A TRAVELLER AT BERLIN. 117 



was now terminated by a fecond chorus, at the end of 

 which the whole company Hood up to dance. On this 

 day, it is an exprefs law to begin by minuets, which 

 continue a considerable while ; to the end that all the 

 elderly ladies, of whom a great number have been 

 members of this fociety from its firit inftitution, may 

 have an opportunity likewife of celebrating the feftivity 

 by dancing. About nine o'clock we all fat down to 

 table ; which was better provided than ufual at Berlin 

 on limilar occafions. Here we were likewife entertained 

 by vocal and inftrumental miilic. We then renewed 

 the dances, and the whole entertainment was -clofed 

 about midnight by a grand and folemn proceffion, — 

 Thus have I briefly defcribed to you what pafTed ; but 

 the vivacity, the heartfelt joy, that prevailed among 

 this friendly fociety, the emotion that was apparent 

 from the countenances of numbers of them, the avidity 

 that every one fhewed to teftify, that he felt, no lefs than 

 the reft, the general happinefs, and took no lefs participa- 

 tion in it ; that deli re which every one manifefted to 

 infpire all with the fame patriotic ardour he felt him- 

 felf, and which kindled a fort of generous jealoufy in 

 the breaft of every one pre fen t — is what I cannot de- 

 fcribe to you ; you muft ftrive to conceive it yourfelf ; 

 and to this end collect into your mind at once, what- 

 ever you have feen of chearfulnefs and fatisfaction, in 

 thofe large focieties where they are fo feldom found. 

 Think then how ftrong my feelings alfo muft have 

 been, how much my heart expanded, what an intimate 

 concern I took in the felicity that did not perfonally 

 relate to me. All fentiments feemed this evenings to 

 combine and unite in making the object of the feftivity 



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