Thursday September 1st. 1785.
Went and sat with Mr. de Chaumont a couple of hours, and afterwards accompanied him, and Mr. Toscan &c to Concert hall; to see Mr. Turner’s1 scholars dance. Once every fortnight, there is such a forenoon ball, from 1. o’clock to three. There were a number of minuets and country dances performed pretty well: and all the beauties of Boston seem’d to be assembled there in one bright constellation. At about 2 ½, we retired, and waited upon Mr. Cushing the L. Govr. to dinner. There was not a large Company: perhaps a dozen or 14 persons. After dinner we went to pay a visit to Mr. Swan but we met him in the Street going for his Lady. We accompanied him, and sat an hour at Mr. Deneufville’s. I do not admire to see this man’s wife go into the best Company in this City: I think the people here, should have a Sense of their own Dignity; and not suffer their hospitality to overcome their delicacy.2 In Holland no Gentleman or Lady would have kept Company with this woman: and I think it would be better if it was so here.
1. William Turner, the owner of Boston’s Concert Hall, started dancing classes there in 1773 (David McKay, “William Selby, Musical Emigré in Colonial Boston,” The Musical Quarterly, 57:612–613 [Oct. 1971]).
2. De Neufville’s second wife, Anna Margaretha Langmak, was pregnant and gave birth to a daughter on 7 Sept. ( , 8:1213–1214).