6 Irish funeral Procession. 



could hardly have escaped from accident. The 

 pause afforded an opportunity to observe the 

 vocal assistants as they passed. The band was 

 principally composed of women, to whose per- 

 sonal qualifications time had done irreparable 

 injury, of whom the first in vociferation was, 

 apparently, more indebted to her habits than 

 natural complexion for the ruddiness which 

 marked her countenance. Her associates had 

 also evidently fortified their hearts with whisky 

 against all compunctions of sorrow, beyond 

 those external tokens for which they are usually 

 recompensed. In short, the solemnity of the 

 occasion was so totally lost sight of, as not to 

 preclude the coarsest jokes. The performers 

 and the spectators seemed equally amused, 

 and equally indifferent ; and if, during this 

 " mockery of woe," there were any individuals 

 present who entertained affection, or even a 

 friendly regard, for the deceased, they were 

 greatly entitled to pity. I could not have cre- 

 dited the continuance of so barbarous a custom, 

 had I not been a witness of the mummery, which, 

 to have made it completely ludicrous, wanted 

 nothing but the fool's cap and bells. Spincer in 

 his " View of Ireland," says, " There are other 

 sorts of cries also used by the Irish, which savour 

 greatly of Scythian barbarisme, as their lamenta- 

 tions on their buryals, with despairful outcrys 



