much the case at the time of which I am
writing. It is not so with the people of any other nation; and
foreigners are apt to sneer on occasion at the unkempt and queer
specimens of humanity which often come to them from the two
English-speaking nations. We can well afford to let them stare and
smile, well knowing that if a similar amount of prosperity permitted
the people of other countries to travel for their pleasure in similar
numbers, the result would be at the very least an equally--shall I say
undrawing-room-like contribution to cosmopolitan society? When Sir
George Hamilton assumed the duties of British representative at
Florence, the yearly throng of English visitors was becoming more
numerous and more heterogeneous, and all wanted to be invited to the
balls at the Pitti Palace. Those were the most urgent in their
applications, as will be easily understood, whose claims to such
distinction were the most problematic. The practice was for the
minister to present to the grand duke whom he thought fit, and those
so presented went to the balls as a matter of course. The position of
the minister, it will be seen, was an invidious one. Under the
pressure of these circumstances, Sir George Hamilton declared that he
would in no case take upon himself to decide on the fitness or
unfitness of any person, but would act invariably upon the old
recognized rule of etiquette observed at other courts in such
matters--i.e., he would present anybody who had been presented at the
court of St. James, and none who had not been so presented. The result
was soon apparent in a singular thinning of the magnificent suites of
rooms of the Pitti on ball-nights. The general appearance of the rooms
might be something more like what the receiving-rooms of princes are
wont to look like, but all that was gained in _quality_ was attained
by a very marked sacrifice of _quantity_. In a week or two Sir George
received a hint to the effect that the grand duke would be pleased if
the minister would be less strict in the matter of presenting such
English as might desire to come to the Pitti. "Oh!" said Sir George,
"if _that_ is what is desired, there can be no difficulty about it. I
am sure _I_ won't stand in the way of filling the Pitti ball-room. Let
them all come." And accordingly everybody who asked to be presented
_was_ presented without any pretence of an attempt at discrimination.

This was the manner in which the thing was done: All new-comers