Septr. 20th. 17561

Whoever is Acquainted wth. the various scenes of Life is Sensible that an absolute confinemt. to any one without a taste of others is very unpleasant. Upon this Principle it is that I now set me down to write being desirous as much as may be, to contribute of my small Stock to forward yr. Happiness & pleasure. My design is to transmit you a taste of the Pastime of the Town, which I imagine will relish much better in yr. present Solitude than they do in the Climate where they grow. Without more ceremony then, I inform you that we have very lately had a very Splendid Ball, done by Our Grandees, in honor to his Exly. who is just about to leave us.2 I had a Much greater Curiosity to be a Spectator than a partaker of this Pastime, & accordingly convey'd my Self to a Scituation where Unobservd I had the best Advantage of Seeing. I shall Endeavour to describe the whole as near the Life with wch. it was transacted, as I can, & at the same time confine my Self to the reality of the thing. If I Should Accidentally drop a few Reflections on the Matter, I hope youll excuse them well knowing my foible. No Sooner had the Sun forsaken the Scy & the Grey Twilight had advanc'd the duskg, most freindly to Linnen & Ladys; Wn. the fair flowers of Beauty as tho' they bloom'd not in the day, spread forth all their foliage, & perfumed the Air with the flavour of their fragrance. They were all attended by those whose Dress every Way rendred them Worthy their Company. Their united Brilliancy alleviated the Shades & attracted the Eyes of all that were able to behold. They were Conducted to a Spacious Hall where a vast No. of tapers created a second Day. Yet by their dazling light would discover Nothing but wt. was beautifull. The Company being Entred & the first Ceremonys over, the Ball was opened by a round of Menuets. A Band of Music Sounded; the Air was all harmony, the painted Walls returnd each Note & Echo redoubled the Joy. Gladness sat on every Face, & Pleasure seem'd to thrill in evry Breast. Each couple Strove to excell in the Gracefullness of Motion, & by the easiness of their Gesture, the exactness of their Time, & the Vivacity of their Countenances, spake forth to each other what their Tongues could not express. Here one would have thought the Muses were descended on the top of Parnassus & joind in Concert were holding a festival to Venus.

I Expected in my mind, that the repeated Succession of the Motions363so often would have clog'd my fancy & left no relish behind it, but in the result I found myself agreably disappointed, for the continually various figures of the performers, their different Airs & Gestures, the peculiar Grace & Mein with wch. each one appeared, afforded to my fancy a perpetual subject & feasted my Mind with incessant pleasure. Besides the Brilliancy of the Ladys wch. while they Grac'd the sides of the Hall by Uniting their Brightness caus'd an Undistinguish'd Lustre like the Stars in the Milky way, were now presented alternately to my view & like Stars of the 1st. Magnitude Shone in all their Glory. Here full to my sight bloom'd all the beautys of the human Spring. Here florish'd Nature in all her charms assisted by Art with all her Cunning. Here sparkled the Diamond, here blaz'd the Ruby, here flow'd the Garments in Silken Softness, or rusled with the weight of Silver Threads. Here hung the Locks in Gracefull Ringlets, here waved the Plumes in downy Pride, here hung the Massy Pendants of the choicest Metal & the Swift hours of Time Encasd in Gold. Encircled by all this Pomp of Art Shone those living Charms to wch. all besides were but as foils. The Lilly Resign'd its whiteness, the Rose its blooms & all Arabia its flavour, Life Sparkled in every Grace & Vigour shone in every Motion. Such Mildness of Charms Surrounded by so much Pomp of Art I think can be resembled by Nothing but Apples of Silver in Pictures of Gold. A freind of mine who sat next me being full of his Remarks, I was forc'd for a few Moments to be diverted to satisfy his Importunity. Observe says he, this beauteous appearance. Nature Smiles in a 1000 forms like the Bloom of spring wn. the returning world awakens every Flower & cloathes the Earth in its richest Suits. But alas! we find the Pride of May in all its Gayety must end at farthest in the withered leaves of October. These short lived Charms like the Blossom of Spring do but court our desires to bewail the Loss of them. When I see such a Profusion of Natural delicacys I am unwilling to realize the Transitoriness of their Nature, & am ready to wish these fair Plants Removed to a Climate where in the full possession of growing Beautys they may Bloom perpetual.

