Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

It was very well that there was a strong Party of the Guards brought to keep the Door, for without that, there had been such a promiscuous Crowd, [206] a promiscuous Crowd : a crowd in which the social classes are indiscriminately mixed. and some of them scandalous too, that we shou’d have been all Disorder and Confusion; but the three Head-Servants manag’d all that, and had a Word to admit all the Company by.

It was uncertain to me, and is to this Day, who it was that danc’d with me the Wednesday before, when the Ball was my own; but that the K — was at this Assembly, was out of Question with me, by Circumstances that I suppose I cou’d not be deceiv’d in; and particularly, that there were five Persons who were not Mask’d, three of them had blue Garters, [207] blue Garters : insignia of the Knights of the Garter, the highest order of English knighthood. and they appear’d not to me till I came out to dance.

This Meeting was manag’d just as the first, tho’ with much more Magnificence, because of the Company; I plac’d myself (exceedingly rich in Cloaths and Jewels) in the middle of my little Room, as before, and made my Compliment to all the Company, as they pass’d me, as I did before; but my Lord —, who had spoken openly to me that first Night, came to me, and unmasking, told me the Company had order’d him to tell me, they hop’d they shou’d see me in the Dress I had appear’d in the first Day, which had been so acceptable, that it had been the Occasion of this new Meeting; and Madam, says he , there are some in this Assembly, who it is worth your while to oblige.

I bow’d to my Lord —, and immediately withdrew: While I was above, a-dressing in my new Habit, two Ladies, perfectly unknown to me, were convey’d into my Apartment below, by the Order of a Noble Person, who, with his Family, had been in Persia ; and here indeed, I thought I shou’d have been out-done, or perhaps, baulk’d.

One of these Ladies was dress’d most exquisitely fine indeed, in the Habit of a Virgin Lady of Quality of Georgia , and the other in the same Habit of Armenia , with each of them a Woman-Slave to attend them.

The Ladies had their Petticoats short, to their Ancles, but pleated all round, and before them short Aprons, but of the finest Point [208] Point : needlepoint lace. that cou’d be seen; their Gowns were made with long Antick [209] Antick : fantastic, odd. Sleeves hanging down behind, and a Train let down; they had no Jewels; but their Heads and Breasts were dress’d up with Flowers, and they both came in veil’d.

Their Slaves were bare-headed ; but their long black Hair was breeded in Locks hanging down behind, to their Wastes, and tied up with Ribbands; they were dress’d exceeding rich, and were as beautiful as their Mistresses; for none of them had any Masks on: They waited in my Room till I came down, and all paid their Respects to me after the Persian Manner, and sat down on a Safra , [210] Safra : the sofa as used in Eastern countries was as Roxana describes it. Sofa as a word used to describe a stuffed couch first made its appearance in the early eighteenth century. that is to say, almost cross-legg’d on a Couch made up of Cushions laid on the Ground.

This was admirably fine, and I was indeed, startled at it; they made their Compliment to me in French , and I reply’d in the same Language; when the Doors were open’d, they walk’d into the Dancing-Room, and danc’d such a Dance, as indeed, no-body there had ever seen, and to an Instrument like a Guittar, [211] an Instrument like a Guittar : the Armenian kamancha . with a small low-sounding Trumpet, [212] a small low-sounding Trumpet : the Armenian doudouk . which indeed, was very fine, and which my Lord — had provided.

They danc’d three times all-alone, for no-body indeed, cou’d dance with them: The Novelty pleas’d, truly, but yet there was something wild and Bizarre in it, because they really acted to the Life the barbarous Country whence they came; but as mine had the French Behaviour under the Mahometan Dress, it was every way as new, and pleas’d much better, indeed.

As soon as they had shewn their Georgian and Armenian Shapes, and danc’d, as I have said, three times, they withdrew, paid their Compliment to me, (for I was Queen of the Day) and went off to undress.

Some Gentlemen then danc’d with Ladies all in Masks, and when they stopp’d, no-body rose up to dance, but all call’d out Roxana, Roxana ; in the Interval, my Lord — had brought another mask’d Person into my Room, who I knew not, only that I cou’d discern it was not the same Person that led me out before: This noble Person (for I afterwards understood it was the Duke of —) after a short Compliment, led me out into the middle of the Room.

I was dress’d in the same Vest and Girdle as before; but the Robe had a Mantle over it, which is usual in the Turkish Habit, and it was of Crimson and Green; the Green brocaded with Gold; and my Tyhiaai, [213] Tyhiaai : cf. Tyhaia (pp. 292, 338). The word is not Turkish, but is probably an attempt to render the Arabic Tāqiyya , an imposing headgear worn by women in Syria and Egypt in the fourteenth century. The term was later applied to other types of head-dress. or Head-Dress , vary’d a little from that I had before, as it stood higher, and had some Jewels about the rising Part; which made it look like a Turban crown’d.

I had no Mask, neither did I Paint; and yet I had the Day of all the Ladies that appear’d at the Ball, I mean, of those that appear’d with Faces on; as for those Mask’d, nothing cou’d be said of them, no doubt there might be many finer than I was; it must be confess’d, that the Habit was infinitely advantageous to me, and every-body look’d at me with a kind of Pleasure, which gave me great Advantage too.

After I had danc’d with that noble Person, I did not offer to dance by myself, as I had before; but they all call’d out Roxana again; and two of the Gentlemen came into the Drawing-Room, to intreat me to give them the Turkish Dance, which I yielded to, readily; so I came out and danc’d, just as at first.

While I was dancing, I perceiv’d five Persons standing all together, and among them, one only with his Hat on; [214] with his Hat on : i.e., the King. it was an immediate Hint to me who it was, and had at first, almost put me into some Disorder; but I went on, receiv’d the Applause of the House, as before, and retir’d into my own Room; when I was there, the five Gentlemen came cross the Room to my Side, and coming in, follow’d by a Throng of Great Persons, the Person with his Hat on, said Madam Roxana you perform to Admiration ; I was prepar’d, and offer’d to kneel to kiss his Hand, but he declin’d it, and saluted me, and so passing back again thro’ the Great Room, went away.

I do not say here, who this was, but I say, I came afterwards to know something more plainly; I wou’d have withdrawn, and disrob’d, being somewhat too thin in that Dress, unlac’d, and open-breasted, as if I had been in my Shift; but it cou’d not be, and I was oblig’d to dance afterwards with six or eight Gentlemen, most, if not all of them, of the First Rank; and I was told afterwards, that one of them was the D — of M— th . [215] the D — of M — th : the Duke of Monmouth (1649–85), Charles II’s illegitimate son by Lucy Walter, created Duke of Monmouth in 1663.

About two or three a-Clock in the Morning, the Company began to decrease, the Number of Women especially, dropp’d away Home, some and some at a time; and the Gentlemen retir’d down Stairs, where they unmask’d, and went to Play.