Persons in emblematical dresses, representing Apollo and the Seasons, addressed the Empress in speeches suited to their characters.

The Empress herself, at the time I saw her Majesty, wore a Grecian habit; though I was afterwards told that she varied her dress two or three times during the masquerade.

Prince Henri of Prussia wore a white domino.

Several persons appeared in the dresses of different nations,--Chinese, Turks, Persians and Armenians.

The most humorous and fantastical figure was a Frenchman, who, with wonderful nimbleness and dexterity, represented an overgrown but very beautiful Parrot.