The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 338: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Se THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 329 i (THE PRINCESSES SOPHIA AND AMELIA.) fine persons: now they would pause again to ex- hibit their capacity for grace of attitude, — then, gently awakening into life again, they produced an effect as of harmonious feelings in the mind, apart from the real music which stole in all the soft rich- ess of the piano’s melody upon the ear. Not only was there grace in the performance of the dancers, but likewise intellectuality and refine- ment. In depicting the feelings and tender delights of love, they put forth all their most seducing power and gave a new charm to every attitude of the body, ‘every movement of the limbs, and every expression of the countenance. Juvenile lightness and fresh- ness were subdued into a soft sensuousness that ap- pealedto the imagination, enabling it not only to feast itself upon the charms which were exposed, but like- wise to revel in the beauties that were hidden. And, oh! the licentious Prince both feasted and revelled in the spectacle thus provided for his morn- * with the excess of that bliss which his prurient im» agination had conjured up, he bade the music and the dancing cease, in order that the young females might congregate around him and enhance by means of sparkling champagne the excitement to which the general feeling was already worked up. And now—even at this early hour—ocommenced & revel in which the helr-apperent to the British throne was the hero, and a bevy of ballet-girls the heroines,—a revel in which he laid aside all the little dignity which his mind possessed, and they forgot all the trifling amount of modesty which a profligate career had left them. With one of these charming syrens upon each knee, the Prince of Wales gave unbridled license to his tongue; and the conversation which ensved would have abrothel. The champagne flowed freely ; and the more frequent grew the liba- tions, the more unblushingly was the disguise of ing’s diversion: and when he was actually surfeited | janguage torn from the leseivious ideas which ci «a SS comicloooks. conn