Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

But my Lord —, who happen’d to be in the Room, slipp’d out at another Door, and brought back with him one of the Masks, a tall well-shap’d Person, but who had no Name, being all Mask’d , nor would it have been allow’d to ask any Person’s Name on such an Occasion; the Person spoke in French to me, that it was the finest Dress he had ever seen; and ask’d me, if he shou’d have the Honour to dance with me? I bow’d, as giving my Consent, but said, As I had been a Mahometan , I cou’d not dance after the Manner of this Country; I suppos’d their Musick wou’d not play a la Moresque ; he answer’d merrily, I had a Christian’s Face, and he’d venture it, that I cou’d dance like a Christian; adding, that so much Beauty cou’d not be Mahometan : Immediately the Folding-Doors were flung open, and he led me into the Room: The Company were under the greatest Surprize imaginable; the very Musick stopp’d a-while to gaze; for the Dress was indeed, exceedingly surprizing, perfectly new, very agreeable, and wonderful rich.

The Gentleman, whoever he was , for I never knew, led me only a Courant, and then ask’d me, if I had a-mind to dance an Antick, [202] an Antick : a grotesque or fantastic dance. that is to say, whether I wou’d dance the Antick as they had danc’d in Masquerade, or anything by myself; I told him, any thing else rather, if he pleas’d; so we danc’d only two French Dances, and he led me to the Drawing-Room Door, when he retir’d to the rest of the Masks: When he left me at the Drawing-Room Door, I did not go in, as he thought I wou’d have done, but turn’d about, and show’d myself to the whole Room, and calling my Woman to me, gave her some Directions to the Musick, by which the Company presently understood that I would give them a Dance by myself: Immediately all the House rose up, and paid me a kind of a Compliment, by removing back every way to make me room, for the Place was exceeding full; the Musick did not at first hit the Tune that I directed, which was a French Tune, so I was fore’d to send my Woman to ’em again, standing all this while at my Drawing-Room Door; but as soon as my Woman spoke to them again, they play’d it right; and I, to let them see it was so, stepp’d forward to the middle of the Room; then they began it again, and I danc’d by myself a Figure which I learnt in France , when the Prince de — desir’d I wou’d dance for his Diversion; it was indeed, a very fine Figure, invented by a famous Master at Paris , for a Lady or a Gentleman to dance single; but being perfectly new, it pleas’d the Company exceedingly, and they all thought it had been Turkish ; nay, one Gentleman had the Folly to expose himself so much, as to say, and I think swore too , that he had seen it danc’d at Constantinople ; which was ridiculous enough.

At the finishing the Dance, the Company clapp’d, and almost shouted; and one of the Gentlemen cry’d out, Roxana ! Roxana ! [203] Roxana! Roxana! : by Defoe’s day ‘Roxana’ had become a generic name for an oriental queen, suggesting ambition, wickedness, and exoticism. She is known to history as a wife of Alexander the Great and, as Roxolana, as the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent. There are Roxanas in several seventeenth-century works, notably in the immensely popular Rival Queens (1677) by Nathaniel Lee, as well as in William Davenant’s Siege of Rhodes (1656), Roger Boyle’s Mustapha (1665), and Racine’s Bajazet (1672; adapted for the English stage by Charles Johnson in 1717 as The Sultaness) . See also note 333. by —, with an Oath; upon which foolish Accident I had the Name of Roxana presently fix’d upon me all over the Court End of Town, as effectually as if I had been Christen’d Roxana : I had, it seems, the Felicity of pleasing every-body that Night, to an Extreme; and my Ball, but especially my Dress, was the Chat of the Town for that Week, and so the Name Roxana was the Toast at, and about the Court; no other Health was to be nam’d with it.

Now things began to work as I wou’d have them, and I began to be very popular, as much as I cou’d desire: The Ball held till (as well as I was pleas’d with the Show) I was sick of the Night; the Gentlemen mask’d, went off about three a-Clock in the Morning; the other Gentlemen sat down to Play; the Musick held it out; and some of the Ladies were dancing at Six in the Morning.

But I was mighty eager to know who it was danc’d with me; some of the Lords went so far as to tell me, I was very much honour’d in my Company; one of them spoke so broad, as almost to say it was the KING, but I was convinc’d afterwards, it was not; and another reply’d, If he had been His Majesty, he shou’d have thought it no Dishonour to Lead-up a Roxana ; but to this Hour I never knew positively who it was; and by his Behaviour I thought he was too young, His Majesty being at that time in an Age that might be discover’d from a young Person, even in his Dancing.

Be that as it wou’d , I had 500 Guineas sent me the next Morning, and the Messenger was order’d to tell me, that the Persons who sent it, desir’d a Ball again at my Lodgings on the next Tuesday , but that they wou’d have my Leave to give the Entertainment themselves: I was mighty well pleas’d with this, (to be sure) but very inquisitive to know who the Money came from; but the Messenger was silent as Death, as to that Point; and bowing always at my Enquiries, begg’d me to ask no Questions which he cou’d not give an obliging Answer to.

I forgot to mention that the Gentlemen that play’d, gave a Hundred Guineas to the Box, [204] the Box : the kitty, or pool into which the players contribute a proportion of their winnings to be distributed for expenses, such as the tips to the servants. as they call’d it , and at the End of their Play, they ask’d my Gentlewoman of the Bed-Chamber, as they call’d her, (Mrs. Amy , forsooth) and gave it her; and gave twenty Guineas more among the Servants.

This magnificent Doings equally both pleas’d and supriz’d me, and I hardly knew where I was; but especially, that Notion of the KING being the Person that danc’d with me, puff’d me up to that Degree, that I not only did not know any-body else, but indeed, was very far from knowing myself.

I had now the next Tuesday to provide for the like Company; but alas! it was all taken out of my Hand; three Gentlemen, who yet were, it seems, but Servants, came on the Saturday , and bringing sufficient Testimonies that they were right, for one was the same who brought the five hundred Guineas; I say, three of them came, and brought Bottles of all sorts of Wines, and Hampers of Sweet-Meats to such a Quantity, it appear’d they design’d to hold the Trade on more than once, and that they wou’d furnish every-thing to a Profusion.

However, as I found a Deficiency in two things, I made Provision of about twelve Dozen of fine Damask Napkins, with Table-cloaths of the same, sufficient to cover all the Tables, with three Table-cloaths upon every Table, and Side-boards in Proportion; also I bought a handsome Quantity of Plate, necessary to have serv’d all the Side-boards, but the Gentlemen would not suffer any of it to be us’d; telling me, they had bought fine China Dishes and Plates for the whole Service; and that in such publick Places they cou’d not be answerable for the Plate; so it was set all up in a large Glass-Cupboard in the Room I sat in, where it made a very good Show indeed.

On Tuesday there came such an Appearance of Gentlemen and Ladies, that my Apartments were by no means able to receive them; and those who in particular appear’d as Principals, gave Order below, to let no more Company come up; the Street was full of Coaches with Coronets, and fine Glass-Chairs; [205] Glass-Chairs : sedan chairs fitted with glass windows. and in short, it was impossible to receive the Company; I kept my little Room, as before, and the Dancers fill’d the great Room; all the Drawing-Rooms also were fill’d, and three Rooms below-Stairs, which were not mine.