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The Every-day Book and Table Book. v. 3 (of 3): Everlasting Calerdar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the AlmanacHone, William

History

The Every-day Book and Table Book. v. 3 (of 3): Everlasting Calerdar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac

Name: The Every-day Book and Table Book. v. 3 (of 3): Everlasting Calerdar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac
Author: Hone, William

Hone, William

Days; Great Britain -- Social life and customs

As a note of illustration on this dance at the Prussian nuptials of the
duke and duchess of York, reference may be had to a slight mention of
the same observance on the marriage of the prince royal of Prussia with
the princess of Bavaria, in the _Every-Day Book_, vol. i. p. 1551. Since
that article, I find more descriptive particulars of it in a letter from
baron Bielfeld, giving an account of the marriage of the prince of
Prussia with the princess of Brunswick Wolfenbuttle, at Berlin, in 1742.
The baron was present at the ceremonial.

“As soon as their majesties rose from table, the whole company returned
into the white hall; from whence the altar was removed, and the room was
illuminated with fresh wax lights. The musicians were placed on a stage
of solid silver. Six lieutenant generals, and six ministers of state,
stood, each with a white wax torch in his hand, ready to be lighted, in
conformity to a ceremony used in the German courts on these occasions,
which is called ‘_the dance of torches_,’ in allusion to the torch of
Hymen. This dance was opened by the new married prince and princess, who
made the tour of the hall, saluting the king and the company. Before
them went the ministers and the generals, two and two, with their
lighted torches. The princess then gave her hand to the king, and the
prince to the queen; the king gave his hand to the queen mother, and the
reigning queen to prince Henry; and in this manner all the princes and
princesses that were present, one after the other, and according to
their rank, led up the dance, making the tour of the hall, almost in the
step of the Polognese. The novelty of this performance, and the sublime
quality of the performers, made it in some degree agreeable. Otherwise
the extreme gravity of the dance itself, with the continual round and
formal pace of the dancers, the frequent going out of the torches, and
the clangour of the trumpets that rent the ear, all these I say made it
too much resemble the dance of the Sarmates, those ancient inhabitants
of the prodigious woods of this country.”

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