THE WAKE. 279 



been foreign to the last event. But here was a study for a 

 painter. The old man's face was puckered into the same 

 conscious smile with which I have heard him terminate his 

 Happiest otter-hunt, or some mountain exploit of my kins- 

 man, which appeared to him equally dear ; his long hair, 

 released from the band with which he usually confined it, 

 wantoned in silvery ringlets across his neck and shoulders : 

 all else was in wonted form ; only that the number of candles 

 round the bier might have been called extravagant, and the 

 plate of snuff upon the bosom of the corpse was heaped with 

 a munificence that would stamp the obsequies as splendid. 



Everybody has heard an Irish wake described, and there 

 is no dissimilarity among a hundred, only that, according to 

 the opulence of the family, and the quantity of funeral re- 

 freshments, the mirth and jollity of the mourners is invariably 

 proportionate. That the master's ancient retainers should be 

 nobly waked was fully expected by the country, and certainly 

 they were not disappointed. Whisky in quantities passing all 

 understanding, tobacco in all its preparations, were fearfully 

 consumed on this important ceremony ; and during the two 

 days and nights which the otter-killer was above ground, 

 the barn, spacious as it was, proved unequal to accommodate 

 the hundreds who flocked from a distance of even twenty 

 miles to have " a last look at ould Antony." 



When the evening fell on which the corpse was to be 

 carried to its resting-place, a scene of great novelty and great 

 interest ensued. From the insulated situation of the Lodge, 

 *i connexion with the burying-ground, it was necessary that 

 ,-*ie body should be carried across the estuary by water. At 

 the appointed hour, from every creek and harbour, the 

 peasantry were seen afloat : and when the funeral left the 

 house, more than a hundred boats accompanied that in 

 which the corpse was deposited. My kinsman followed next 

 to the body with all his visitors and servants ; and when the 

 opposite strand was reached, he and his foster-brother placed 

 their shoulders under the coffin, and supported it for a short 

 distance along the beach. 



This was, I was afterwards informed, the highest honour 

 that could be conferred upon the departed by his master ; 

 and even the magnificence of the otter-killer's wake was held 

 inferior to this proud and public testimony of his patron's 

 affections. 



