The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 71: what you’re looking at

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eee ler |e 54 THE MYSTERIES. Picture to yourself, reader, a spacious bed-cham- ber, magnificently furnished and fitted up in the most luxurious style,—with a carpet so thick that the feet sank into it as if they were treading on soft sand— and with draperies so ample and rich that the case- ments were impervious to even the slightest breath of the sharp wintry air. The couch stood upon a dais or raised platform, which was approached by three steps ;—and the cur- tains, of satin and of gold brocade, flowed down from a canopy of purple velvet adorned with a plume of ostrich feathers. By the side of the bed there was a night-table of rose-wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl; and on this were placed two or three bottles of soda-water, a bottle of hock, a small decanter half filled with brandy, a crystal jug containing the pure element, and several tumblers. The toilette-table, which stood between the two windows nearest to the bed, was of the most elegant description. A large mirror, set in agold frame, was fixed on supporters at the back, in such a manner that it could be moved tosuit any light prevailing in the room, or any attitude which the individual con- sulting the glass might choose to take. There were two dressing-cases—both of the finest gold; and the smaller one was embellished round the edges with precious stones. To judge by the number of razors —tooth-brushes— combs— hair-brushes— nail-scis- sors—tweezers for removing superfluous hairs from the nose—boxes of dentifrice—jars of pomatum— perfumed soaps—phials of fragrant oul—bottles of scent—and cosmetics of all descriptions,—a stranger would have imagined that this dressing-table was spread for the use of at least a dozen persons: whereas all that luxury of the toilette was prepared for a single individual ! On a large oval table in the middle of the cham- ber, lay a miscellaneous collection of articles which to some extent bespoke the tastes of their royal owner, and in other respects served as an index to that wanton extravagance which lavished the gold wrung from the very vitals of the toiling millions, as if it were so much dross to be had for the mere trouble of stooping to pick it up. Boxing-gloves, foils, small swords, and single-sticks,—riding and hunting-whips, gold and silver spurs, new bridles, jockeys’ caps, and two or three pairs of white leathern tops for boots, -— fowling-pieces, duelling-pistols, rifles, powder-horns, shot-belts, and new flints for the locks of the fire-arms,—a pile of indecent pictures just imported from Paris, and the more calculated to inflame the imagination because the designs and the colouring were exccuted with an artistic perfection and a natural truthfulness well worthy of better sub- jects,—several elegantly bound books, the contents of which would bring a blush to the cheeks of even the inmates of a brotliel,—a quantity of China monsters, which were much in vogue in those days and fetched an immense price,—watches, rings, breast- pins, stars, orders, and diamond garters, all heaped pell-inell as if they were things of no worth,—ex- quisite specimens of the beautiful art of carving in ivory, displayed in miniature figures representing the most eminent actresses of the age,—curious ar- ticles of virta, such as old coins, fragments of weapons used by the Ancient Britons, pieces of pot- tery dug up from the ruins of a Roman villa, and even Catholic relics for which enormous sums had been given,—innumerable letters and billets-douz, from a countless host of ladies, and al} scattered in the greatest confusion, some of them indeed never having been read, while out of others peeped locks of hair,—such were the principal items in that mis- callaneous collection which covered the table in the centre of the room. On a cheffonier placed between two of the windows, stood a large and remarkably handsome writing- desk, of a dark wood inlaid with golden ornaments of exquisite and very curious workmanship; and the lock was contrived in such a manner that no other key would fit than the one specially made for the purpose. This key the Prince invariably wore fastened to a thin but strong chain underneath his waistcoat: for the desk contained papers of great importance. To the walls of the chamber were suspended seve- ral pictures, all painted by eminent men, but all most voluptuous in the subjects which they represented. Lucretia struggling in the arms of Tarquin,—Cleo- patra pillowing the head of Mark Anthony upon her naked bosom,—Mars and Venus ensnared in the in- visible net which Vulcan had spread upon the couch of their amorous dalliance,—the beautiful Andromeda bound in a state of utter nudity to a rock, and left as a prey to the monster from which Perseus rescues her,—Ariadne wandering in an equally primitive con- dition on the shores of Chio, when abandoned by Theseus,—a beautiful woman struggling in the lasci- vious embraces of a Satyr,—these were the principal subjects of the pictures, In addition to the door by which this royal bed- chamber was usually entered, there were two others. One communicated with a private staircase, to which we shall have to allude more than once in the course of our narrative: the other led into a bath-room fitted up with oriental splendour, and adorned with full length mirrors in every direction. Voluptuous otto- mans, a buffet covered with wines and delicious beve- rages, vases filled with perfumes, and an atmosphere warmed by artificial means, rendered this bathing- place so perfect in its luxury, that the most fastidious and the most difficult to please could not find a single fault. It was between nine and ten o’clock in the morn- ing, as we have already intimated, when the Prince of Wales awoke in the sumptuous couch which stood upon the dais in the bed-chamber. Opening his eyes languidly, his Royal Highness pressed his hand to his brow—for he had sate up until a late nour, and had imbibed a sufficiency of curacoa-punch to leave behind the evaporating fumes even a far more rack- ing head-ache than he now actually experienced. Raising himself indolently in his bed, the Prince poured some hock into a large tumbler—then emptied therein the contents of a bottle of soda-water—and drank the delicious beverage ere its effervescence had time to subside. In a few minutes the Prince consulted an elegant gold repeater set round with brilliants; and finding that it was close upon ten o'clock, he rang a bell by means of a silken cord which hung between the cur- tains and the wall. A French valet, dressed in plain black, but with the greatest neatness and precision, and whose age was about thirty, instantly answered the summons. “ Germain,” said the Prince of Wales, “the morm- ing is very cold—is it not f” “ Very cold, your Royal Highness,” answered the dependant, who spoke English without the slightest foreign accent. COMNGCBOOKS COMM