3

The original sentence:

The first that stood up, to open the ball, were a cornet of horse, and that sweetest of olive-beauties, the soft and amorous Louisa.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fanny_Hill:_Memoirs_of_a_Woman_of_Pleasure/Letter_the_Second/Part_7

Matt E. Эллен
  • 29,137
May
  • 127

1 Answers1

4

As Matt hasn't expanded his comment into an answer, I will. In dictionary.reference.com, sense 8 of cornet is

(formerly) the officer who carried the colors in a troop of cavalry: the cornet of horse.

Thus, “the soft and amorous Louisa” (a woman) and a cavalry officer (a man) were the first couple of the ball. As Felix Goldberg commented, “cornet here is meant as a subaltern rank”; wikipedia says:

The subaltern rank of Cornet was the equivalent of the contemporary infantry rank of ensign, today’s Second lieutenant in each [service]. The cornet carried the troop standard, known as a “cornet”.

A related meaning of “cornet of horse” is given in wiktionary:

(obsolete) A troop of cavalry; so called from its being accompanied by a cornet player. [eg] A body of five cornets of horse (Clarendon)

In the latter example, sense 3 of horse applies:

(military, sometimes uncountable) Cavalry soldiers (sometimes capitalized when referring to an official category). [eg] We should place two units of horse and one of foot on this side of the field.

James Waldby - jwpat7
  • 66,660
  • To be even more precise, I think cornet here is meant as a subaltern rank: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornet_%28military_rank%29 – Felix Goldberg Jun 02 '13 at 15:28
  • It's not strictly obsolete; the Blues and Royals (an armoured unit, who fought in the Falklands and Iraq) still use the term cornet where other regiments use lieutenant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues_and_Royals. Other ex-cavalry units have the same tradition, but the Guards are likely to maintain it longest. – Tim Lymington Jun 02 '13 at 18:25
  • Obviously, Matt has only commented and not posted an answer because the Q is GR. – Kris Jun 03 '13 at 07:00
  • Wiktionary is wrong. The cavalry usage refers to 'cornet' meaning the troop standard, not a musical instrument. – Kate Bunting Nov 26 '16 at 14:56