Page:Tournament at Eglinton Castle.pdf/3



In that part of AyrshiroAyrshire [sic] wherein is situated Eglinton Castle, the Tournament may be said to have engrossed the thoughts and actions of the entire population sineesince [sic] Monday last. EaehEach [sic] sueceedingsucceeding [sic] hour brought fresh aeeessionsaccessions [sic] of eompanycompany [sic], from the peer to the eommonercommoner [sic], and, by Tuesday evening, the Castle of Eglinton was not only filled from the foundation stone to the roof, but the towns and villages of Irvine, SalteoatsSaltcoats [sic], Kilwinning, Ardrossan, and thothe [sic] farm and eotcot [sic]-houses adjoining, might be eomparedcompared [sic] to a distrietdisctrict [sic] of eountrycountry [sic] beleaguered by some foe, where hosts of mankind were eompressedcompressed [sic] into the smallest possible spaeespace [sic], glad to throw their limbs to rest in any eornercorner [sic] and at any prieeprice [sic]. AeeommodationAccommodation [sic] for man or beast rose in faetfact [sic] from 500 to 1000 per eentcent [sic].; houses in the neighbourhood, aeeordingaccording [sic] to their dimensions, were let from £10 to £30 for the time; and single beds in the second best apartment of a weaver's domieiledomicile [sic] were retailed to the tunotune [sic] of from 10s. to 20s. per night, whilowhile [sic] thothe [sic] master and mistress of the household, with their little ones, coiled themselves up in any out-of-the-way eornercorner [sic] as best they might. Stables, byres, and sheds were in requisition for the steeds, and, with every availabloavailable [sic] atom of spaeespace [sic] of this description, it was found all too little.

Fretful as the weather has been during the last ten days, Tuesday weleomedwelcomed [sic] in a haleyonhalcyon [sic] ehangochange [sic]; the air was warm, and the sky bright and uneloudedunclouded [sic], and gave a most exhilarating effeeteffect [sic] to the whole seenescene [sic]. The spirits of men, and women too, were uplifted in the prospeetprospect [sic] of a day of gladsome pastime—of interesting reminiseeneesreminiscences [sic] of the olden time rendered more vivid by the impersonation of anientancient [sic] eustomscustoms [sic] and anientancient [sic] habits.

But if thothe [sic] bustlobustle [sic] was great for days previously, Wednesday morning eelipsedeclipsed [sic] it all. The weather, on whiehwhich [sic] so much depended, looked very doubtful at