THROUGH SWEDEN. 
77 
gala, is that held once a fortnight in the upper-hall of the Ex¬ 
change. It begins at fix o’clock in the evening, and continues 
till ten or eleven: here you fee collected all the rank, fafhion, and 
beauty that the capital can boaft of. As foon as there is a fufficient 
number of people affembled for country-dances the mufic begins. 
The hall is fpacious enough to hold nine or ten different dancing 
parties. There are alfo two rooms for card-tables. About eight 
o’clock the royal family commonly make their appearance, but 
without occafioning any interruption in the entertainment. The 
queen, with her attendants, is feated in one of the balconies. 
The king, princes of the blood, and princeffes, walk about the 
room and converfe with the company. The king generally no¬ 
tices and fpeaks to almoft every perfon in the fame manner as 
in the drawing-room. He does not even pafs over thofe that 
have not been prefented at court, of which defcription are many 
diftinguifhed families among the gentry, clergy, and the mercan¬ 
tile clafs, and fhews them great affability ; for though they are 
not of noble birth, yet their education and refpedlability in fociety 
is deemed a fufficient title to thefe marks of attention. They 
bring their wives and daughters to thefe affemblies, and never ex¬ 
perience, as they might perhaps in other countries, the mortifi¬ 
cation of feeing them humbled or negle&ed. The Exchange 
affembly was at firft open to all company of refpedtable appear¬ 
ance, without any other condition than that of paying for their 
entrance ; but an incident happened which occafioned a partial 
alteration in this refpedt. This occurrence, as it ferves to illus¬ 
trate 
