The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-12 00:00:00

REJOICINGS AT EDINBURGH.

In Edinburgh the royal marriage was splendidly cele-
brated. At 10 o'clock, the Lord Provost, magistrates, and
Town Council attended Divine service in the High Church
where prayers were offered by the officiating minister, Dr.
Arnot, for her Majesty and for the Prince and Princes .
Several other religious meetings were held in the city. At
11 o'clock the troops in garrison and the volunteer regi-
ments of the city were reviewed in Holyrood-park, the
military consisting of a battery of Royal Artillery, the Scots
Greys, and the 25th (King's Own Borderers). The strength
of the field was about 2.500 men, of whom two-thirds were
volunteers. The troops, under the command of Major-
General Walker, commanding in the North British district,
went through the usual review movements, in presence of
about 40,000 spectators. At half- past 2 there was a public
banquet in the Parliament-house, attended by the magis-
trates and council, the judges of the Court of Session, the
consuls of foreign Powers, the head of public bodies, &c.
The Lord Provost, who presided, gave very earnest expres-
sion to the unanimous and heartfelt wishes of the assem-
blege for her Majesty's health and long continued reign,
and for the welfare of the Prince and Princess. The cheer-
ing to the toast of the Prince and Princess of Wales was
responded to on a signal by a royal salute from the Castle
guns. The third toast was " Prince Alfred," for whom
and the other reetebe re of royal family affection
was also expressed. A half-past 3 a great popular demon-
stration took place at the Corn. Exchange, at which the
Lord Provost also presided, and loyal and stirring
addresses were s delivered by Lord Ardmillan, the
Earl of Haddinfiton, Professor Aytoun, the Lord Advo-
cate, M.P., Mr. stointon. &c., and resolutions were passed
expressing deveVektachment to her Majesty and the hope
that the auspicious union that day celebrated might be to
her a source of permanent comfort and happiness ; and also
giving utterance to the fondest hopes for the welfare of the
Prince and Princess of Wales and the other members of
the Royal family. The meeting, which was at tended by
from 3,000 to 4,000 persons, showed the highest possible de-
gree of loyal enthusiasm. In the evening, between 7 and
11, the great illumination of the city took place. About
200,000 persons, it is estimated, witnessed the spectacle, the
vast assemblage being comfortably passed in detail through
the illuminated streets, in which guard was kept by the
police and by mounted troopers of the Scots Greys, all car-
riages and cabs being for the time withdrawn. The public
illuminations embraced in the first place the long and wide
valley which separates the old and new towns, and in the
second place George-street and its conterminous squares.
The valley offered unequalled opportunity for a splendid and
picturesque illumination Nearly half a mile broad and two
miles long, there was a majestic expanse of open view. On
the south side of the valley the Castle overhangs the gar •
dens of West Princes -street, while to the east the tall and
stately buildings of the High-street realise the description
of the poet—" Piled deep and massy, close and high." The
heights, the gardens benett,h, and the fine boulevard of
Princes-street, are all embraced in one glance, and the view
is then eastwards, not only to the Calton-hill, but to the
picturesque hills of Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags.
The Castle was magnificently lit up; all its embrasures
and parapets being thickly planted with padelle, which
also marked the outlines of the rocks and the paths of
the sloping gardens below. The Scott Monument, in
the centre of the scene, was brilliantly and effectively
lit with candle, exhibited in many ingenious ornamental
arrangements, and this part of the display was superbly
crowned by the sparkling illumination of the coronal steeple
of St. Giles. The long line of Princes-street presented a
rich and most varied display, the view being terminated on
the west by the dome of St. George's brilliantly outlined in
lamps, and on the east by Nelson's Monument, Calton-hill,
which was lit inside, and its balconies planted with padelle.
In St. Andrew's-square there was a magnificent triumphal
illumination, and the whole garden being enclosed by an
arcade, and the Melville Monument being made the centre
of a superb display in coloured lamps. Over the gateway
were bright stars, with loyal mottoes inscribed in the
garter. George-street made a gorgeous show. The Com-
mercial Bank, with its fine Corinthian portico, was ex-
quisitely outlined in gas lamps. At the east end of Princes-
street and Waterloo-place, the Register-house and other
Government offi,.es were admirably illuminated. In the
porticos of the Parliament• square, in which the law courts
are situated, there was a rich sylvan display. Heriot's
Hospital, one of the finest buildings in the city, was em-
bellished with great tas'e and splendour. In George-square
the house of the Lord Proves (Mr. Lawson) was brilliantly
illuminated A Huge bonfire blaz, don Arthur's Seat, and
a chaplet of fires wreathed Salisbury Crags, trout which a
splendid display of firewor- a, •he gift, of the War-office,
took place from Bto half-past 9. Throughout the day the
weather was very cold, but kept fair till between 9 and 10
at night, when the snow which had been threatened in
Admiral Fitzroy's telegram began to tall and helped to dis-
perse the vast assemblage. There was an immense rush
before 11 o'clock to the railway stations, whence return
trains started at that late hour tor Glasgow, Dundee, and
Newcastle, hundreds of visitors having come from all these
places for the occasion, and corresponding multitudes from
the intervening stations. Some of the excursionists would
not reach home before 5 a.m. For days before the railways
had been bringing in hosts of visitors, and the town was so
full that beds were scarcely to be obtained. Altogether, it
was felt by all who saw the Edinburgh illumination that
it was a glorious success. Ihe grand effect produced infi-
nitely exceeded all anticipation formed of the display. In
the clear frosty sky the illuminated valley exhibited a most
splendid spectacle, and one which even those who had seen
some of the finest Continental illuminations pronounced to
be quite unequalled.