SOME THCGHTS UPON FANCY BALLS,

a different part to that for which the author objection. Semiramis, though not without designed them; to see Mary Avenil listening style in her own way, was not sufficiently delightedly o the Euphicisms of Sir Peircie Parisian for Madame Carolina. New ages were proposed and new objections started. The Shafton, and Esmeraldas preferring the_con Versation of Claude Frollo to that of Count Grand-duke advised "something national," Phoebus de Chatemperes. lone smiling upon so they thought of Charlemagne, and then of Atbaces the Egyptian. Fenella dancing to the age of Frederick the Great, but neither of music and chattering with unceasing rapidity. these would do for Madame Carolina. At last somebody, just as the "Committee of Selection" was beginning to despair wofully, propos

The ghost in hamlet talking "small talk" with his son, and Macbeth very civilly offered the age of Charles the Fifth, as being one ing to give Macduff a seat home in his carriage. which would allow of every cotemporary chaPleasant is it to contemplate these incongrui-racter of interest of every nation. The sugties and there are abundance of them at every gestion was received with enthusiastic shouts fancy bail. and adopted on the spot. The "Committee of Selection" was immediately dissolved, and its members immediately formed themselves into a "Committee of Arrangement." Lists of all the persons of any fame, distinction or notoriety who had lived either in the Empire of Germa

Individual characters are far preferable in a fancy ball to those which are merely national. There may be fifty Swiss peasant girls in a room to one Fenella or one Esmeralda. It has been easy too to individualize a character ever since we have had the Waverley ny, the Kingdoms of Spain, Portugal, France, Novels to assist us. And this reminds us that England, the Italian States, the Netherlands, we have often longed to get up a Waverly Ball Americas, and in short in every country in -a ball to which we would admit nổ one the known world, were immediately formed. without a costume drawn from one of Walter Von Chronicle, rewarded for his last novel by Scott's novels. A Shakespeareian ball might a riband and the title of Baron, was appointed do as well, given upon a similar plan. Hun- Secretary to the "Committee of Costume." All dreds of admirable characters may be found guests who received a card of invitation were in the writings of these two great men, What desired, on or before a certain day, to send in variety, too, of costume of all nations and all the title of their adopted characters and a ages, and what beautiful groups might be form-sketch of their intended dress, that their places ed by the agreement of parties of friends. might receive the sanction of the ladies of the "Committee of Arrangement" and their dresses For groups we are great advocates; nothing gives so much effect and so much interest to a the approbation of the Secretary of Cosfancy ball as a few good groups. The meaning tume. By this method the chance and inconof a single character, however well sustained, venience of two persons selecting and appearmay be unapparent to the greater part of aning in the same character, were destroyed and assembly, and the very excellence with which prevented. This was altogether a magnifithe part is supported may perhaps expose the cent conception, and it turned out a magnifiactor to censure. A man cannot ticket the cent ball. What an age for illustration! what name of his character in large letters upon hosts of great characters to represent! Charles his back; but all eyes are directed towards the Fifth, and Francis the First, and Henry a gool groupe and one character explains the Eighth of England! Montmorency and another, so that not one of the number is lost. Lautreo, and the Constable of Bourbon; BayThere are varieties of discriptions of groupes, ard, Barbarossa, Pompeio Colonna, Luther, national, historical, dramatic, illustrative, any Melancthon, Erasmus, Ignatius Loyola, Sir one of which is sure to be effective. In Eng-Thomas More; Ariosto, Rabelais, Paracelsus, land they are very frequent, but why do we Machiavel, Corregio, Albert Durer, Michael Angelo, and hosts of other men great in story. so rarely see them here?

