Thank You - Here's another one for you DeeMac, or for anyone who haven't read it.

A ball at Basingstoke Assembly Rooms 1793.
Mrs. Austen, hearing all the details of the evening from her children, passed these on in an amusing letter in rhyme to Jane who wasn't home:

'I send you here a list of all / The company who graced the ball
Last Thursday night at Basingstoke; / There were but six and thirty folk,
Altho' the Evening was so fine. / First then, the couple from the Vine;
Next, Squire Hicks and his fair spouse - / They came from Mr. Bramston's house,
With Madam, and her maiden Sister; /(Had she been absent, who'd have miss'd her?)
And fair Miss Woodward, that sweet singer, / For Mrs. Bramston liked to bring her;
With Alethea too, and Harriet / They came in Mrs. Hicks' chariot;
Perhaps they did, I am not certain. / Then there were four good folk from Worting:
For with the Clerks there came two more / Some friends of theirs, their name was Hoare.
With Mr., Mrs., Miss Lefroy / Came Henry Rice, that pleasant boy;
And lest a title they should want, / There came Sir Colebrook and Sir Grant.
Miss Eyre of Sherfield and her Mother; / One Miss from Dummer and her brother,
The mother too as chaperon; / Mr. and Mrs. Williamson;
Charles Powlett and his pupils twain; / Small Parson Hasker, great Squire Lane;
And Bentworth's rector, with his hat, / Unwillingly he parts from that.
Two Misses Davies with two friends - / And thus my information ends.

P.S. It would have been a better dance / But for the following circumstance -
The Dorchesters, so high in station, / Dined out that day, by invitation,
At Heckfield Heath with squire Le Fevre; / Methinks it was not quite so clever
For one Subscriber to invite / Another, on the Assembly night;
But 'twas to meet a General Donne / His Lordship's old companion;
And as the General would not stay / They could not fix another day.'

This is from 'JA A Family Record', but I don't know where the original letter is.

Leif G-n