The ladies and gentlemen had been transformed, therefore, into gods
and goddesses, nymphs, and hamadryads, fauns, satyrs, and wood-
spirits. The horn of Diana resounded once more in the wood, through
which the enchanting huntress passed, accompanied by Endymion, who
was pursued by Actaeon. There was Apollo and the charming Daphne;
Echo and the vain Narcissus; and, on the bank of the lake, which
gleamed in the midst of the forest, the water-nymphs danced in a
fairy-circle with the tritons.
The prince had himself made all the arrangements for this fantastic
fete; he had selected the character, and appointed the place of
every one, and, that nothing should fail, he had ordered all to seek
their pleasures and adventures as they would--only, when the horn of
the goddess Diana should sound, all must appear on the shore of the
lake to partake of a most luxurious meal. The remainder of the day
was to be given to the voluntary pleasures which each one would seek
or make for himself, and in this the ladies and gentlemen showed
themselves more ingenious than usual. In every direction goddesses
were to be seen gliding through the bushes to escape the snares of
some god, or seeking some agreeable rendezvous.
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