astonished at the change that time has wrought, and those ho look
forward to the future, hope it will not always be so; but without a
joke, except the Opera and the house of Glyn, I have scarcely seen
anybody or been anywhere. We have three dinner engagements this week,
besides one at home, but not one Assembly. You must know that we
contrive to go out almost every night, but that it is only one degree
better, or if you please, two degrees worse, than dozing at home;
then, you know, as the existence of an Assembly is the not having room
to stir, when you have plenty of elbow room from the thinness of the
company it must be bad; besides another thing, when you have no time
for conversation, you fancy everybody is agreeable, and in fashionable
life, trust me, imagination is always preferable to reality!

Not a ball have I heard of excepting one the other night at Mr
Johnstone's, Hanover Square. Now you know, balls without dancing are
such very enchanting things! Without the Opera it requires a stretch
of imagination to know how we should have existed. Our neighbour, Mrs
Fitzherbert, in the next box to our own, affords us plenty of
amusement. I shall almost become an adept at finding out Royalty by
their conversation, from frequently overhearing what passes between
the Lady, and not only one but several of their R.H.'s. I will give
you an infallible guide to a Royal conversation. Stupidity for its
basis, an ignorance of intellectual merit for one prop, and a contempt
of moral excellence for the other; witticisms, _double entendres_,
mimickry, and every species of oaths that any English gentleman ever
made use of for the _fond_; as a whole you may call it double refined
folly and vulgarity. This is only doing justice to the conversations I
have overheard; far be it from me to wish to diminish the meridian
lustre with which these noble gentlemen shine. Let me rather forgive
_them_ for understanding who have no conduct and those for conduct who