Page:Tournament at Eglinton Castle.pdf/5

5 stands were to appear in ancient eostumecostume [sic], fancy dresses, or uniforms, and farmers and others were requested to appear in honnetsbonnets [sic] and kilts, and many—very many did so—hutbut [sic] although all the bonnet-makers in Kilmarnock, and all the plaid manufacturers in Scotland had heenbeen [sic] employed from the time of announcement onwards, they could not have provided for the innumerahbleinnumerable [sic] heads and shoulders which appeared in the policies of Eglinton. Of course, the great majority had no distinguishing dress, but most of those not in costume appeared in holiday clothing, and all had an agreeahleagreeable [sic], respectahlerespectable [sic], healthy, and happy look.

The Castle and grounds of Eglinton aroare [sic] in every sense of the word worthy of each other—the former is not more than 45 years old, and was built by the grandfather and immediate predeeessorpredecessor [sic] of the present Earl. It has a much older appearaneeappearance [sic], however, and rears its head in the true baronial fashion, heingbeing [sic] flanked by bold turrets, and showing a noble dome surmounted by a flag-staff, from which the hannerbanner [sic] of Eglinton flaunted in pride. The policy extends, we have heenbeen [sic] informed, to 1400 acres of the richest land, heautifullybeautifully [sic] and even thieklythickly [sic] dotted hyby [sic] timbers whose rotundity of stem and lavishness of foliage tell that they have seen the storms and sunshine of moromore [sic] than a hundred years—oaks, sycamores, and heechesbeeches [sic] here forming fairy clumps, and there lengthening into swectsweet [sic] vistas, pointing as it werowere [sic] to some spot of welcomowelcome [sic] retirement—"some houndlessboundless [sic] contiguity of shade." Rather moromore [sic] than a quarter of a mile north-east of thothe [sic] Castle was thothe [sic] seenescene [sic] selected for the lists, and a more appropriatoappropriate [sic] spot could not have been chosen The ground laid off is a portion of a heautifullybeautifully [sic] level lawn, skirted by the winding Lugton, round which the gently sloping ascents with heltsbelts [sic] of planting, form a noble amphitheatre of thothe [sic] riehestrichest [sic] description. The arena, or lists, comprise an oblong square, ahoutabout [sic] 650 feet in length, and 250 in breadth. The harrierbarrier [sic] 110 yards long, and more than 4 feet in height, was erected in the centre of the lists. The grand pavilion, with the throne of the Queen of Beauty, was on the south side of the arena. The erections were a centre, with two wings, the Queen’s pavilion heingbeing [sic] roofed in, and the front elegantly finished in the Gothic stylostyle [sic], with beautiful pinacles, elahoratelyelaborately [sic] painted and gilt. The pavilion was made to contain about 800 spectators. The other two