The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 289: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

256 THE COURT OF LONDON prince regent, who appeared alone upon the stage. He was of course greeted with loud applause, which he acknowledged with that gracefulness of salutation which formed one of the qualities that had obtained for him the distinction of ‘‘ the first gentleman of Europe.’ The stage represented the interior of an Astrologer’s house, and from a soliloquy which the prince delivered it appeared that this Astrologer not only read the stars but also human hearts, and was consulted as much in love matters as upon any other subject. It further appeared that the prince, who represented the character of King of the City of Pleasures, had come thither for the purpose of ascertaining from the lips of the Astrologer which of the twelve mistresses whom he possessed kad proved faithless to him, inasmuch as he had intercepted an anonymous letter crammed full of love protestations, but being without the envelope that had originally accompanied it he was at a loss to ascertain to which particular fair one it was addressed. Having thus made known, in the form of a soliloquy, the object of his visit to the Astrologer, the King of the City of Pleasures awaited the learned man’s presence. Nor did he wait long, for in a few minutes Lord Curzon, clothed in the robes and wearing the cap of a sage, made his appearance, and having heard the King’s tale, he proceeded to consult a huge book of magic, charms, and other cabalistic devices. Inspired with the suggestions of the great book, the learned Astrologer proceeded to inform the King that if he laid down to sleep on a certain magic couch, the Sea-nymphs would come to talk to him in his dreams and answer all the questions that he might put to them. The King of course rewarded the Astrologer handsomely, and away he went. But scarcely had he disappeared from the stage, when Lady Curzon, enveloped in a cloak, repre- senting Adeliza, one of the King’s twelve mistresses, also came to consult the Astrologer. Her dilemma consisted in the loss of a note which she prized very highly and which she was fearful might fall into hands where the writing would be recognized. The Astrologer, laughing in his sleeve at the coincidence which greatly amused him, directed Adeliza to go and induce all her fellow mistresses to dress up as Sea-nymphs, and watch for an opportunity when the King should be sleeping, to gather around him and play “their practical jokes upon his Majesty; for the Astrologer CoOnnicloookKs (E(0)