his play with, not only indecent expressions, but such gross words, as I don’t think Our mob would suffer from a mountebank.  Besides, the two Sofias very fairly let down their breeches in the direct view of the boxes, which were full of people of the first rank, that seemed very well pleased with their entertainment, and assured me, this was a celebrated piece.  I shall conclude my letter with this remarkable relation, very well worthy the serious consideration of Mr Collier.  I won’t trouble you with farewel (sic) compliments, which I think generally as impertinent, as courtesies at leaving the room, when the visit had been too long already.

LET.  IX.

TO THE COUNTESS OF ——.

Vienna, Sept. 14.  O. S.

THOUGH I have so lately troubled you, my dear sister, with a long letter, yet I will keep my promise in giving you an account of my first going to court.  In order to that ceremony, I was squeezed up in a gown, and adorned with a gorget and the other implements thereunto belonging; a dress very inconvenient, but which certainly shows the neck and shape to great advantage.  I cannot forbear giving you some description of the fashions here, which are more monstrous, and contrary to all common sense and reason, than ’tis possible for you to imagine.  They build certain fabrics of gauze on their heads, about a yard high, consisting of three or four stories, fortified with numberless yards of heavy ribbon.  The foundation of this structure is a thing they call a Bourle, which is exactly of the same shape and kind, but about four times as big as those rolls our prudent milk-maids make use of to fix their pails upon.  This machine they cover With their own hair, which they mix with a great deal of false, it being a particular beauty to have their heads too large to go into a moderate tub.  Their hair is prodigiously powdered to conceal the mixture, and set out with three or four rows of bodkins (wonderfully large, that stick out two or three inches from their hair) made of diamonds, pearls, red, green, and yellow stones, that it certainly requires as much art and experience to carry the load upright, as to dance upon May-day with the garland.  Their whale-bone petticoats outdo ours by several yards, circumference, and cover some acres of ground.  You may easily suppose how this extraordinary dress sets off and improves the natural ugliness, with which God Almighty has been pleased to endow them, generally speaking.  Even the lovely empress herself is obliged to comply, in some degree, with these absurd fashions, which they would not quit for all the world.  I had a private audience (according to ceremony) of half an hour, and then all the other ladies were permitted to come and make their court.  I was perfectly charmed with the empress; I cannot however tell you that her features are regular; her eyes are not large, but have a lively look full of sweetness;