Salmagundi; or, The whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, esq. [pseud.] and others. By William Irving, James Kirke Paulding and Washington Irving. Printed from the original ed., with a preface and notes by Evert A. Duyckinck.

374 SALMAGUNDI.
tees, who, though their gesticulations would intimate a wild
merriment of the feelings, maintained throughout as inflexible a
gravity of countenance as so many monkeys of the island of
Borneo at their anticks.
" And pray," said I, " who is the divinity that presides in this
splendid mosque?"-" The divinity!-oh, I understand-you
mean the belle of the evening; we have a new one every season;
the one at present in fashion, is that lady you see yonder,
dressed in white, with pink ribbons, and a crowd of adorers
around her." " Truly," cried I, " this is the pleasantest deity I
have encountered in the whole course of my travels-so familiar,
so condescending, and so merry withal; why, her very worshippers take her by the hand, and whisper in her ear."-" My
good Mussulman," replied my friend, with great gravity, "I
perceive you are completely in an error concerning the intent of
this ceremony. You are now in a place of public amusement,
not of public worship; and the pretty looking young men you
see making such violent and grotesque distortions, are merely
indulging in our favorite amusement of dancing." " I cry your
mercy," exclaimed I, " these then are the dancing men and
women of the town, such as we have in our principal cities, who
hire themselves out for the entertainment of the wealthy; but,
pray, who pays them for this fatiguing exhibition?" My
friend regarded me for a moment with an air of whimsical perplexity, as if doubtful whether I was in jest or earnest.
"Sblood, man," cried he, "these are some of our greatest people, our fashionables, who are merely dancing here for amusement." Dancing for amusement! think of that, Muley I-thou,
whose greatest pleasure is to chew opium, smoke tobacco, loll
on a couch, and doze thyself into the regions of the Houris I
-Dancing for amusement! —shall I never cease having occa