g from Constantinople to Alexandria, in which
were some ladies bound for Grand Cairo in Egypt; and as the ladies were
made slaves, so their fine clothes were thus exposed; and with this
Turkish slave I bought the rich clothes too. The dress was
extraordinary fine indeed; I had bought it as a curiosity, having never
seen the like. The robe was a fine Persian or India damask, the ground
white, and the flowers blue and gold, and the train held five yards. The
dress under it was a vest of the same, embroidered with gold, and set
with some pearl in the work and some turquoise stones. To the vest was a
girdle five or six inches wide, after the Turkish mode; and on both ends
where it joined, or hooked, was set with diamonds for eight inches
either way, only they were not true diamonds, but nobody knew that but
myself.

The turban, or head-dress, had a pinnacle on the top, but not above five
inches, with a piece of loose sarcenet hanging from it; and on the
front, just over the forehead, was a good jewel which I had added to it.

This habit, as above, cost me about sixty pistoles in Italy, but cost
much more in the country from whence it came; and little did I think
when I bought it that I should put it to such a use as this, though I
had dressed myself in it many times by the help of my little Turk, and
afterwards between Amy and I, only to see how I looked in it. I had sent
her up before to get it ready, and when I came up I had nothing to do
but slip it on, and was down in my drawing-room in a little more than a
quarter of an hour. When I came there the room was full of company; but
I ordered the folding-doors to be shut for a minute or two till I had
received the compliments of the ladies that were in the room, and had
given them a full view of my dress.

But my Lord ----, who happened to be in the room, slipped out at another
door, and brought back with him one of the masks, a tall, well-shaped
person, but who had no name, being all masked; nor would it have been
allowed to ask any person's name on such an occasion. The person spoke
in French to me, that it was the finest dress he had ever seen, and
asked me if he should have the honour to dance with me. I bowed, as
giving my consent, but said, as I had been a Mahometan, I could not
dance after the manner of this country; I supposed their music would not
play _a la Moresque_. He answered merrily. I had a Christian's face, and
he'd venture it that I could dance like a Chr