How to Intrigue - Antwerp February 1842

A European fashion plate with carnival costumes, 1839

Carnival, Carneval, Fasching, Karneval, and Fastnacht are all names for a period of time leading up to Lent. In many European countries with a Catholic tradition, these days involve fun and parties, festive food, and masquerading. Basically, the concept is to cram in as much fun as possible, before turning to sacrifice and repentance. It's rather interesting that England and America do not have this tradition.  Perhaps their protestant attitudes keep the English and Americans from really cutting loose.

THE CARNIVAL.

The Carnival, as all the world knows, is the season of enjoyment in those countries where the Romish and Greek church prevails. It is then that all ages, sexes, and conditions strive to exhaust their stock of mirth and fun, in order to look grave and be quiet, without an effort, for the six weeks which immediately ensue. It is then that they seek to cloy their appetites, to the end that the fastings of Lent, at any rate of the first portion of it, may have less of the merit and misery of self-denial. (Colburn's United Service Magazine, London, Henry Colburn, 1843 Part 2, p.531)

Monday, 7th.—A carnival day:—crowds parading the streets all the afternoon, on foot and in carriages,—some in masks and fantastic dresses. Good buffoonery was scarce; in fact I may say I saw none.

(Antwerp. A Journal kept there. London: John Olivier, 1847. p. 167.)

At this point, our friend attends a ball at the Baron de Kipdorp's. After the ball he heads out for a masquerade.

Several of us, bound for the masquerade at the Varietes, departed together. We took the Philarmonie en route, and found the accustomed play, smoking, beer-drinking, and punch-sipping, in full activity. At the Varietes there was a great crowd, playing at the old game of quadrilling, galopading, and intriguing.

Intriguer, has here, for the most part, a very innocent signification, and your lady friends and their daughters will talk to you without hesitation, of Mr. A. having enjoyed endless intrigues at the last ball, and of Madame X. having been delightfully (joliment) intrigued by Mr. B. last year. Thus used, the expression simply means disguising yourself in a black hooded gown and mask, and mystifying your neighbours. The great point is, to get the advantage over them by finding out who they are, preserving the while your own incognito, and then to pour into their ears all the odd, and, it may be, disagreeable stories about them, you can think of. A good store of provoking particulars about every body, is the necessary ammunition of the professed masquerader.

(Antwerp. A Journal kept there. London: John Olivier, 1847. p. 170.)