The Company then proceeded to Country Dances & were sorted into Pairs by the drawing the like No. out of a box. At once they arose & rang'd themselves into two Setts. Here the Scene was changed & instead of the soft melting Notes the brisk & livly Airs saluted the Ear & awakned every Spring. Each Foot moved obsequious to the Strain, & every Motion Confess'd the Power of the Music. Here was activity in all its pleasing364form & gesture in every shape as it were a Stream meandring thro' these beauteous Banks. Here was An incessant Variety, a perpetual folding, Winding & revolving a perfect Labyrinth of Motion. Observe says my Freind how this Motion began encreas'd & Ended. The first of it was Small, one couple began the Motion, till by degrees like a Contagion it spread & the most incessant Volubility was communicated thro' the whole, & finally by the same Steps it ceased. So fares it with us in a moral sence. The first motions of Vice are small, our whole Passions move not at once, but by degrees we dance to the Music of temptation. Thus we proceed till giving way to the Motions of Sence, every Appetite becomes fir'd, & every faculty moves briskly to the infatuation of its charms. Nor can we leave the dear delusion at once. Our rebel Passions must have time to cool ere they consent to reinstate Reason on the Throne & extirpate the ill weeds of Vice. Still the Pastime went on, Various dances had afforded various Motions, & rais'd a flow of spirits that enticed the whole. The Music by its inchanting Energy had warm'd Every Soul & caus'd them to breath forth their inmost Exllys., like that Noble Flowr which folds its self in the Night. but Spreads forth its Leaves wide extended to the Meridian Sun to drink in the Noon tide Ray & discover its hidden Beautys. Here beam'd forth the brightest virtues of the Soul, here sat the Graces triumphant upon every countenance, each Eye Sparkled forth Some Active Virtue, each Feature Smil'd some happy Grace. Each countenance was adorn'd with an Open Frankness great Indication of other virtues, on the Lips were enrol'd in Coral Volumes the soft Laws of Kindness. But on the Bosom like the snowy top of Parnassus that chief Resort of the Graces shone forth, refulgent, every Beauty of the human Mind. Here one might see bright blazing as a first born Virtue the living Principle of Active Benificence. Here were the soul bred Meekness & Complacency. Here Compassion & Sympathetic Pity disclos'd their tender face. Here was Affability in all its social forms, & here Celestial modesty as a Curtain of Light blushing sweetly o'er the whole.

Thus Entertain'd, thus feasted with such an assemblage of artifical Natural & Moral Beautys, what could I think. One moment I admired the Curious Workmanship of Art the rich produce of Nature. But these soon gave way to the irrisistable force of Living Beautys. But when the whole became inspired with Real Charms & the outward feature spake the Virtues of the Mind, charm'd with the prospect of such a high wrought365Scene, Impatient of Confinemt., I flutterd oer each Beauty unknowing Where to light.

Just at this Juncture my freind jogg'd me & being desirous to communicate his thoughts to me on the present Pastime I could do no less than listen to him. Observe says he before you this Instance of this Worlds frailty. the uncertainty of all its happiness. When we behold them exulting in Pleasure & crowning every Moment with new delights, are we not lead to expect wn. the midnight hours shall Command the Music to cease, when the Festivity shall be at an end, when this deluding Enchantmt. which seems so to have inspired you shall be dissolved & each one shall depart to their Retiremt. Besides, how often does it happen (not to be censorious on the present occasion) that those who appear the most happy at these festivals, are really the least so wn. absent from them, how often does it happen that the remembrance of distant miserys heightens the present Joy, for None relish such happiness better than those who are the least Us'd to it. The good Graces which now appear so familiar & wch. add Beauty even to Nature herself may possibly be the produce of the Climate & vanish with the expiring Music. We can no more judge of innate Dispositions at such a time, than we can the colors of Objects veiwd thro' a Stained Glass. Can't we suppose the Agreableness of this Scituation to entice the most engaging Smiles from those who at other times continually frown? Cant the greatest Kindness be thaw'd from the frozen Bosom of the Most Morose & ill natur'd? Can't affability & a well Studied Frankness decorate the actions of the Reserved & designing? May Not Neatness & every Decent Virtue, Grace the appearance of the Most Careless & dissolute? May not Benificience & Kindness be really the Ungarded Actions of the Selfish & Malicious? In short may we not suppose that the melting Charms of Music, the sociable concourse of so Gay an assembly, the genrous Warmth & flow of Spirit recd. from this regular Motion should for a few Moments dissolve the rigour of the Most Obstinate dispositions, & cause them to flow in the engaging form of Complacency, & Sympathy & to put on every agreeable shape. For we find the most obdurate Wax recieves kindly the Impression of the Signet when Warm'd by the Sun's dissolving heat. But alas like the Wax such souls retain not the Impression when Cold. Happy that soul, which warm'd by a more lasting heat, owes not its Kindness to a Gay Company or a Merry Tune wch. tho it grow cold still retains the Impression, & tho'366for a while the Passions flag is still actuated by the Unerring Dictates of Reason. Thrice happy that Soul, that is not beholden to external Objects for its Happiness, but conscious of its own Worth, improves that Never failing fund of felicity. With such, all that care which others take to recommend themselves to the vain applause of the world is spent to be approved by their own self that unimpartial erring Judge. This Causes a Uniformity of Manners & an Unwavring Benificence. This produces "that homefelt Joy, that Sun Shine of the Soul" for those who have No happiness at home, can expect but a shortliv'd one abroad; those as they want Not the extatic Joys of a fir'd Imagination and all the pleasure wch. flows from gay scenes So they can boast the tranquil Satisfaction of cooler moments & the peacefull ease of Solitary hours. When fortune frowns, when Health decays, when Beauty fades, when freinds forsake, when Cares & Anxiety perplex & when all the mercenary favrites of their Success & Gayety are fled with their fancied Happiness, then rises quick to their comfort, that inward approbation, that unseen applause, that long cultivated Composedness, that Well Stor'd Magazine of Goodness, wch. shall bear the Soul Unhurt through all Opposition & preserve its peace unruffled amidst all the Tempest of Life—

