Street, to get in was impossible. We therefore turned about and tried
Dover Street, but there we were not permitted to go. At last, after
much whipping and much delay, we were admitted into the string in
Albemarle Street, and in process of time reached St James's safely and
proceeded as far as the Guard Room.--Further, we never arrived! All
the people who came out of the Drawingroom looked expiring, and begged
we would not attempt to go in, as they were almost dead, and many had
fainted. Very soon we found the Queen had taken herself off, not
having spoken to above one third of the Company. Notwithstanding that
we had only our labour for our trouble, we were there till half past
seven before we could get our carriage.

In the evening I expected Mr Mercer and Lady C. Wortley to sing, and
the Eyres. All came but Mr Mercer, the songster,--another
disappointment! They stayed with me till half past eleven, when we set
out for Mr T. Hope's rout, but after waiting in the street _till
near one_, we found to get in was impossible. Therefore very
reluctantly we turned about and came home. Did you ever hear of such
disappointments? However, we are all quite well, which probably would
not have been the case had we done all we intended.

The Wit at the Drawingroom was to call it the _levee en masse_.
London does not abound in wit. The only things of the sort I have
heard are what has been said about Mrs Fox's Ball. The first is given
to Fox himself who was asked what it was like, and referred the
inquirer to the 22nd Chapter of the First Book of Samuel at the second
verse, [37] where is to be found a very just description of it, tho'
probably you would not have thought to have looked at your Bible for
an account of Mrs Fox's Ball. The other was a _bon mot_ of your
friend, Lyttleton [38] who said, "There was all the world, but little