The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-18 00:00:00

THIS DAY.

The great funeral of the great duke was mecum-
phsh duds day, in all the solemn splendour for which the
nation had prepared itself, and fortunately (so far as we yet
how) amid circumstances uninterruptedly favourable.
T4e weather was nearly ell that could be desired ; for, I
thouen iiteissant rain had Seen pouring down all night and
far into the morning. • gratifying change took place to-
ward. six o'clock ; • gradual clearing up continued to
gieht ; and from half-pas eight the sun began to shine out
with a cat traces rate in I. November days of London,
and in fart during the passage of the mournful pageant
from th.' Horse Ouards to the Cathedral there was an em
phatic fine day ! "
Net or tine, the people had deeermined to see the funeral ;
and the) did sue it, and, thank' to good arrangement, saw
it well. All mot London was up and stirring, to crowd itself
iota the single line of street which nine from Constitution-
hill to Ludgate-hill, by five o'clock in the morning ; and
from hoe to eirht (two of these hours being intense dark,
drinaling night), the metropolis was as busy, bustling, and
Stirling as in full daylicht. Carriages whirled ceaselessly
from every quarter and from every suburb, towards St.
; as I the wonderful number of hackney and private
vehicles pat in motion this morning in the capital may
be best connvehendod by coneideration of the fact
that about t. n thousand people were pat down at
Bt. Paul's itself, and that a coasiderable proportion of those
who had bred windows and seats along the line rode, and
did not walk to their places. A. to the podeatrians—the
people—who were there, at all hazards to life and limb,
sertaiuly enjoying • show, but certainly also preemie Ia the
punting tharacti re of unaffected mounters for • satiatel
loss, sod who were at least entitled to participation in the
grand ceremony, if only on the ground that they were pa-
tiently giving up a day, and i's profits, eat of the week--
they were out and in their unassorted plates as soon as the
polioe; and it would, indeed, appear m if %Massada had
bun in tie streets all night, resolute on not being toe late.
By eight, Piccadilly, St. James's.street, Pall-mall, the
B'eaud, Et .et-street, and Ludgate hill, were lined, cia each
side of the well kept hairier,, with compact mimes of
hu.nan being., men and women; but the crowd, enormous
Si it woo, was still hardly what it had been 'spotted and
calculated upon.and it is at :east certain that tiers was sem
of the crushing, endangering life, which had been
outirovisly predicted. Undoubtedly, there was none
of that confusion which, without the most complete and
CIII let provision would attend the congregation of such
multitudes; and for the excellent order tont was kept we
ass indotred largely, no doubt, to the tact and foresight of
the pular.; but also as largely to the good bemoan and
vim, spirit of the people themselves. The harriers heist
things atraiitht; sad the result was that ties sompants
of the exp. 1.1.1T8 seats and window4bad little or ma minus-
tune, ao ter as the men seeing week over the lembise mil-
lions whit crowded the footways smith* plasm.
la sketching the pageant and the taafdsam of the day,
we will take the marvellous passim& la *Ms and give
the scenes is detail.