stupendous fabric of the universe must have an author, is as incre- 

 dible as untrue. By his defence of God's word, did he not give 

 proof of his belief in that great Being whose mercy he invoked with 

 his latest breath? It is true that he continually absented himself 

 from any place of divine worship ; the fact is easily explained by his 

 experience of the injury he sustained by removal of his habitual 

 covering from his head, even for a very short period. 



The following is the account of his funeral, given by his faithful 

 and attached servant, Bernard Pope, a man possessed of acquirements 

 very unusual in his rank of life ; it is in his own words, addressed 

 to the Reverend Francis T. Hill, grandson of Mr. Kirwan : " His 

 funeral took place on the 8th of June, 1812 ;* and although it was 

 one of the clauses in his will that he should be buried with as little 

 expense, and in as private a manner, as possible, yet such was the 

 respect and friendship of his numerous friends and literary ac- 

 qxiaintances, that his executors were obliged to deviate from- the 

 letter of his will. There were no cards of invitation issued; every 

 attendance on the part of his friends to follow his mortal remains 

 was voluntary on this mournful occasion. He was buried in St. 

 George's churchyard. Lower Temple-street- The different bodies 

 which composed the procession were, the members of the Royal 

 Irish Academy ; the Fellows and students of Trinity College ; the 

 Judges ; the Benchers of the Honourable Society of King's Inns ; 

 the members of the Kirwanian Society ; the members of the Royal 

 Dublin Society, and of the Dublin Library Society ; with some pro- 

 fessors and students of Maynooth College. There were between 800 

 and 900 gentlemen in the procession, followed by a numerous train of 

 carriages of the nobility and gentry. The route of the procession was 

 as follows : from Cavendish-row through Sackville-street, West- 

 moreland-street, College-green, Dame-street, Parliament-street, Ca- 

 pel-street, Bolton-street, Dorset-street, and Temple-street, to the 

 church. The funeral service was performed before a most respect- 

 able congregation, who wished to pay this last solemn rite to his 

 memory ; after which the coffin was deposited in the north side of 

 the churchyard, in an angle near the street, the head of the coffin 



* A resolution of the Royal Dublin Society indicates that he was interred 

 on the 5th of June. 