A historical ball would be a fine thing-And then for the ladies, Margaret of Navarre, a ball illustrative of a particular epoch. There and her name-sake Margaret of Austria, Louise of Savoy, Katharine of Aragon, Anna Boleyn, is an exceeding good description of such a festival in one of the latter volumes of "Vivi and Lady Jane Grey. We can imagine noan Grey." It was got up at Vienna by Ma-thing finer in the way of a gala than a party given after a fashion like this. It would be something distingué and unique. It would have the advantage, too, of sending people to their books-no trifling advantage this, for in the cold season at Calcutta literature is somewhat at a discount, and it requires some very exciting stimulus to induce society to read. Perhaps a Waverley Ball would answer the

dame Carolina. Her idea was ingenious; to use her own sublime phrase, she determined that "the party should represent an age!" Great difficulty was experienced in fixing up on the century, which was to be honored. At first a practical idea was started of having something primeval, perhaps ante-diluvian, but Noah, or even Father Abraham, were thought characters hardly suficiently roman-purpose, and be equally out of the beaten track. We content ourselves with throwing out these tic for a fancy-dress ball; and consequently loose hints; we leave others to improve and the earliest post-diluvian ages were soon under to act upon them. consideration. Nimrod or Sardanapalus were distinguished characters, and might be well represented by the master of the stag-hounds, or the master of the Revels; but then the want of an interesting lady-character was a great

We have but a few words more to say upon this subject. A personage in Miss Burney's Cecelia, at a fancy ball, says to the heroine

illustrative proofs. Take it upon our philoso-poet. We love to anticipate how they will phy, sweet friends, that nothing is so little as look before the day of the festival arrives; and pride, nothing so contemptible as contempt: afterwards to think of how they looked, and remember, ever remember, that, to identify them with the characters they illustrated, whenever we read of those characters again. For instance, if we were to see as a Neapolitan peasant girl, could we ever read or hear of a Neapolitan peasant girl without thinking about? Or if she were to take it into her head to represent

He who feels contempt

For any living thing hath faculties
That he has never tried-that thought with him
Is in its infancy.

The greatest minds are those which can best accommodate themselves to all circum-sweet Amy Robsart, would not the bare menstances; which can move with the stream with- tion of " Kenilworth" call up the fair image of out being soiled by its impurities; ever hum- our kind friend to flit across the magic mirror ble and ever cheerful; gathering blessings and of our memory? But setting aside these pleadispensing them every where; able alike to sures of association, the mere spectacle of a creep and to soar. "I should approve," saith fancy ball has much, very much to delight Montaigne, in one of his essays, 66 a soul us. We love to see the heterogeneous asthat hath divers stories in its structure; one semblage of all ages and all nations gathered that knows how to bend and how to slacken; together, as by some strange process, within that finds itself at ease in every condition of the walls of an assembly room. We like to fortune; that can converse with a neighbour be present at what the author of "Vivian of his buildings, his hunting, or any trifling Grey" calls a species of amusement in which dispute between him and another; that can usually a stray Turk and a wandering Pole chat with a gardener or carpenter at plea-looks sedate and singular among crowds of sure." Spanish girls, Swiss peasant girls and gentlemen in uniform" even this has far more diversion in it than the endless monotony of

