Masquerade

Masquerade, or MASKED BALL, a festive meeting in which the host and guests assume fictitious characters, and disguise themselves more or less for the occasion, the name being derived from the use of the mask. The public nummeries of former times, Easter plays, Festivals of Fools, &c., which were frequent in most parts of Europe, but somewhat various in different countries, probably suggested the idea of the masquerade, which, however, was not open to all, according to the well understood rules of these ancient amusements, but was limited to some select class, or to those who paid a certain sum for admission. Catharine de' Medici introduced the regular masquerade at the French court. It found its way to England in the reign of Henry VIII., but did not reach any of the courts of Germany till the end of the 17th century. The bal costumé is a very modified and much less objectionable form of the masquerade.