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70 TRAVELS
The great formality and reftraint that prevails throughout all
the polite circles of Sweden, and which are not banifhed even
by the fuperabundant luxury of a northern feaft, and the jus-
tice which all are inclined to do to it, may without doubt be
traced to the court of Stockholm, the moft formal I. believe in
Europe; nay, I had nearly faid the world: but there is un-
doubtedly {till more of rigid etiquette at the court of Pekin.
The reafon why the court of Stockholm has happened, fhall I
fay, to imttench itfelf in fo many forms and ceremonies above
all other courts, I have not time to enquire; though the refearch
might be curious, and perhaps capable of being illuftrated in a
fatisfactory manner, from the hiftory of the Swedith government.
Thus much we can fay, that Guftavus III, who had a very €X-
alted notion of royal dignity and pre-eminence, added greatly to
the ftriétnefs of etiquette, though it had already attained toa very
confiderable height. As I have given an account of the dinner-
parties in private life, I fhall attempt to fhew the manners of the
court, and {peak of the entertainments of the royal table, which wili
furnifh the reader with tolerably adequate ideas of the forms that
may ‘be obferved on other fimilar occafiens. A drawing-room
terminates commonly in a public fupper for the royal family, who
fit alone at table, all the nobility and officers of the kingdom
ftanding round ias mere fpectators. The ladies of the femators,
and others of equal rank, have the privilege of being feated on
tabourets, placed im femicircles at a diftance from the table, in
frant of the king and queen. The houfhold officers of the diffe-
rent
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