraordinary beauty. Madame V⸺ is a fine dark woman, “d’une certaine age,” with beautiful eyes, and a commanding person. Madame Tallien, notwithstanding her great fame, has, according to me, rather an agreeable countenance, and an enchanting smile, than features excessively striking. She is fair, as the fairest of our countrywomen; her neck is beautiful; and her countenance, mild and good humoured, is said to be a true picture of her mind. Yet, in spite of these advantages, I never should have discovered in her, the reigning belle of Paris. She, too, is not in the first bloom of youth. The dances were, the cotillon, (which they call la contredanse) and the walse. In the former, the ladies displayed that decided superiority, which the french possess in the art of dancing. As to the walse, I was astonished at the decency, with which that very indecent dance was danced, by the young parisians; who, placing their arms round the uncovered persons of the handsomest women in the room, yet had sufficient command of themselves, not to shock either their partners, or the company, by being guilty of the slightest impropriety. I expressed my surprise to an elderly lady, at this extraordinary forbearance. “Croyez moi, monsieur[39],” she replied, “que nos jeunes gens voient tout cela avec l’indifférence la plus parfaite.”
What a lesson does this remark hold out to the fair sex, of every description! That female is not less deficient in coquetry, and in the art of commanding the affections of men, than in every principle of decency, who wantonly exposes to the common gaze of passing curiosity those attractions, which are only valuable, as long as the sight of them is the exclusive privilege of a favoured lover.
The libertine, if he at first looks on with admiration, soon ceases to care for that which every eye may behold; and apathy, united to contempt, is the sentiment which succeeds to passion.
I return to the ball. The crowd became greater and greater, and the heat was excessive; but the scene altogether was lively and amusing.
A frenchman de l’ancien régime, hearing me express my surprise at the costume of the ladies, assured me, that excepting the foreigners, there was not one woman de bonne compagnie in the room. This term of “bonne compagnie,” is so often used, and so seldom explained, that I really do not know, whether he meant that there was not a woman of the old court, or that there was not a virtuous female present. If he intended the former, it only proved, that these balls were not frequented by the noblesse; if the latter, he was much severer in his remark than I had been. I only complained of the ladies being indecent; he asserted that they were profligate. At any rate, the one fault leads so rapidly to the other, that it was difficult to make a mistake.
The room was well lighted; the music excellent, and the ball, being formed of all the different classes of society, highly entertaining to a foreigner. There were a great many english present; most of the ambassadors, and many other distinguished characters.
I returned home about three in the morning.
Adieu.