II. That ladies coming to the ball appoint a time for their footmen coming to wait on them home,-to prevent difturbance and inconvenience to themselves and others.

III That gentlemen of fashion, never appearing in a morning before the ladies in gowns and caps, fhew breeding and respect.

IV. That no perfon take it ill that any one goes to another's play or breakfast, and not to their's,-except captious by nature.

V. That no gentleman give his ticket for the ball to any but gentlewomen.-N. B. Unless he has none of his acquaintance

VI. That gentlemen, crowding before ladies at the ball, fhew ill manners; and that none do fo for the future,-except fuch as refpect nobody but themselves.

VII. That no gentleman or lady take it ill that another dances before them;-except fuch as have no pretence to dance at all.

VIII. That the elder ladies and children be content with a fecond bench at the ball, as being paft, or not come to perfection.

IX. That the younger ladies take notice how many eyes obferve them.-N. B. This does not extend to the Haveat-alls.

X. That all whisperers of lies and scandal be taken for their authors.

Xi. That all repeaters of such lies and scandal be fhunn'd by all company,-except fuch as have been guilty of the fame crime.

N. B.

Several men of no character, old women, and young ones, of queftioned reputation, are great authors of lies in this place, being of the feet of levellers.

There are two fets of Affembly-Rooms in this city, viz. the Lower-Rooms, kept by Meffrs. Heaven, on the Walks leading from the Grove to the Parades; and the NewRooms, eaft of the Circus, kept by Meff. Derham & Stroud.

Meffrs. Heavens' Ball-room was built in the year 1750, is 90 feet in length, 36 in breadth, and 34 in height; with a very fine ftucco cieling. The view of the river, valley,

and

and adjacent hills, makes it one of the pleasanteft Morning Rooms in the kingdom. There is in this room a portrait of the late Richard Nash, efq; and it is elegantly furnished with chandeliers, girandoles, &c. &c.

The Card-Room is 60 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a coved cieling, and has in it another portrait of Mr. Nafk. There are alfo two Tea-Rooms, 40 feet by 24 each.

The New Affembly-Rooms at the east end of the Circus are fpacious and elegant. The ground on which they stand, including the court for chairs and the approach for coaches, is more than an acre and a half. They were built and fornished by a fubfcription of 70 perfons, and cost upwards of 20,000l. The first stone was laid on the 24th of May, 1769; by the late John Wood, efq; architect, (under whofe direction the whole was completed) and opened for the reception of company in October 1771.-The Ball-Room is 105 feet 8 inches long, 42 feet 8 inches wide, and 42 feet fix inches high. The two Card-Rooms are, one an octagon of 48 feet diameter, the other feet long and 27 feet wide. In the octagon card-room is a fine portrait of Captain Wade, late Matter of the Ceremonies, painted by Mr. Gainsborough. The Tea-room is 60 feet long and 42 wide. Leading from this room through an anti-chamber, are the Ladies' drawing-room and water-clofets; the Gentlemen's being in another part of the building. The other part of this edifice is appropriated for the dwelling of the Master of the Rooms, befides a coffee-room, two billiard-rooms, and a commodious cold bath, with convenient dreffing-rooms.

༡༠

The octagon Card and Tea-rooms are of the fame height as the Ball-room, and every room is fuperbly furnished with elegant chandeliers, girandoles, &c. &c.

The amufements and terms of admiffion at each room, are as follow:-The fubfcription to Meflrs. Heavens, and the New Rooms, (Mr. Derham's) is ros. to the gentlemen, and 5s. to the ladies; for which they are always open for the company to walk and play at cards, except Sundays, and then alternately, when cards are not allowed. There are two Dress-balls every week, viz. on Monday at Mr. Derham's, and on Friday at Meflrs. Heavens'. The fubfcription to the Drefs-balls is one guinea to each room for the feafor, or as long as the fubfcription-money lafts; for which each fubfcriber has three tickets.-There are alfo

two

two Cotillon balls every week, viz. at the Lower Rooms on Tuesday, and at the New Rooms on Thursday; and a Concert every Wednesday; the fubfcription to which is one guinea, and the tickets transferable; to non-fubfcribers 5s. a ticket. The fubfcription to the Cotillon balls is half a guinea to each room, for which every subscriber has one ticket, which is not transferable; but a non-fubfcriber may be admitted to the Cotillon ball on paying 5s.

At the refignation of Mr. Wade, there were many candidates to fucceed him as Mafter of the Ceremonies; and at a meeting of the fubfcribers to the drefs-balls, they thought it most advisable, as the city of Bath was now fo large, and the company fo numerous that refort to it, to elect a Mafter of the Ceremonies for each room; imagining it could not be in one perfon's power to attend both, and give that general fatisfaction which might be wifhed for; they therefore agreed to elect Mr. Dawson for the New-Rooms, and Mr. Tyfon for the Lower Rooms. And on the resignation of Mr. Dawfon in October 1785, Mr. Tyfon was unanimously elected for the New-Rooms, and Mr. King was also elected for the Lower-Rooms, with little or no oppofition.

The following rules are published by each Master of the Ceremonies, and hung up in their respective rooms:

LOWER ASSEMBLY-ROOMS, BATH, Oct. 1780.
RULES and REGULATIONS.

