sing his body a little below his stomach;
in other parts of Ireland, the coffin is borne upon a bier on the
shoulders, but this is more convenient and less distressing.

When we got out upon the road, the funeral was of great extent--for
Kelly had been highly respected. On arriving at the merin which bounded
the land he had owned, the coffin was laid down, and a loud and wailing
keene took place over it. It was again raised, and the funeral proceeded
in a direction which I was surprised to see it take, and it was not
until an acquaintance of my brother's had explained the matter that I
understood the cause of it. In Ireland when a murder is perpetrated, it
is sometimes usual, as the funeral proceeds to the grave-yard, to bring
the corpse to the house of him who committed the crime, and lay it down
at his door, while the relations of the deceased kneel down, and, with
an appaling solemnity, utter the deepest, imprecations, and invoke
the justice of heaven on the head of the murderer. This, however, is
generally omitted if the residence of the criminal be completely out
of the line of the funeral, but if it be possible, by any circuit, to
approach it, this dark ceremony is never omitted. In cases where the
crime is doubtful, or unjustly imputed, those who are thus visited
come out, and laying their right hand upon the coffin, protest their
innocence of the blood of the deceased, calling God to witness the truth
of their asseverations; but, in cases where the crime is clearly proved
against the murderer, the door is either closed, the ceremony repelled
by violence, or the house abandoned by the inmates until the funeral
passes.*

* Many of these striking and startling old customs have
nearly disappeared, and indeed it is better that they
should.

The death of Kelly, however, could not be actually, or, at least,
directly considered a murder, for it was probable that Grimes did
not inflict the stroke with an intention to take away his life, and,
besides, Kelly survived it four months. Grimes's house was not more
than fifteen perches from the road: and when the corpse was opposite the
little bridleway that led up to it, they laid it down for a moment, and
the relations of Kelly surrounded it, offering up a short prayer, with
uncovered heads. It was then borne toward the house, whilst the keening
commenced in a loud and wailing cry, accompanied with clapping of hands,
and every other symptom of external sorro