Vain are all sudden Sallies of delight Convulsions of a week distempered Joy Joy's a fixt state, a Tenor not a start Bliss there is none but Unprecarious Bliss That is a Gem: Sell all & purchase that Why go a begging to contingencies Not gaind with Ease nor softly lov'd if Gaind At good fortuitous draw Back & pause Suspect it what thou canst insure in Joy And nought but what thou givst thy self is sure. Reason Perpetuates Joy that Reason Gave And makes it as Immortal as herself To Mortals nought's Immortal but her Worth. Night. 8.190 How frail Men, things, how momentary both Fantastic Chase of Shadow after Shades The gay the busy equal tho' unlike Equal in Wisdom differently wise 367 Throug flowry Meadows & thro' dreary wastes One bustling & one dancyng into death There's not a day but to a man of thought Betrays some secret that throws new Reproach On Life & Makes him Sick of Seeing more. The Scenes of Business tell us wt. is Man The Scene of pleasure wt. is all beside There, others we dispise & here our self Amidst disgust Eternal dwells delight Tis Approbation strikes the String of Joy. Night. 8.1943

My friend would feign have enlarg'd but I told him his Philosophy was unpolite, meer Stuff to such an Occasion & so dismist it. In this Manner the Pastime went on till the encreasing hours of Morning told them, they were seeking a Happiness that belonged not to their Natures, & thereupon they Ended with the same Order in wch. they began.

The Scene being clos'd, I betook myself to my Apartment & while the particulars were fresh in my thoughts I pend them down.

Dft .

1.

RTP noted in his diary on Sept. 16 that "at night I went as Spectator" and probably attended the ball given that night at the Concert-Hall in honor of the departing Governor Shirley. Although he does not mention attending a second ball in his diary, this essay refers to the ball given on the 20th.

A Ball was made last Monday Evening at Concert-Hall, by several Officers and Gentlemen who are to accompany G---l S-—y in his Voyage to England. We are told there was a more brilliant Appearance of Ladies and Military Gentlemen than at the Ball mention'd in our last, Numbers of whom had their Friends and near Relations at Oswego when it fell into the Hands of the French and Indians. Great Quantities of Serpents, Squibs and other Powder-Works were thrown by the Croud around the House, in Honour the Military Lancers. After the Ball the Company was regaled with a most elegant supper; and that Mirth and Gaiety was maintained thro' the whole Evening, which the present happy Situation of our Affairs both in Europe and America, may sufficiently countenance (Boston Gazette, Sept. 27, 1756).

A more polished version of this rough draft, "Description of a Ball," was printed in Saturday's Miscellany, Taunton, Mass., Aug. 7, 1813, as "An Original Letter of the Hon. R. T. Paine. Written previous to his Marriage."

2.

Governor William Shirley (1694–1771) boarded the British man-of-war Mermaid on Sept. 25 and sailed for London on the 28th (Boston Gazette, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 1756).

3.

These inaccurate quotations are from Edward Young, The Complaint, or Night Thoughts.