e was the same who brought the
five hundred guineas; I say, three of them came, and brought bottles of
all sorts of wines, and hampers of sweetmeats to such a quantity, it
appeared they designed to hold the trade on more than once, and that
they would furnish everything to a profusion.

However, as I found a deficiency in two things, I made provision of
about twelve dozen of fine damask napkins, with tablecloths of the same,
sufficient to cover all the tables, with three tablecloths upon every
table, and sideboards in proportion. Also I bought a handsome quantity
of plate, necessary to have served all the sideboards; but the gentlemen
would not suffer any of it to be used, telling me they had bought fine
china dishes and plates for the whole service, and that in such public
places they could not be answerable for the plate. So it was set all up
in a large glass cupboard in the room I sat in, where it made a very
good show indeed.

On Tuesday there came such an appearance of gentlemen and ladies, that
my apartments were by no means able to receive them, and those who in
particular appeared as principals gave order below to let no more
company come up. The street was full of coaches with coronets, and fine
glass chairs, and, in short, it was impossible to receive the company. I
kept my little room as before, and the dancers filled the great room;
all the drawing-rooms also were filled, and three rooms below stairs,
which were not mine.

It was very well that there was a strong party of the guards brought to
keep the door, for without that there had been such a promiscuous crowd,
and some of them scandalous too, that we should have been all disorder
and confusion; but the three head servants managed all that, and had a
word to admit all the company by.

It was uncertain to me, and is to this day, who it was that danced with
me the Wednesday before, when the ball was my own; but that the king was
at this assembly was out of question with me, by circumstances that, I
suppose, I could not be deceived in, and particularly that there were
five persons who were not masked; three of them had blue garters, and
they appeared not to me till I came out to dance.

This meeting was managed just as the first, though with much more
magnificence, because of the company. I placed myself (exceedingly rich
in clothes and jewels) in the middle of my little room, as before, and
made my compliment to all the company as they passed me, as I