George Ticknor, Life, letters and journals of George Ticknor
George Hillard, Ed.

[459] the principal officer in the King's household,—who receives once a week. There were about sixty or eighty persons present, including the whole diplomatic corps and those who are attached to the Court. The rooms were very good and comfortable, up two pair of stairs, according to a fashion I find very common in Dresden; the entertainment, tea, ices, fruit, etc., with three or four card-tables, and everything as easy as possible. But it is the lightest form of society. French was the only language spoken, and no two people seemed to talk together above five minutes. It began, I believe, about half past 8 o'clock, and by. half past 10 it was all over. This, however, is the custom here, where all the hours are early, both in families and society. I was presented to most of the foreign ministers and leading persons present; and, though it was neither a very interesting nor a very amusing evening, I dare say I shall go there occasionally to see what it is. The old General Watzdorff himself-between seventy and eighty—seemed a very good, kind person. He was Saxon Minister in St. Petersburg in 1810-12, and knew Mr. Adams very well, to whose son Charles he was godfather.

December 6.—We dined one day at half past 1 o'clock at Count Bose's,¹ that being half an hour later than the King's dinner-hour. Everything was in the German style; five or six courses, but not long continued. The gentlemen rose with the ladies. We had Lohrmann, the astronomer, Carus, the King's physician,—a very pleasant man, whom I knew before,—and a Swiss baron. The conversation was chiefly in French. We reached home about half past 4. The truth is, the Germans, and especially the Saxons, know nothing about giving dinners, and give them rarely. Their amusements and intercourse all come in the evening.

Another day we dined with Mr. Forbes very pleasantly; the dinner between five and six o'clock, quite in French style, but nobody at table except his secretary, Mr. Barnard, and Lady Rancliffe.

Two evenings we went to the theatre; once to an opera, Bellini's ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ which was very well performed, especially the part of Romeo, by Mad. Heinefetter;. . . . and once to see Schiller's