46

We had no intention when we commenced this article of writing in such a sober, didac-white muslin and white satin which we are tic strain; we have been unconsciously betray- wont to see in our every-day ball-room asseined into gravity; we purposed a light article, blages. But we like a little more diversity and unless we make vigorous efforts, this will than that described by Mr. Benjamin D'Israprove, we anticipate, a very heavy one. So eli. Miss Burney and Theodore Hook give now to our theme right manfully. The whole rather more variety to their respective acworld, the whole Calcutta world, the BEAU counts of these entertainments. "Dominos mond of course we mean, is interested in the of no character," says the lady, describing a subject of which we treat. Our subject is masquerade in Cecelia," and tancy dresses of Fancy Balls." We apprize the reader of no meaning, made, as is usual at such meetthis once again, for we think it not improba-ings, the general herd of the company; for ble that whilst he was wading through the the rest the men were Spaniards, chimney moral speculations with which we commen-sweepers, Turks, watchmen, conjurors and ced this essay, he may have entirely forgotten old women; and the ladies, shepherdesses, the real subject-matter of our discourse. Fond orange girls, Circassians, gypseys, haymaas we are of these speculations, fond as we kers and Sultanas." And M. Hook, in one of are of literary seclusion, of poring over books, the best chapters of " Gilbert Gurney," speaks of endeavouring to write them, of our plaid of "the boisterous mirth of the Moll Flaggons dressing gown, our worked slippers, our and Irish hay makers, flirting with delicate loosened neck-cloth, our silent room, we ne-die-away nuns and aristocratic flower-girls ; vertheless have a wonderous sympathy with fat monks dancing with Swiss peasants; the ball-goers and contrive to enjoy ourselves knights in armour lounging on sofas with Inin "lighted halls" full as well as in the herdian queens; Doctor Ollapod, in close conmitage of our study. We carry our philoso-versation with Alexander the Great, and Caleb phy with us into the ball-room (for our phi Quotem seriously arguing a point of etiquette losophy verges upon optimism, and is not with IIemy the Fourth of France. We espetherefore unsuited to such scenes), but our cially delight in these strange intermixtures, book-craft we ever leave behind us--we for- and can almost fancy ourselves in the Elysian get that we have "ever seen Wirtenberg, ever fields when we behold the junction of those read book"-our thoughts, our whole thoughts who could not possibly have met together on are with the revellers; we never wander earth. It is for all the world like Lucian put back in fancy to the books which we have left in action, or Lord Lyttleton's "Dialogues of open on our table, or the essays half finished the Dead," illustrated in a series of tableaux. on our desk. We go to a ball to enjoy our- Pleasant too is it to see the well-known animosi selves, and enjoy ourselves we do right ties of great men ; animosities which have deheartily. vastated nations, now laid aside by mutual consent," positively for one night only," to seeOliver Cromwell dancing with Henrietta Maria, Charles the 1st arm in arm with Hampden

But a fancy ball is our especial delight. We love to see our friends discarding their every day costume, and to shake hands with them in the habiliments of a strange country, or Pym, and the Earl of Essex neglecting or in the dress of some well known character, Queen Elizabeth to pay his devoirs to Mary be it real or be it imaginary, drawn from the Queen of Scots. Pleasant too is it to see the

a different part to that for which the author objection. Semiramis, though not without designed them; to see Mary Avenil listening style in her own way, was not sufficiently delightedly o the Euphicisms of Sir Peircie Parisian fo; Madame Carolina. New ages Shafton, and Esmeraldas preferring the con- were proposed and new objections started. The versation of Claude Frollo to that of Count Grand-duke advised "something national," Phoebus de Chatemperes. Ione smiling upon so they thought of Charlemagne, and then of Atbaces the Egyptian. Fenella dancing to the age of Frederick the Great, but neither of music and chattering with unceasing rapidity. these would do for Madame Carolina. At last The ghost in hamlet talking "small talk" tion" was beginning to despair wofully, propossomebody, just as the "Committee of Selecwith his son, and Macbeth very civilly offered the age of Charles the Fifth, as being one ing to give Macduff a seat home in his carriage. which would allow of every cotemporary chaPleasant is it to contemplate these incongrui-racter of interest of every nation. The sugties and there are abundance of them at every gestion was received with enthusiastic shouts fancy ball. and adopted on the spot. The "Committee of Individual characters are far preferable in Selection" was immediately dissolved, and its a fancy ball to those which are merely na-members immediately formed themselves into tional. There may be fifty Swiss peasant girls a "Committee of Arrangement." Lists of all the in a room to one Fenella or one Esmeralda. persons of any fame, distinction or notoriety It has been easy too to individualize a cha- who had lived either in the Empire of Germaracter ever since we have had the Waverley ny, the Kingdoms of Spain, Portugal, France, Novels to assist us. And this reminds us that England, the Italian States, the Netherlands, we have often longed to get up a Waverly Ball Americas, and in short in every country in -a ball to which we would admit no one the known world, were immediately formed." without a costume drawn from one of Walter Von Chronicle, rewarded for his last novel by Scott's novels. A Shakespeareian ball might a riband and the title of Baron, was appointed do as well, given upon a similar plan. Hun- Secretary to the "Committee of Costume." All dreds of admirable characters may be found guests who received a card of invitation were in the writings of these two great men. What desired, on or before a certain day, to send in variety, too, of costume of all nations and all the title of their adopted characters and a ages, and what beautiful groups might be form sketch of their intended dress, that their places ed by the agreement of parties of friends.might receive the sanction of the ladies of the For groups we are great advocates; nothing" Committee of Arrangement" and their dresses gives so much effect and so much interest to a the approbation of the Secretary of Cosfancy ball as a few good groups. The meaning tume. By this method the chance and inconof a single character, however well sustained, venience of two persons selecting and appearmay be unapparent to the greater part of an ing in the same character, were destroyed and assembly, and the very excellence with which prevented. This was altogether a magnifithe part is supported may perhaps expose the cent conception, and it turned out a magnifia tor to cen ure. A man cannot ticket the cent ball. What an age for illustration! what name of his character in large letters upon hosts of great characters to represent! Charles bis back; but all eyes are directed towards the Fifth, and Francis the First, and Henry a good groupe and one character explains the Eighth of England! Montmorency and another, so that not one of the number is lost. Lautreo, and the Constable of Bourbon; BayThere are varieties of discriptions of groupes, ard, Barbarossa, Pompeio Colonna, Luther, national, historical, dramatic, illustrative, any Melancthon, Erasmus, Ignatius Loyola, Sir one of which is sure to be effective. In Eng- Thomas More; Ariosto, Rabelais, Paracelsus, land they are very frequent, but why do we Machiavel, Corregio, Albert Durer, Michael so rarely see them here? Angelo, and hosts of other men great in story.