"THE Master of the Ceremonies refpectfully submits the following regulations to the Company for their affent.

Ift. That a certain row of feats be fet apart at the upper end of the room, for Peereffes, and Ladies of the first diftinction in precedence, or foreigners of fashion.

2dly. That thofe Ladies who dance minuets be permitted to fit in the front of the fide rows, for the convenience of being taken out and returning to their places, without giving unneceffary trouble to those Ladies who do not dance.

3dly. That the Ladies who dance minuets be in full dress, with Lappets; Gentlemen also in full drefs; thofe of the army or navy are confidered as very properly dreffed when they appear in uniform, with their hair en queue.

4thly. That the Subscription Balls begin as soon as poffible after fix o'clock.

5thly. That

5thly. That after a Lady has called her dance, it being finished, her place in the next dance is at the bottom.

N. B. It is deemed a point of good breeding for Ladies that have gone down the dance, to continue in their place till the reft bave done the fame.

6thly. That each Lady and Gentleman on public nights pay fixpence on entering the room, which will entitle them to tea.

7thly. That from the firft of May, until the Balls begin for the autumn feason, the Ladies may, if they please, wear their hats in the public rooms in the evening, except on Ball or Concert nights.The Gentlemen are not to wear boots in the public Rooms in an evening, nor fpurs in the Pump-Room in the morning.

8thly. That no Hazard, or unlawful games, will be allowed in thefe Rooms on any account whatever, and no cards on Sundays. 9thly. That the Balls end precisely at eleven.

Laftly. As Bath is now become a central point of meeting for perfons of all nations, the Mafter of the Ceremonies intreats the favour of fuch Ladies and Gentlemen to whom he has not the honour to be perfonally known, to offer him fome favourable occafion of being presented to them, in order to give him all opportunities of fhewing that general attention which is equally his inclination and duty to obferve.

JAMES KING,

Mafter of the Ceremonies, Lower-Rooms,

NEW ASSEMBLY-ROOMS, BATH, 1777.

IT being abfolutely neceffary that the utmost decorum, and a propriety in dress, should be observed at fo polite an Affembly as that of BATH, it is humbly requested of the Company to comply with the following Regulations :

ift. That thofe Ladies who do not intend to dance minuets do not place themselves on the front feats at the Balls: the feats at the top of the room will be referved for Ladies of precedence of the rank of a Peerefs of Great-Britain or Ireland, (inftead of calling for benches, as formerly) it having been found very inconvenient to have feats called for, and placed before the Company, afttr the Ball has been begun.

2dly. That Ladies who intend to dance minuets be dreffed in a fuit of cloaths, a full-trimmed facque, or full-trimmed Italian nightgown and petticoat, with lappets and dreffed hoops.

N. B. Hoops of the smallest fixe, commonly called Pocket-Hoops, are by no means proper to be worn with lappets: it is therefore expected that every Lady who chooses to dance a minuet will wear

a hoop

a boop fuitable to the fashion, and proper for the occafion. It is aifo expected, that no Lady will appear in an apron of any kind at the Monday's Ball.

3dly. That as a reasonable time will be allowed between the minuets and country-dances, for Ladies of precedence to take their places; all Ladies, whether of precedence or not, who stand up to dance country-dances after they have been begun, must take their places at the bottom.

4thly. That Gentlemen who dance minuets do wear a full-trimmed fuit of cloaths, or French frock, hair or wig dreffed with a bag. All other dreffes of fancy, with a cape or lappel, are not fufficient to attend on Ladies, who are obliged by the rules of the Affembly to appear in full drefs.

5thly. That officers in the navy and army, in their uniforms, will be pleased to wear their hair or wigs en queue.

6thly. That the Subfcription Balls will begin as foon as poffible after fix o'clock, and finish precisely at eleven, even in the middle of

a dance.

7thly. That after a Lady has called her dance, it being finished, her place in the next dance is at the bottom.

8thly. That as the major part of the company have expressed a defire, that the Tea on public nights may be paid for by every perfon respectively coming into the rooms, each Lady and Gentleman are to pay fix-pence on their admiffion at the outer-door, which will entitle them to Tea.

9thly. That from and after the first of May, until the Balls begin for the autumn feason, the Ladies are permitted to wear hats in the public Rooms in the evening, except on Ball or Concert nights. The Gentlemen are defired not to wear boots in the public Rooms in an evening, nor fpurs in the Pump-Room in the morning.

1othly. That no Hazard, or unlawful games, will be allowed in thefe Rooms on any account whatever, and no cards on Sundays.

Laftly. That as the late great extenfion of the city of Bath puts it out of the power of the Mafter of the Ceremonies to be regularly informed of the feveral perfons who arrive here, he hopes they will be fo indulgent to him as not to charge him with want of attention : And as it is his with that all improper company fhould be kept from thefe Rooms, he thus publickly requests, that all strangers, as well Ladies as Gentlemen, will defire fome perfon of known reputation to introduce them to him, before they hold themselves intitled to that refpect, which he is ambitious, and ever will be ftudious, to fhew to every individual reforting to this place.

RICHARD TYSON,

Master of the Ceremonies, New-Rooms.