New-York tribune., 1886-08-22

nal for rising; then Her Excelency curtsied to His
Exceency and went her way; each lady followed
in .ue order of precedence each curtseying TO the
Vceroy as she passed, who resumed his seat when
the last had gone; then the men sat down again,
and things went on as at ordinary dinner party.
You perceive that the Regal or viceregal dignity
appcrtains in strictncss to the viceroy only. and
not to his consort who in all matter. of etiquette is
his inferior. and perhaps snbcct-curtseys to
him. for instance, the other ladies do The
ladies curtesed | cannot say how many times O
day. but certainly in tho morning and again on
saying goodnight.
All this Sounds. suppose very stiff, and good
Republican might be excused for thinking CON-
pliance with such forms burdensome. In fact,
though they take time in describing. they take lit
tie in transactng. aud the day passes amid Vco-
regal conventionaIites very much as it passes in
less august surroundings. They occur. after all.
only at intervals, and though they must not be for
gotten. they soon become easy. Lord and Lady
Aberdeen had experience of this long before they
went to Dublin. He for FIVE years in succession
had been Her Majesty's Lord High Commissioner
to the Church of Scotland. That is function of
no long duration. but of dignity in many respects
not less than the Viceroyalty itself During fort
night in each Of the five years Lord and Lady
Aberdeen had dwelt in Holyrood Palace. held
Drawing Rooms and Levees, and there in Dublin
Lord Aberdeen was the personal representative of
the Sovereign. / had spent a week in HolyrOOd
with them. and thought the state they there kept
up was in points royal than in Dublin
There is q difference between holding Court in
hoyrood Palace and holding Court IN Dublin
Castle. HOlyrOa1 is really Palace, and though
the Queen suite of rooms. once tenanted
by herself and the great and gOod Prince Albert,
which no one IS permitted TO occupy, the great
reception open, and are spacious enough
to deserve tho epthet paataL We used to sit
down to dinner 13U in the long picture gallery. all
at straight table; the longest. should think,
in Great Britain. The Lord High Commissioner
had the singular title His Grace, like an arch
bishop and the more singular quality that, though
his mission ecclesiastical and his daily duty to
preside over tho General Assembly Of the Church
of Scotland he was to he out of uniform
He had his ades-de-camp and went in state. Lady
Aberdeen too, had what she had not in Dublin. two
ladies' waiting. In Edinburgh, as in Dublin. the
Aberdeens-if may colloqnial phrase-were
thought to have filled their great part with such
lavish splenlor few of their predecessors had at
tanned to-perhaps none. They had, at any rate,
acquired the art of being at and of putting
other people at their even on the steps OF the
throne. meant at the time to have described the
life Mt Holyrood Palace which had permission to
do lust as meant at the time to have described
tue life at Dublin Castle. But there came crises
and other hindrances, and can now perform them
only in part
These narratives of courtly etiquette are not
certainly, the most attractive part of what have
to say about the Aberdeens in Dublin, but their
etiquette is the frame in which their lives wcre SET
and the effect Of the picture is never quite the
same if the frame be wanting. SO go on leaving
to another letter what l of the relations be-
tween the Viceroy and the people of Dublin. Per-
hans I TshO all n my n 4
| know them to be of republican simplicity. my |
humble apologies for presuming to discourse on |
what they may think solemn rivolities. IL, how
ever, l read by only half those who yearly be-
siege the American Minister in London for present
alton at Court shall have a considerable audience
Presentation at the Viceregal Court, indeed. is |
o privilege much sought for by the Irish not by |
all classes, but by all those who arc on the border
line between the classes and the masses. At ono |
such spectacle was present. The great festival Of
the year the Castle is the fulldIcss ball on tho
18th of March in celebration of st. Patricks Day.
No Viceroy. be he the veriest Tory in tho Kingdom.
omts this compliment to the patron saint and the
patriotic susceptiblties OF the Irish people In
times past the Irish nobility aud gentry of both
partes have thronged the Castle on such occasions
Now passion too high. the nobility with
dismay the Home Rule flag flying their own
headquarters. and most of them absent 1t
one of life and death of prosperity ruin. to say
the least Neither among the Vicerega party
staying iu the Castle at the ball OH the 18th
were there more than two three mobiles whose
names sgaifed much. in political sense to the
country. or to their own order.
Their Excelencies-to adopt for a moment the
court circular style-entered the Throne Lane
shortly after 10 o'clock. accompanied By His Sc
rene Highness, General Prince Edward of SAKE
Weimar. X. c. b. LAZY Fanny Marjoribanks.
Lady Victoria Hamilton. the Earl of Granard.
X p and the Countess of Granard, the Earl of
Belmore and his daughter Lady Florence Cory.
the Earl aud Countess of Ranfurly the Earl n
Countess of Wicklow, Lady Eva Wyndham Quin,
Lady Florence Bourke, Lord Carew the Hon. Lady
Ridley, Lady Hayter and two or three others.
Her Exceency's train was borne by the Pages Of
Honor Lord Haddo (her SOM and Master Hamilton.
The Sword of State was borne by Sir Robert Ham
ilton, X. G. b., the Under Secretary-the same Sir
Robert Hamilton about whom there has recently
been much debate. Sir Bernard Burke, G. b.,
Ulster King -at-Arms, was the Officer OF State III
attendance. Then cape His Excelencys private
secretary, Colonel Turner, tho State Steward,
Viscouut Cxstlerosse, the Controller, Colonel
Caul6eld, the Gentleman Usher, Major Boyle, tie
Chamberlain, the Master of the Horse, the Gentle
men-iu- attn and many moro officials than can
enumcrate. The Vceroy took his place in front
Of the Throne standing Lady Aberdeen beside
him; the great officers above mentioned and the
viceregal party grouped in proper order and
place on either side. Then the door to tho left was
thrown open and there began a slow procession CT
the ladies who were to he presented. So rigid is
the rule, might appear at the bau unless this
ceremony had at one time another been gone
through with. Those now appearing were the be.
lated ones who had failed to attend at ono of the
regular Drawing Rooms Nay, even the ladies who
had been staying In the Castle for week as Their
Excel lencies guests had to undergo this fOrmaity.
When Lady Fanny Majoribanks had been presented