A historical ball would be a fine thing-And then for the ladies, Margaret of Navarre, a ball illustrative of a particular epoch. There and her name-sake Margaret of Austria, Louise is an exceeding good description of such a of Savoy, Katharine of Aragon, Anna Boleyn, festival in one of the latter volumes of "Vivi- and Lady Jane Grey. We can imagine noan Grey." It was got up at Vienna by Ma-thing finer in the way of a gala than a party dame Carolina. Her idea was ingenious; given after a fashion like this. It would be to use her own sublime phrase, she determined something distingué and unique. It would that "the party should represent an age!" have the advantage, too, of sending people to Great difficulty was experienced in fixing up their books-no trifling advantage this, for in on the century, which was to be honored. At the cold season at Calcutta literature is somefirst a practical idea was started of having what at a discount, and it requires some very something primeval, perhaps ante-diluvian, exciting stimulus to induce society to read. but Noah, or even Father Abraham, were Perhaps a Waverley Ball would answer the thought characters hardly suficiently roman- purpose, and be equally out of the beaten track. tic for a fancy-dress ball; and consequently loose hints; we leave others to improve and We content ourselves with throwing out these the earliest post-diluvian ages were soon under consideration. Nimrod or Sardanapalus were to act upon them. distinguished characters, and might be well represented by the master of the stag-hounds,

We have but a few words more to say upon

or the master of the Revels; but then the want this subject. A personage in Miss Burney's

"Enquire of almost any body in the room, the Master of Ravenswood gleesome as a concerning the persons they seem to represent, Yorick ; and Domine Sampson courteous as a and you will find their ignorance more gross Raleigh. We care not what inconsistencies than you can imagine; they have not one of juxta position we see, as long as each chathought upon the subject; accident or con- racter is consistent in itself. Miss Burney venience, or caprice has alone directed their speaks of a mad Edgar "running about the choice." We trust that no one will be able room and calling out "Poor Tom's a cold, so to say this at our approaching Victoria Ball. vehemently that he was obliged to take off his We little doubt but that we shall have cha-mask from an effect, not very delicate, of the racters in plenty, and we hope to see those heat." This is, we think, the self-climax of characters well sustained. We do not wish self-negation. We hope that we will see noto see Hoe, to use Shelley's words, "looking thing like it to-morrow.-Bengal Herald, more like Despair;" Momus quite out of sorts; Jan. 14.

