Of noble Bruce and Adelaide!
And oh! until their final hour,
May friendship cheer, and love have pow'r
To spread each charm amid their bow'r,
And bless the Bruce and Adelaide!
Here ceased the old sightless Cormac, while tears of deep and intense feeling and affection trickled down his venerable, time-furrowed cheeks.
Adelaide descended from her chamber, and entering the garden, with great sweetness and condescension approached the old minstrel: "Thanks, many thanks, my kind and ancient bard, for this thy matin lay; and here too is a boon withal for the minstrel."—At the same time placing a gold doubloon in his hand.
"Oh, receive my warm, grateful thanks, my dear, kind—my noble young mistress—Cead millia failtha! May the benison of the sightless bard bless you and yours for ever and ever! Indeed I dare not refuse the bridal present, for it carries luck and happiness, and every thing that is kind, and noble, and good, along with it. God bless you, young lady, and may you be as happy as you deserve; this, young lady, is the warm and fervent prayer of poor blind old Cormac!"
The Lady Adelaide felt much affected with the respect and affection manifested by the ancient minstrel, and once more thanking him for his verses, adjourned to the breakfast-room. While on her way she was met by Sir David Bruce at the garden door, and according to the fashion and reserve of that day, he ceremoniously led by the hand his lovely mistress. They now entered the breakfast parlour, where they found the duke with the family assembled, to whom they kindly bade good morrow.
The worthy and venerable Bishop Bonhomme and his lady had arrived, as also the bride's-maids, and the whole of the company who had been invited to the wedding. And the bridal breakfast having begun and ended, the splendid equipages of the noble party were ordered to approach the grand porch of the castle. And here that our fair readers may not "burst in ignorance" of the mode and manner in which a marriage in high life was conducted in those times by the gens de condition, we shall endeavour to give a report, albeit not copied verbatim from the court gazette of the day.