The Duke of Tyrconnel was considered as the handsomest man of the age, and upon this occasion looked uncommonly well, every inch the nobleman. Lord Glandarrah was attired in the magnificent robes of the order of the Bath. All the guests, of both sexes were splendidly arrayed, and the entertainment passed off with undiminished eclat.
But we have already exceeded our limits, and have yet to speak of the highly gifted Duchess, who indeed deserves a chapter to be appropriated to herself, to which we shall now proceed, and to the acquaintance of other persons, matters, and things, connected with this our delectable history.
CHAPTER III.
Hæc mulier, genere atque forma, preterea viro atque liberis, satis fortunata fuit: litteris Græcis et Latinis docta, * * * * prorsus multæ facetiæ multusque lepos inerat.
Sallust.
The noble guests sat long and cheerfully to celebrate with due honour the baptismal day; while potations of claret, liberally flowing, and constantly renovated from magnum bottles, according to the approved custom and social fellowship and habit of the times, were deep and frequent.[12] The splendid supper which followed the sumptuous dinner was accompanied with the unqualified commendations of Sir Patricius, who insisted "that it even excelled the Roman banquets of Lucullus or Apicius; and was in sooth so luxurious, that, verily, his old friend Flaccus would have called it a dubia cœna; and although they had neither the juice of the Tuscan nor Falernian grape, they had still nobler potations to quaff!" And it has been currently reported that his actions sagely comported, pari passu, with his asseverations, that he "suited the action to the word," and did most ample, nay summary justice, to testify beyond all possible contradiction how highly his palate lauded the excellence of the entertainment! All this was confidently and cautiously whispered, and discreetly intrusted to a chosen few. But it met with the fate usually attendant upon all such confidential communications, videlicet, to be made known and published in a few hours to the unselected many; or in other words, to all the king's liege subjects throughout the vicinity!
The supper was served at ten o'clock; an hour which was considered at that period as late, and was prolonged still later, while jest and joke, and revelry, and song, and glee, and glass went round; and at a protracted hour the guests retired to repose; and thus terminated the social hilarities of the festive night.
The Duchess rose upon the following day at an early hour, as invariably was her custom, and having retired to her classical cabinet, opened the latticed casement to admit the enlivening rays of a brilliant vernal sun, and to inhale the balmy breeze of the morning. It was truly a beauteous spring morning; the Eske rolled rapidly over his stony channel, pouring forth his tributary torrent into the peaceful bosom of the Atlantic Sea; while with mournful plaint the wood-quest called her mate, perched on her favourite sycamore; and the red-breast and linnet sweetly warbled forth their matin-hymn from bush and spray,