MOFUSSIL MAGISTRACIES.

To the Editor of the Bengal Hurkaru.

imposed in Bengal, of recording all deSIR,-It has lately suited the Subjantas, ding on positions in Bengally and whilst presi"the omniscient seven wisemen," to think of tion and answer can be written by the time the bench. In Persia the questhe amelioration of our judicial system, and the presiding officer is prepared with the next the reform of the department has been brought question. In Bengallee each question and under consideration, and it is the duty of every well-wisher of India to point out the to record, during which extra interval there is answer takes on an overage an extra minute radical erors requiring reform. I have pre-nothing to be done but twirl your thums, viously attempted to do so as far as regards pare your nails, perhaps cut your finger and abuses prevailing in the external operations lose your temper. These extra wasted interof the system. The evils that most prominent-vals at the close of each day average an hour, ly strike a by-stander, on viewing the prac-at the close of a week amount to one day. tices obtaining in the interior of a magistate's Consider yourself working only five days a office are, week instead of six, and imagine the delay and consequent misery you are entailing ou intend by this to advocate the continuance of the various parties at your Court! I do not

Persian. In my humble opinion the introduction of Bengallee is most beneficial, but let it not thwart its own beneficial effects by causing the above delay. Let it be always main3. The impunity with which perjury is vial ones let the questions and answers be tained in cases of any importance, but in tricommitted.

vivâ voce, and a Bengallee abstact of the case, evidence, &c. signed by both parties, and containing the orders passed thereon be the only record. The absrtact with the signature of the parties will stand in lieu of the lengthy pass-depositions and be sufficient in appeal. A great relief will be afforded, other business will come quickly forward and be quickly disposed of, the odious delay will be removed,

6. The want of vigilant supervision over and if there is a plan to secure the good will the Amlah. of the natives, it will be that by which this sore evil of delay is remedied.

1. The grievous delay occasioned by the lengthy depositions to be written in all cases in that most lengthy language, Bengallee.

2. The subordinate magisterial officers being at the same time employed in collectorate duties.

4. The toleration of the gangs of low, ning, villainous mooktears.

cun

5. The negligence exhibited in not causing the principles and reasons of the orders ed to be thoroughly explained to the parties concerned.

(1.) The tardiness in the despatch of criminal business has been too frequently com- (2.) In like manner as magistrates should plained of and too loudly to doubt of its ex-not be Collectors, the subordinate magisterial istence. The superior authorities themselves officers should not be employed in collectorate have owned, that there is somewhat of harsh duties. It might have been possibly urged, ness in keeping a prosecutor three months that there was no necessity for abolishing the away from his family at the cutcheree gate, recording of Bengallee depositions in trivial somewhat of cruelty in keeping witnesses the cases, as the magistrates subordinate might same period in the same plight, and that there record them. But in the first place, there are is something approaching to the torture of the many trivial cases connected with landholders ancients in confining a prisoner six months and olice, which the Magistrate alone should under trial and rotting in jail. Other causes handle, as by the subordinates' decision of of this delay have been noticed in my last one of these apparently trivial cases, he may

which the Magistrate may be most anxious to grown on the native mind that, eui peccare licet inculcate respecting these two classes, and in peccat minus, and even when discovered the the next place, the subordinate sits only three slightest excuse saves them from commitdays in a week in the magistrate's office, andment, and the magistrates appear to think thus the delay would probably be increased, non peccat quicunque potest peccasse negare, not diminished, by transmitting the cases to every body exclaims why is it so? The quirks him. and quibbles of Mahomedan law in these cases, render a refereence to the nizamut

press him in from every side." The required remedy of moral regeneration cannot be effected in one day has the suaviter in modo," and unless it be effected our criminal justice will never be reformed. Let it be so by the fortiter store," let the suprior authorities watch that every perjurer be committed, and when convicted let the culprit receive never less then seven years' imprisonment with the ancient wholesome discipline of 30 rattans, and the tusheer. Criminal business may then

