her falary to be ever encreafed. “ Very well,” faid the lady,
“ then I demand my difmiffion.” “ You ihall neither be dif-
“ miffed, nor better paid.” “ O ! then I lliall make my efcape—
“ fly from the country, and never Ihew my face in it again.”
“ You may try, but you will probably not find it very eaiy to get
out o f the kingdom, i f I forbid it.” A lh o rt time after, notwith-
ftanding the vigilance with which Ihe was watched by order o f
the court, Ihe iucceeded in her plan, and at the lalt poil-houfe-
wrote in the day-book the following lines to the k in g : “ Sire, it
“ is much eafier to efcape from'your kingdom than you luppofe.”
She defired that this day-book might be ihewn to his majefty j
and as a curiofity it was fent to him. She then went to Copenhagen,
where being known and received with great applaufe, ihe-
attached herfelf to that ftage. T h e king o f Sweden, fome time
after, made new propofals to her, which Ihe at firfl: treated with:
great difdain, but at length having obtained the fum ihe demanded,
Ihe returned in triumph to Stockholm.
T h e concerts and balls which are given in the winter feafon are
thofe at the Exchange, Vauxhall, and fbme particular focieties.
and private houfes. As to the concerts at the H all o f the Knights,,
they are fcarce worth mentioning, becaufe they are in general made
up o f the fame fingers and the fame band as the former.. T he
foreign virtuofi, who paffing through this city go to hear, them,,
are always difappointed, and almofl: in every refpect difiatisfied..
One of the principal public amufements in winter are the balls at
the Exchange. T o the lovers o f dancing thefe are a very great.
refource..
refource. In the centre o f the building is a large ball-room, and
on either fide apartments for card-players. Thefe balls are frequented
only by people o f fafhion; but thofe at Vauxhall are open
to every body, and in general abound with bad company. T he
affemblies at the Exchange afford a very pleafing fight. There, m
one evening you may fee all the beauties o f the capital collected
together.
T h e ladies o f Sweden are, generally fpeaking, very handfome.
Their countenances bear the charactcriftic o f northern phyfiog-
nomy, which is an expreffion o f the mofl perfect tranquillity and
compofure o f mind, indicating nothing o f that paffion and fire
which, to every difcerning obferver, is vifible in the features o f
the French and Italian ladies. As there is but little gallantry or
attention ihewn them by the men, and as they pafs a great part o f
their time either alone or amongft themfelves, their con vention,
though they are well educated, poffeffes but a fmall ihare either o f
variety or intereft; and o f that happy aTt o f fupporting conver-
fation with vivacity, which fo eminently diftinguifhcs our Italian
ladies, they are wholly deftitute. T h e principal object that employs
their time and attention is drefs; and this anxiety is rather
the effect o f an ambition to outihine their rivals in elegance and
fplendour, than the refult o f an eagernefs to pleafe the men and
make conquefts. The y are, however, not free from the imputation
o f coquetry, becaufe they are certainly fond o f admiration and
praife: they would like to fee every man at their feet, and would
wiih to be called the belles o f the North : but their predominant
paffion