Page 557 - ULYSSES

Ulysses

The last farewell was affecting in the extreme. From the
belfries far and near the funereal deathbell tolled
unceasingly while all around the gloomy precincts rolled
the ominous warning of a hundred muffled drums

punctuated by the hollow booming of pieces of ordnance.
The deafening claps of thunder and the dazzling flashes of
lightning which lit up the ghastly scene testified that the
artillery of heaven had lent its supernatural pomp to the
already gruesome spectacle. A torrential rain poured down
from the floodgates of the angry heavens upon the bared
heads of the assembled multitude which numbered at the
lowest computation five hundred thousand persons. A
posse of Dublin Metropolitan police superintended by the
Chief Commissioner in person maintained order in the
vast throng for whom the York street brass and reed band
whiled away the intervening time by admirably rendering
on their blackdraped instruments the matchless melody
endeared to us from the cradle by Speranza’s plaintive
muse. Special quick excursion trains and upholstered
charabancs had been provided for the comfort of our
country cousins of whom there were large contingents.
Considerable amusement was caused by the favourite
Dublin streetsingers L-n-h-n and M-ll-g-n who sang The
Night before Larry was stretched in their usual mirth-

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