So this remedy is inapplicable, and cannot adawlut generally necessary; and session arise from the union; and besides this there judges dislike references, and magistrates is much more of evil in the combination. study the likes and dislikes of sension, For instance, the subordinate is every alter-judges, and sooth their consciences by the nate night obliged to break off in the invesilligal act of indicting six months' imprisontigation of a criminal case, for the purpose of ment under the indefinite section 19, Regulaconverting himself the next day into a stamp tion IX. of 1807, denominating the crime in vender, statement reviser, or some such rep- the statements under the indefinite name fraud tile. In those alternate days what opportuni-( fureebkaree") besides the magistrate has ties are offered to the wily Bengallee to weave not time to connect all the perjuries that stronger and thicker his tissue of fraud, whereas had the case been continued the next day no encouragement to grosser acts would have been afforded by such like importunities, and the previously flinsey deceit would have been without further delay exposed and duly deal with. In every large district such as the 24-Pergunnahs, Hooghly, Nuddea, Moorshedabad, Burdwan, Midnapore. Jessure and Dacca, there is plenty of work for both a separate magistrate and joint magistrate all the week, month and year round. be expedited, the magistrate may be relieved It may be true that the collector requires of the irritating duty of wading through assistance, but it is only in office detail, and confusing masses of perjury to decide a case, his bo bery pack of Regulation IX. deputy and every assistant need not be told in taking collectors can surely afford him that; and his seat for the first time on a judicial bench thus a covenanted deputy seems superfluous. and asking advice from the principal, that In further proof of this, it is a notorious fact, he is to decide on the evidence, and recollect that where the offices of magistrate and col- that "every witness is perjured." lector are united, the collector's work was done by the principal, the Magistrate's work (4) Turpe, reos erupta miseros defenderæe by the subordinate, i. e., the joint magistrate, lingua" is far too sweeping a sentiment, but and a deputy collector existed but in name. the class of mooktears employed in criminal It will be asked if young men are not trained cases is well known to consist of those whom for collectors, where are those typifications of the landholders in a district do not consider bumbailiffs to be procured? The answer is sufficiently respectable to be intrusted with to be found in the old directories, from which the business they require transacted in the it would appear, that the juniors had the collector's office, and thus the scum of this choice of three separate lines, the jucicial, race are forced to employ their versatile tathe revenue, and the political. Let things lents in fabricating false charges or screening revert to that state. Further, it is impossible delinquents from criminal punishment. They to serve two masters, God and Mammon, and are aware that they are the despised of their it is almost so to serve a magistrate and a germs, and as nothing tends to blunt a man's collector. For instance, as a joint magis- moral feeling more than the losing the symtrate on Monday, you have to punish a party pathy of his fellow creatures, their morality of jovial bacchanals for remaining till "the is at a very low ebb, and no measure is too little hours" at a Restaurateur's, and in your vile, no lie too barefaced, no cruelty too deputy collector's office on Tuesday your heartrending which they will not attempt in most thriving and punctual abkar in the per- order to obtain their ends. The remunerason of the Restaurateur aforesaid, throws up tion for one particular case is not the incenhis shop assigning no reasons and merely leav- tive to such villany, but the deeper they dive ing you to send in a better man" in 15 days in the sink of iniquity, and the more successif you can. The experiment at least should fully their arts rescue themselves and their be made to allow a separate joint magistrate employers from the punishment due to both, to each of the magistracies of the large dis- the more sureely "Illi turba clientium set major," and the more certain is the future worldly prosperity of their career. It is known that (3) In our Courts Ovid's sentiment of a mooktear employed in a particularly re"non bene conducti venduut perjuriatestes" seems volting case of torture on the part of a landobsolete. Impunity to purjuries, appears to holder, having taken measures to delay the trial be an acknowledged privilege allowed in in the interim, manufactured a similarly

tricts.