Note 16 — LETTER XII. TO WILLIAM JAY, ESQ., BEDFORD, NEW YORK.

The writer had a ludicrous specimen of this feeling, at a later day, in Italy. An English minister’s wife gave a great ball, and applications were constantly made for tickets. As the town was small, this ball made a great sensation, and every one was talking of it. It was no great sacrifice for the family of the writer to preserve their self-respect on this occasion, as they lived retired from choice. Hints began to be thrown out, and questions asked if they had yet procured tickets. At eight o’clock of the very night of the entertainment, these important tickets arrived unasked! Of course, no notice was taken of them. It will be remembered that all this dog-in-the-mangerism had nothing to do with the customs of the country in which the parties were, it being usual for the natives to give their guests more than two hours’ notice, when they wished to see them at balls. This social convoitise on one side, and coquetry on the other, distinguish the English circles all over Europe.