Of all the persons whom I saw, I was the most pleased with Madame Moszynska, the widow of the grand-treasurer of the crown.  She received me most affectionately, and I feel a strong attraction toward her.  She expressed much admiration for me; but indeed, I received commendation everywhere, and everywhere did I hear that I was beautiful.  Perhaps I owe a great part of these praises to my costume; I was so well dressed! ... much better than at Barbara’s wedding!  I wore a white silk dress with gauze flounces, and my hair was dressed with pearls.

If I had seen the Duke of Courland, I should have been perfectly satisfied; but I met him in none of the houses to which I went.  They say he is so happy to be once more with his family that he devotes all his time to them.  This feeling seems very natural to me, for when I was at boarding school, I was very melancholy whenever I thought of my parents, and I felt an imperative desire to see them, surpassing anything I had before experienced.

The carnival will soon begin; every one says it will be very brilliant, and that there will be many balls; it is impossible that I should not somewhere meet the Duke of Courland.

Wednesday, January 1st, 1750.

All my desires have been gratified, and far beyond my hopes; I have seen the prince royal!  I have seen and spoken to him! ...  I must indeed be dreaming; my mind is filled with the most lively impressions, strange and wild fancies surge through my brain, and I feel at once exalted and depressed, transported with joy and tremulous through fear.  I would not dare to confide to any one that which I am about to write; it is all perhaps only illusion, deception, error....  But yet, I have always hitherto judged correctly of the effect which I produced; I instinctively divined the degree in which I pleased; I have never been deceived; can I be mistaken now? ...  And indeed, why should not a prince find me beautiful, when all other men tell me that I am so?  But there was more than admiration in the prince royal’s eyes, which have a peculiarly penetrating expression; his look was more kind than ordinary glances, and said more than any words.  Perhaps all princes may be thus!

But that I may remember during my whole life, or rather that I may one day read all this again, I will now write down a detailed account of last evening and of the few hours immediately preceding.

Yesterday morning the Princess Lubomirska sent for me and said, ’To-day is the last of the year, and there will be to-night a grand festival, a masked ball; all the nobility will be there, and even the king and his sons; at least, I think so.  I have selected a dress for you; you will go as a virgin of the sun.’

I was so charmed with the choice of this costume, that I kissed the hand of the princess.

After dinner all the maids came to assist at my toilet, and most assuredly it was no ordinary toilet.  My hair was not powdered and I wore no hoop, whence the prince said to me, quite gravely, ’This costume is not at all in accordance with received notions and fashions; any other woman would certainly be lost were she to wear it; but I am sure you will supply by the severity of your deportment and the propriety of your manners whatever may be lacking in dignity, or too light, in your dress.’