noise and confusion were almost stupefying--there were
praying--swearing--crying-howling--smoking--and drinking.

"At the head of the bed where the remains of Murtoch were
laid, was the picture of the Virgin Mary on one side, and
that of St. Patrick on the other; and at the feet was
depicted the devil and some of his angels, with the blood
running down their backs, from the flagellations which they
had received from the disciples of Ketigern. Whether the
blue devils were flying around or not, I could not exactly
discover, but the whiskey and _blue ruin_ were evidently
powerful in their effects.

"One was swearing--a second counting his beads--a
third descanting on the good qualities of his departed
friend, and about to try those of the whiskey--a fourth
evacuating that load with which he had already overloaded
himself--a fifth, declaring he could carry a fare, hear
mass, knock down a member of parliament, murder a peace
officer, and after all receive a pension: and while the
priest was making an assignation with a sprightly female
sprig of Shelalah, another was jonteelly picking his pocket.
I had seen enough, and having no desire to continue in such
company, made my escape with as much speed as I could from
this animated group of persons, assembled as they were upon
so solemn an occasion."

~85~~With conversation of this kind, the party were amused up St.
Martin's lane, and on the remainder of the road to Bow-street, followed
by many persons, some of whom pretended to have seen a part of the
proceedings, and promised to give their evidence before the magistrate,
who was then sitting.

On arriving in Bow Street, they entered the Brown Bear,{1} a
public-house, much frequented by the officers, and in which is a
strong-room for the safe custody of prisoners, where they were shewn
into a dark back-parlour, as they termed it, and the officer proceeded
to search the man in custody, when lo and behold! the handkerchief was
not to be found about him.

Pat d----d the devil and all his works--swore "by the fiery furnace of
Beelzebub, and that's the devil's own bed-chamber, that was the man
that nibbled the Jontleman's _dive_,{2} and must have _ding'd away the
wipe_,{3} or else what should he _bolt_{4} for?--that he was up to the
_rum slum_,{5}

1 A former landlord of the house facetiously christened