If the wedding was wanted at Melrose-and Buccleuch, as Hereditary Bailie of the Abbey lands, had fewer objections than usual to any idea not his own-then the congregation had to come armed, that was all. The Scotts and their allies, the twenty polite Frenchmen from Edinburgh, the Italian commander with the lame leg, had left their men at arms outside with their horses, the plumed helmets lashed to the saddlebows; and if there were a few vacant seats where a man from Hawick or Bedrule had ducked too late ten days before, no one mentioned it.
"If the wedding was wanted at Melrose-and Buccleuch, as Hereditary Bailie of the Abbey lands, had fewer objections than usual to any idea not his own-then the congregation had to come armed, that was all."
This implies that the event’s success depended heavily on the Hereditary Bailie’s somewhat flexible attitude toward plans. Despite his usual firmness, he was more agreeable than typical, but still, the congregation prepared themselves with readiness and determination. The gathering included the Scotts, their allies, the twenty courteous Frenchmen from Edinburgh, and an Italian commander with a lame leg, who kept their men at arms outside with horses, helmets tied to saddlebows. Some seats remained empty because a few people from Hawick or Bedrule had arrived too late ten days earlier, and this was not openly acknowledged, highlighting the layered social and political nuances at this gathering.
