Of course they were made a great fuss of. The use of the ducal _manège_ was immediately tendered for the occupation of the balloon, and military sentries, more as a guard of honour than for defence, were posted at the gates and avenues leading to the place of its reception. Balls, dinner parties, and other festivities were given in its honour, and, last of all, it was named, with great _éclat_. The balloon was inflated as much as space would allow, and Mr. Green and eight young ladies entered within it. A daughter of the Baron de Bibra then named it the "Great Balloon of Nassau," a large quantity of wine was drank, and the company regaled themselves with the remains of the plentiful supply of food taken in the balloon from England. It was afterwards exhibited in Paris. [Illustration: Hair dressing.] The illustrations of ladies' dress include two walking dresses as well as an indoors and evening dress. It will be noted that the very graceful scarf was introduced in this year. (_See preceding page._) CHAPTER XXII. 1837. Epidemic of influenza--A scene in some Metropolitan graveyards--Lord de Ros and his cheating at cards--Invention of sewing machine--Coming of age of Princess Victoria--Illuminations, etc.--The Spitalfield's silk weavers' ball--Illness of the King--His death and burial. This year opens dismally with influenza in a most virulent form. To give some idea of its ravages, let me quote the _Standard_ of January 12th-- "The epidemic now raging has been seriously injurious both to public and private business. On Saturday ninety clerks were absent from the Bank of England, but on Tuesday the absentees amounted to a hundred and thirty. At the Post Office, Custom House, and Excise Office, as well as the Government Offices at Somerset House and Whitehall, and at all the theatres, similar inconvenience is daily felt, from the illness of the clerks and others employed. Nor is the evil resulting to business from the effects of this epidemy confined to public establishments. Upwards of sixty men have been absent from the brewery of Messrs. Barclay and Perkins within the last few days; the same number from Maudslay's the engineers, in the Westminster Bridge Road; seventeen from the warehouse and shop of Ellis on Ludgate Hill; twenty from Hitchcock and Rogers'; and as great a number from Shoolbred's. Indeed, so much has the influenza prevailed in some quarters, that whole families have been laid up, their business entirely suspended, and their shops closed; such is the case with a shop in the Minories, and also with a public house in the neighbourhood of Grafton Street, Gower Street."