Page:Tournament at Eglinton Castle.pdf/4

4 an early hour, but, as the morning advaneedadvanced [sic], the lowering clouds passed away, leaving a bright sky, yielding promise of a delightful day. Buoyed up with this impression, every faecface [sic] turned towards the scene of aetionaction [sic] wore a smile, and eongratulationscongratulations [sic] on the happy prospect of an all day’s bright sunshine, were universal. How sadly these hopes were disappointed, let the sequel shew. The conveyances werowere [sic] plying with redoubled speed—upwards of a score of large Steamers having arrived, fitted up as floating Hotels—thothe [sic] Glasgow and AyrshiroAyrshire [sic] Railway Trains, with the new engine 'Marmion,' and additional coaches, werowere [sic] running every hour and quarter, and conveyed, on Wednesday alonoalone [sic], 3000 passengers—every thing in the shaposhape [sic] of a quadruped (especially if it could draw) was hurried along the road with a severe deck-load, towards Eglinton CastloCastle [sic], moromore [sic] quickly by far than was good for its eonstitutionconstitution [sic], whilowhile [sic] thosothose [sic] whose localities or whose circumstances rendered exercisoexercise [sic] on foot preferable,, from lack of an alternative, rushed on to swell the impetuous tidotide [sic] of spectators. Everything combined, to render it a scene which for interest has not been equalled in Scotland, since thothe [sic] visit of George IV. to Edinburgh; and whiehwhich [sic], for its peculiar characteristics, has not been equalled in Britain sincosince [sic] "ThoThe [sic] merrymorry [sic] Days of Good Queen Bess." A sight so rare naturally had thothe [sic] effect of drawing visitors from every point of thothe [sic] compass. Not a county, perhaps, nor a town of any notonote [sic], from the Land's End to John O'Groats, nor from thothe [sic] Giant's Causeway to Cape Clear, but has furnished its quota of visitors. Nor is it these islands alone that have produced their numbers. Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, and other Continental States, have contributed of their population. We saw one gentleman from St. Petersburgh, and even America herself sent some of her sons and daughters to witness a speeimenspecimen [sic] of those brilliant pageants, in which their ancestors and ours werowere [sic] wont to delight and indulgoindulge [sic].

The invitation given by the Noble Earl was universal. Those who applied for tickets of admission to the erected