meads, delightful to sight by freshness
of their colour, and sweet to scent from odour of their herbs, the court
would sup right heartily; laugh, drink, and make love most merrily,
until early shadows stole across the summer sky, and night-dews fell
upon the thirsty earth. Then king, queen, and courtiers once more
embarking, would sail slowly back, whilst the moon rose betimes in the
heavens, and the barges streaked the waters with silver lines.

At other times magnificent entertainments filled the nights with light
and revelry. Pepys tells us of a great ball he witnessed in the last
month of the year 1662 at the palace of Whitehall. He was carried
thither by Mr. Povy, a member of the Tangier Commission, and taken at
first to the Duke of York's chambers, where his royal highness and the
duchess were at supper; and from thence "into a room where the ball was
to be, crammed with fine ladies, the greatest of the court. By-and-by
comes the king and queene, the duke and duchess, and all the great ones;
and, after seating themselves, the king takes out the Duchess of York;
and the duke the Duchess of Buckingham; the Duke of Monmouth my Lady
Castlemaine; and so other lords other ladies; and they danced the
bransle. After that, the king led a lady a single coranto; and then the
rest of the lords, one after another, other ladies: very noble it was,
and great pleasure to see. Then to country dances: the king leading the
first. Of the ladies that danced, the Duke of Monmouth's lady, and my
Lady Castlemaine, and a daughter of Sir Harry de Vicke's were the best.
The manner was, when the king dances, all the ladies in the room, and
his queene herself, stand up: and indeed he dances rarely, and much
better than the Duke of York."

PETIT SOUPERS were another form of entertainments, greatly enjoyed by
Charles, and accordingly much in vogue with his courtiers. The Chevalier
de Grammont had principally helped to make them fashionable, his suppers
being served With the greatest elegance, attended by the choicest wits,
and occasionally favoured with the presence of majesty itself. Nor
were Lady Gerrard's PETIT SOUPERS less brilliant, or her company less
distinguished. Her ladyship boasted of French parentage and understood
the art of pleasing to perfection; and accordingly at her board wine
flowed, wit sparkled, and love obtained in the happiest manner. Now it
happened one of her delightful entertainments was destined to gain
a notoriety