carrying the
five banners of the five several castles belonging to Sir Morgan in
Wales. The banners were so managed as to droop over the heads of the
young women and boys: and thus the doves, the falcons, their beautiful
bearers, the white horses, the venerable harpers and their silver
harps, were all gathered as it were into one central group by means of
the banners of purple and gold which spread their fine floating
draperies above them all.

This was the centre of the procession: but immediately in advance of
this part (_i.e._ between it and the sheriff's party) rode the two
presiding persons of the ceremony; and who in that character, as well
as for the interest connected with their own appearance, commanded
universal attention.--Immediately before the falcon-bearers, and
mounted upon a grey charger, rode a tall meagre man in a dress well
fitted to raise laughter in the spectator and with a countenance well
fitted to repress it. This was Sir Morgan Walladmor. His dress was an
embroidered suit something in the fashion of the French court during
the regency of the Duke of Orleans in the minority of Louis the
Fifteenth; and having been worn by the baronet in his youth upon some
memorable occasion, where it had either aided his then handsome person
in making a conquest or in some other way had connected itself with
remembrances that were affecting to him, he never would wear this dress
on any day but St. David's----nor on that day would ever wear any
other. The dress was sacred to the festival; which, like all joyous
ceremonials and commemorations, to those who are advanced in years
bring with them some sorrow blended with their joy. In such sorrow
however, where it is a simple tribute of natural regrets to the images
of vanished things, and the fleeting records of poor transitory man,
there is often an overbalance of pleasure. But the merest stranger, who
read the features of Sir Morgan Walladmor with a discerning eye, might
see a history written there of a sorrow that went deeper than _that_--a
sorrow not tempered by any pleasure. On ordinary occasions this was the
predominant expression of his countenance--mixed however at all times
with something of a humorous aspect, a half fantastic sense of the
ludicrous, and perhaps a few reliques of that sternness which at one
time was said to have had some place in the composition of his
character. But this had long given way to the influences of time and
the softening hand o