oor above
the fastening; the head inclined towards the door, body perfectly
upright, eyes looking straight forward with intensity, countenance
expressing firmness. The assassins, to the number of six, stand around
the outside of the door; each is costumed in a black coat trimmed
around the edge and collar with green, and ornamented with large gilt
buttons; colored vests, cut very long and trimmed with black binding,
knee breeches of light color, black hose, and a band of bright-colored
cloth around the top, low shoes, shoe and knee buckles, black felt hat
turned up at one side and ornamented with a colored plume and gilt
band, belt around the waist, side arms and pistols; the face covered
with a shaggy beard. Each one grasps a sword, and is in the act of
running towards the door, the left hand extended, the right with the
sword raised on high, eyes directed to the door, countenance
expressing excitement. The light should come from both sides of the
stage, the room in which the heroine stands being the lightest. Music
wild and animating.

THE MASQUERADE BALL.

'Tis known--at least it should be--that throughout
All countries of the Catholic persuasion,
Some weeks before Shrove Tuesday comes about,
The people take their fill of recreation,
And by repentance, ere they grow devout,
However high their rank or low their station,
With fiddling, feasting, dancing, drinking, masking,
And other things which may be had for asking.

BEPPO.

Ten Female and Twelve Male Figures.

The masked balls, which supersede any other feature of the carnival in
attraction, were introduced under the reign of the Duc d'Orleans. A
great inconvenience was experienced in the want of an apartment
sufficiently spacious to receive the hundreds which thronged to them.
At length the Chevalier de Bouillon conceived a plan of converting the
opera house into a ball room, and a friar named Sebastian invented the
means of elevating the floor of the pit to a level with the stage,
lowering it at pleasure. The project succeeded, and the first masked
ball at Paris was held on the 2d of January, 1716. They are now given
both before and during the carnival, at nearly all the theatres in
Paris, as well as at most of the large ball rooms. The leading
masquerade ball of the carnival, which reunites the best society and
the most gorgeous costumes, is decidedly that which takes place at the
Academy of Music or F