Life of Count Rumford. 317 



elegant in its effects. Besides which nothing was spared to 

 render ours conformable to the elegance of the apartments. 



"Refreshments in great plenty, proper for the occasion ; a 

 society as select as it was numerous ; the rooms illuminated 

 to speak largely to vie with the noonday sun! the music, 

 both vocal and instrumental, the best that Munich afforded, 

 perhaps none better in the world. More attention was paid 

 to this particular, my father being extravagantly fond of music. 

 And from a very pretty manner they had of ornamenting with 

 flowers, that of twisting them into letters and then to words, 

 expressing verse, prose, &c., my father had many pretty com- 

 pliments paid him, particularly in the ornamenting of the bust. 

 Around this bust was a group which drew upun us all much 

 praise and many compliments, the Countess, her two children 

 allowed to be present, Sophy Baumgarten, about eight years 

 old, daughter of the Countess Baumgarten, sister to the 

 Countess Nogarola; myself j six children (little girls) from my 

 father's poorhouse, prettily dressed at my expense, in white, 

 as were we all. For the more elderly part of our guests cards 

 were prepared ; music for the dance, vocal and instrumental 

 music for the ear, which made three distinct amusements 

 without counting that of not doing anything at all. 



" My father's two aids, Lieutenant Spreti, and Captain Count 

 Taxis, were not forgotten in the number to be invited, and who 

 accepted and were present. Neither of them had I seen during 

 or after my illness. Of course the latter was the only one 

 interesting to me. With Lieutenant Spreti I had barely ever* 

 exchanged a word. The festival began, we all at our places, 

 the lights glittering, the company arrived, the music struck up a 

 divine piece, vocal and instrumental, in which all who could 

 sing joined in a chorus, when my father was ushered in. A 

 considerable difficulty had arisen to get him dressed without his 

 knowing for what purpose, and to prevent his seeing the lights 

 of my highly illuminated rooms, some being on the opposite 

 side of the court facing his. Al'l, however, was happily accom- 

 plished, and he arrived utterly astonished, as much so as the 

 guests, who were curious to see the effect all this might have 



