A FANCY BALL AT VIENNA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 104, 3 May 1881, Page 4

A FANCY BALL AT VIENNA.

Tbe ViVann ootreprondent of the JSycWy Morning Herald writes: — The Oru?v*l is ss pay os ever, the fact of the Court beirjpr in troumiog having ad influence no the very hiyhefij circles only Wi»h op, in sll thincs where pomp nn^ pn enn»ry nra in question, ihe art intß are foremost, Kven at Court, n foncj? ball is not a' rouged without a first rnfe artist or two, to give their opinion on all points. Of course artists ore not paid for work of this Irind, but when tho fete is over, the Emperor, or one of his Archdukes, senJp him some prf cious jewel to repp-y tim for the time eppnt out of his slue i > The artiets' own fancy halls in the Kunstlerhaus ere well worth seeing. The one held lost week brought, together all the benutiful girls and handsome men of the whole town at once. Those fetfg always illustrate a certain epoch, as did the grand procession at the silver wedding. This time it wae Charlemagne, who has just returned from being crowced Emperor in the minster, and is receiving tbe foreign deputations, who have been stntby tbi i sovereigns to do him honour. Charlemagne wee a splendid man, nearly seven feet high, surrounded by all his fine daughters and their husbands, by his five wives nn<i their five rivals The firßt deputation consists of the Emperor's own subjects, who carry all that ihe country produces iv good things. Every kind of wine in splendid livers of silver and gold, topethei ■with meat, h'Bh, game, sausuges, sweet t\ iigs, all of imprsing size and ready to be devoured, are carried by men and women in the correct costume of the time They mirch by and depose their spledici loads in a tent prepares for the Empf-ror, where he will with draw to by-;iod-bye, when the gram! ceremony is over. Tho Court uexs appears, masked courtiers, fools, dwarfs with s«range instruments and hundreds. of tickling belle. They are followed by Charlemagne's prisoners from the last battle, a king with his family, ali in chains, with their heads bent low bj grief and shame. Charlemagne bae their chains taken away and invitee them to his table. A long line of barde with long beards Bnd tall harps are the next, and tbse behind them follow •wild tribes of Avpres, dressed in the bides of wild animals, acd armed wiih. shield and sword. Tbe most beautiful group of all was perhaps (hat of the Gertnanß, Saxons, Fracka. They have eagles' wings on their helmets, bearskins on their backs, snd arms copied minutely from real old armour. Oi course they are ell splendid fellows, with beards and hair, for the Germans like to believe that they descend from b race of giants, Tacitua^has described them so, and Tacitus they believe. Next follow men from Byzantine, who present Cbßrlemugne with a Bplendid organ, which is played whilst the following deputation — Pope Leo 111o — - marches by. A number of priests in beautiful garments, with incense burned before them, und while church bells are ringing, march slowly by, and the highest of them kneels down before the Emperor, gives him the Pope's blessing and the keys of Rome. The laßt deputation followp. Ifc ia Haroun al Raechid'e, and certainly the most gorgeous spectacle that can be seen. On an elephant rides ao Oiiental prince sur rounded by dancing girls wiih palms. Warriors follow, and n number of slaves carrying precioua jewels on velvei cushions, the Eueteru Kiog's presents to Charlemagne. The procession ie brought up by a charming young Eastern eirl on a camel, who is BgeiD sur rounded by dancing slaves burning incense, 1 and who throw quantities ol roseleavps over all those tbat approach ber. When the whole group had reached the throne, all tbe warriors and slaves threw themselves down in adoration before the great Western monarch. Seme of the mecnberß of ihe Court were present, and highly amused by this-rVvival 'of the medheval Bplendour. About a month later than the real fancy ball the artista of Vienna alwayß have another, which is still more nmusing, but which is difficult to describe. Everything at first sight looks Bplendid, hut when you. begin to examine things you find they are iiqf what they look. In fact no one with anything real about him is admitted. Hair, for instance, is imitated by wood shavings, light and dark.' The jewels of a king by a horse's harness, flowers by turnips, carrots, little, sausages, and suchl ike. There is nothing in the world co productive of genuine merriment as this kind of fete. But for the greater part clever people only take part in if, for a person without ideas will never be able to play a prominent figure where wit and humor alone are effective, end where money is of no avail. .We have seen a man in armor who at a hundred yards distant looked so splendid and bo " real "he did not seem to deserve admittance to the " G'schnaaball," but when we examined him we found be bad a whole kitchen upon him. Gridirons, moulds of all shapes, graters large and small, funnels at bis elbowp, and a number of things I cannot remember. You should have seen the light : reflected in his shield, which was an enormous saucepan lid.