Volume I Part 3 (2/2)

”Vastly fine, indeed, Sir Patricius!--Oh, monstrous fine! grand, expressively sublime! eh! But here,” added the surprised Captain, ”what, _ten years_!--was the patient artist employed ten years thereon?

Monstrous length of time! what sad solemn patience and perseverance the fellow had to be sure!--tedious faith, as the old siege of Troy!”

”No, no, my very good Captain, I did not say that the renowned artist was _ten years_ employed in accomplis.h.i.+ng this fine painting, but merely announced that his distinguished name was Teniers.”

”Oh, a thousand pardons, Sir Patricius!--eh--_ten_ thousand pardons! But then the painting is truly monstrous fine!--upon my s--l it is vastly fine indeed--eh!”

The next painting which they approached was the famous painting of Europa carried off by Jupiter in the shape of a bull, from the distinguished pencil of the celebrated Claude Lorraine.

”The painter who has produced that truly enn.o.bled specimen of his divine art,” said Sir Patricius, with great pomp and emphasis, save when he was interrupted by a const.i.tutional cough, ”the painter, hem, hem, hem, was, Sir Captain, let me tell to you, inimitable! He deeply studied nature, and hence he acquired that elevated _gusto_, which has justly stamped a superlative value upon all his masterly works; his truly lovely landscapes, glowing with Italian suns, and with Italian verdure, _Italia diis sacra_, hem, hem, hem! Yes, bold Sir, upon these he acted, and on the n.o.ble inspirations of nature! verifying on glowing canva.s.s the most apposite and veritable saying of the great and learned Archimedes,

'DOSS MOI, TANE STIGMEN!'

That, brave Sir, means--'Give me a point to stand upon;' and Sir, aye Sir, I shall move '_the great globe itself; yea, and all that it inhabit!_'--That, Sir, is a Claude!”

”Heaven and earth!--_clawed!_ What do I hear,” said the astonished Captain, in a most lachrymal tone; ”_clawed!_--what a thousand pities!

irreparable--hopelessly irreparable! Indeed I always knew too well that cats were most destructive, malicious animals. But say what inducing cause--what motive? here was depicted no lively representation of rat, rabbit, pigeon--no, nor mouse! wonderful! 'Fore Jove I swear, that all the confounded pestilential breed of cats in the county should swing before I should endure to have such a n.o.ble painting as that _clawed_ by any cat o' the mountain in the province!”

Here Sir Patricius Placebo raised his intelligent eyes in dumb despair, very nearly indeed allied to positive contempt. But after a short momentary gaze of astonishment, and a slight expression of contempt, his muscles relaxed into a cheering smile; and seeing from the window, as he looked out, some of the guests to arrive, he gaily said--”I see clearly, Captain Heaviside, that you prefer living faces to their mute representation on canva.s.s, so let us adjourn, _si vous voulez_, and attend the ladies; and egad I think I can show you some fine girls; there, Captain, you see are some fair specimens, the six Misses O'Carrol, and all dressed so gay in pink, blue, and crimson, smiling and blooming like a bed of budding paeonies in June!”

”Vastly koind, good Sir Patricius; vastly koind, _j'irai la sans failler_, eh?--Yes I do admire pretty girls exceedingly; and I must say, by Jove, that I prefer them to all your _Hebes_, _Cupids_, and _Ganymedes_, on copper, canva.s.s, or panel!”

The chimes of the bells of the ducal chapel now gave warning note that the baptismal ceremony was nigh at hand, and all the guests consequently approached the sacred edifice. And at the high altar, gorgeously decorated, from a golden ewer the ceremony of ablution was performed.

When the lovely Adelaide received the sprinkling she smiled most sweetly; and as her nurse, Mrs. Judith Braingwain, (whom we shall hear more of anon,) afterwards very appropriately told it: ”Heaven bless the dear bonnie babe, how sweetly it was she smiled bekase she was made a Christian cratur!”

The ceremony concluded upon the return of the n.o.ble party to the castle.

Cake, caudle, and wine, and various confectionary, were dealt out with no sparing hand. Many of the company sat down to different card-tables, and played, as was then the fas.h.i.+on, at ombre, cribbage, loo, _jusque a diner_, when they were entertained at a most princely and magnificent banquet.

The Duke of Tyrconnel received all his guests with frank and due welcome and courtesy. His Grace was attired in the following costume:--a large well powdered peruke, which freely flowed over the splendid mantle and robes of the order of the garter. His Grace also wore the magnificent collar and gem, and resplendent star, of the ill.u.s.trious order. His stockings were of light blue coloured silk, and drawn up in a fas.h.i.+on similar to those of Sir Patricius Placebo; and around the left leg, beneath the knee, was buckled the embroidered and mottoed garter, which pertains to, and from which this distinguished order receives its appellation. The stockings were adorned ”with quirks and clokes about the ancles” of gold withal, and curiously and richly wrought.

The Duke of Tyrconnel was considered as the handsomest man of the age, and upon this occasion looked uncommonly well, every inch the n.o.bleman.

Lord Glandarrah was attired in the magnificent robes of the order of the Bath. All the guests, of both s.e.xes were splendidly arrayed, and the entertainment pa.s.sed off with undiminished eclat.

But we have already exceeded our limits, and have yet to speak of the highly gifted d.u.c.h.ess, 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.

Haec mulier, genere atque forma, preterea viro atque liberis, satis fortunata fuit: litteris Graecis et Latinis docta, * *

* * prorsus multae facetiae multusque lepos inerat.

SALl.u.s.t.

The n.o.ble 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 fellows.h.i.+p 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 coena_; and although they had neither the juice of the Tuscan nor Falernian grape, they had still n.o.bler potations to quaff!” And it has been currently reported that his actions sagely comported, _pari pa.s.su_, with his a.s.severations, 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!

[12] This fondness for drinking is noticed in Lord Strafford's Letters.--”In Ireland, where drinking was grown a disease epidemical.”--_Appendix to Lord Strafford's Letters_, vol. II. p.

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