The persons who personified the civic battle-axe guards were grenadiers hired for the occasion expressly, and duly selected from the ranks. The costume of these worthies, although varying in colour, yet resembled in shape and fashion that of the royal Buffetteers, (in popular parlance called beef eaters, from their portly appearance, no doubt;)[45] the bonnets were formed of green velvet, with a rich gold foliage of shamrocks, which surrounded them. The exterior habiliments were of rich green cloth, laced, and richly embroidered with national devices; and upon the breast of each were duly embroidered the city arms, namely, three castles in flames, and the motto, "obedientia civium, felicitas urbis." The hose were of red worsted, with large open clokes; the shoes short quartered and high heeled, with the appanage of small brass buckles. The partisans which they bore were similar to those of the royal battle-axe guards. As the procession slowly proceeded onward, the populace accommodated them-selves with great attention and most discreet silence, being right marvelously amazed at such unusual pomp and splendour.
Next in the proud pageant came the High Sheriffs, each in his own splendid state chariot, with a crowd of lackeys in rich liveries behind. These worthies, Sir Mark Rainsford and Sir Edward Lloyd, not forgetting the Lord Mayor, did not escape the ceremonial of being knighted by King James. The Aldermen followed in their respective carriages. They were succeeded in the procession by the several guilds or corporations of the city, amounting in the aggregate to the number of twenty-five; at the unprecedented splendour of whose appearance the populace were verily struck with downright delight and astonishment.
The particular detail and explanation of each guild, as it advanced, halted, and retreated in the proud pageant, was explained most minutely by the Duke of Tyrconnel to his gracious and royal master. His Grace certainly acquitted himself with most sage, cautious, and circumspect discretion, but attended withal with sundry and various circumforaneous explanations; all which long ambages and diffuse prolixities purposely to avoid, we have cut down and curtailed the whole, which would otherwise not be contained in a chapter, but require an essay to give the entire. We have therefore abridged the particulars, and thrown the whole into as brief a narrative as the subject would admit of, premising that the splendid and imposing spectacle was beheld from the windows of the presence-chamber of Dublin Castle by the royal James, surrounded by all the beauty of the land, and encompassed by all the flower of chivalry.
The magnificence of the pageant of riding the franchises (or fringes, as corruptly called in popular parlance) was considerably increased in pomp and effect from the introduction of different individuals of the different corporations, who were attired in habits emblematical and illustrative of the different trades of the different guilds. The characters were generally borrowed from the heathen mythology, and were strictly and classically arrayed in proper pantheon costume.
We must observe in a general way, that the five-and-twenty guilds, or corporations of the city, formed an unrivalled pageant, the most singular and remarkable in Europe; it would occupy too much time to enter into a minute detail—however, a few we shall briefly notice.
Neptune, surrounded by his attendant tritons, dolphins, &c., sat proudly enthroned in a triumphal car. He was the presiding deity of the guild of merchants. The marine deity was followed by their corporate friend Mercury, bearing all his attributes, and stately standing in an elevated illuminated caravan, representing the clouds.
The tree of knowledge, adorned with the forbidden fruit, the serpent encompassing the bole of the tree, and supported on each side by our first parents, duly preceded the corporation of Tailors. Adam and Eve were clad in flesh-coloured garments, fitting close to the person; and, sooth to say, the fig-leaf was not forgotten by the grateful corporation!
But we must needs be brief in this general outline:—
Vulcan presided over the corporation of Smiths. He was stationed on a superb car, with his attending Cyclops, who were intently working on a mounted forge; a lovely Venus graced his side; and as the arrows came formed from the anvil, they were handed to Cupid.
Saturn, with his attributes, his scythe and serpent, and attended by Esculapius, presiding over the guild of Barbers and Surgeons, followed in a splendid car.