Queen's consultations with her ministers and her taking tea with the luminaries of

her regime are equated. The serious and the frivolous have been mentioned in one
breath, as if taking counsel is as routine and frivolous matter as taking tea. The
intrigues of the court are also laid bare. The Queen's palace, Hampton Court, which
is beautifully laid out with "long canals" and "Woods" turns out to be a mere place
for gossip and intrigue where the nobles and ladies.

In various Talk th' instructive hours they pass,

Who gave the Ball, or paid the Visit last

And

And one describes a charming Indian screen;

A third interprets Motions, Looks, and Eyes;
At ev'ry Word a Reputation dies.
(L, 304—306)

And it was in this palace that Belinda and her companions played cards and
enjoyed coffee. And it was here that her lock of hair was cut off. There is also a
mention of the Lake of Rosamonda,