f the wars of the middle ages. The
display in Scotland will, certainly, be a gorgeous pageant, and a
most extraordinary, if not most rational, piece of pastime."

The three days' jousting and hospitality at Eglinton Castle, Ayrshire,
which commenced on the 28th, and ended on the 30th, August, are said to
have cost the Earl of Eglinton the sum of 40,000 pounds. He invited the
flower of the aristocracy to attend--all the armour was choice and old,
and the costumes were splendid. Every accessory was perfect in its way;
and so it should have been, for it was two years in preparation. The
Marquis of Londonderry was King of the Tourney, and Lady Seymour, a
grand-daughter of _the_ Sheridan, was the "Queen of Love and Beauty."

By the evening of the 27th, Eglinton Castle was not only filled from
cellar to garret, but the surrounding towns and villages were crammed
full, and people had to rough it. Accommodation for man, or beast, rose
from 500 to 1,000 per cent.; houses in the neighbourhood, according to
their dimensions, were let from 10 to 30 pounds for the time; and single
beds, in the second best apartments of a weaver's cabin, fetched from
10/- to 20/- a night, while the master and mistress of the household,
with their little ones, coiled themselves up in any out of the way
corner, as best they might. Stables, byres, and sheds were in
requisition for the horses, and, with every available atom of space of
this description, it was found all too little, as people flocked from all
parts of the country.

The invitation given by the Earl was universal. Those who applied for
tickets of admission to the stands were requested to appear in ancient
costume, fancy dresses, or uniforms, and farmers and others were asked to
appear in bonnets and kilts, and many--very many--did so; but although
all the bonnet makers in Kilmarnock, and all the plaid manufacturers in
Scotland, had been employed from the time of the announcement, onwards,
they could not provide for the wants of the immense crowd, and many had
to go in their ordinary dress.

Unfortunately, on the opening day, the weather utterly spoilt the show.
Before one o'clock, the rain commenced, and continued, with very little
intermission, until the evening. This, necessarily, made it very
uncomfortable for all, especially the spectators. Many thousands left
the field, and the enjoyment of those who remained was, in a great
measure, destroyed. The Grand Stand, alo