TRAVELS 
'J A 
had been fomc foreign ambaffador. At the public fupper he muft 
have Rood with other diftinguifhed foreigners among the fpeCla- 
tors, if a fudden and well-timed indifpofitioti had not furnifhed 
an excufe for his abfence. The queen dowager, however, fet 
afide thefe troublefome niceties, which fettered the reft of the 
royal family, and treated the bidiop in the moft cordial manner, 
as the nephew of her late confort, and with thofe marks of efteem 
which were due to his perfonal chara&er. In order to give him 
what die confidercd as his right, without infringing that of any 
one elfe, fhe ordered the places at her table to be diftributed by 
fealed ticket-s. .Every one that w~as invited drew fuch a ticket, 
and placed himfelf at table according to the number written 
upon it; but die had privately given directions that the number 
of the place between her and the princefs fhould be referved for 
her kinfman, and put into the hat in which the tickets were col¬ 
lected, after all the others w r ere drawrn out. 
There is one advantage attending the Swedidi court: the 
drefs is not half fo expenfive as that required at other courts of 
Europe. With three or four fuits of clothes you may appear at 
every drawing-room for as many years. The colour and form 
being once fixed, there is no admiffion of variation. The drefs 
of the ladies differs but little from the prefent fafhion in England, 
except that the deeves of their gowns are cut in the Spa nidi man¬ 
ner. The colour muft be always black, except on gala days, 
when it is white. The head-drefs, ribbands, and the fmaller 
articles of the toilette, are left to the fancy of the fex. The drefs 
of 
