LIFE IN IRELAND 95 



a pleasure ; and if he means to run the gauntlet through 

 Dublin in this way, he will want the constitution of 

 King William's statue in College Green.' ' I admired,' 

 said Brian, ' the dexterity with which the two men in 

 blue and scarlet kept the mob from pressing too closely 

 upon the King. Who were they ?' 'Sure,' said Gram, 

 'you're after meaning Major Sirr and Major Swann. 

 Och ! by my profession, and the boys love them as the 

 Devil does holy water. Sirr is Town Major, and Swann 

 is his deputy, besides being an exciseman ; he wears a 

 gold chain and medal for the hand he had in killing a 

 Lord during the rebellion. The story runs thus : — The 

 rebellious nobleman was snug in bed when Ryan, 

 Swann, and Sirr rushed into the room ; Ryan seized 

 him first and he sent his soul to Jericho in a moment ; 

 Swann threw himself on him, and got his belly ripped 

 open ; Sirr, according to Swann's account, stood at the 

 door and discharged his pistols without caring whether 

 he hit Swann or his Lordship ; no matter, they killed 

 their man amongst them, and from that day became 

 gentlemen pensioners. 



' Swann keeps all the smugglers in awe in the country 

 and Sirr all the blackguards in the city; in truth, they 

 are more afraid of him than of the priests, because he 

 never gives absolution except under the gallows ; they 

 are mighty useful fellows in their way.' 



Our heroes were heartily tired with their day's ramble, 

 and retired to roost at the early hour of three. Nothing 

 material occurred on the passage home to Blanket Bay, 

 except being stopped a short time on Carlisle Bridge 

 by a procession of aldermen and shop-lifters (keepers, I 

 mean) who were chaunting a Te Deum in procession 



