queen, and courtiers once more embarking, would sail slowly back,
whilst the moon rose betimes in the heavens, and the barges
streaked the waters with silver lines.

At other times magnificent entertainments filled the nights with
light and revelry. Pepys tells us of a great ball he witnessed
in the last month of the year 1662 at the palace of Whitehall.
He was carried thither by Mr. Povy, a member of the Tangier
Commission, and taken at first to the Duke of York's chambers,
where his royal highness and the duchess were at supper; and from
thence "into a room where the ball was to be, crammed with fine
ladies, the greatest of the court. By-and-by comes the king and
queene, the duke and duchess, and all the great ones; and, after
seating themselves, the king takes out the Duchess of York; and
the duke the Duchess of Buckingham; the Duke of Monmouth my Lady
Castlemaine; and so other lords other ladies; and they danced the
bransle. After that, the king led a lady a single coranto; and
then the rest of the lords, one after another, other ladies:
very noble it was, and great pleasure to see. Then to country
dances: the king leading the first. Of the ladies that danced,
the Duke of Monmouth's lady, and my Lady Castlemaine, and a
daughter of Sir Harry de Vicke's were the best. The manner was,
when the king dances, all the ladies in the room, and his queene
herself, stand up: and indeed he dances rarely, and much better
than the Duke of York."

PETIT SOUPERS were another form of entertainments, greatly
enjoyed by Charles, and accordingly much in vogue with his
courtiers. The Chevalier de Grammont had principally helped to
make them fashionable, his suppers being served With the greatest