noon
What means this warlike cry ? I 'll to the casement , tho ' my soul 's Misgivings tell me why . After a succession of gloomy days the imperial town of Ulm , on the 12th of March 1519 , at length was enlivened by a fine bright morning . Mists from the Danube , which at such a season generally hung heavily over the town , had on this occasion been dispelled before noon by the sun , and as it rose , the view of the plain on the opposite side of the river became gradually clearer and more extended . The narrow , cold streets , inclosed by their dark gable-ended houses , were also lighted up more bright than usual , and shone with a brilliancy and cheerfulness which accorded well with the festive appearance of the town on that day . The main street , called the Herdbrucker street , leading from the Danube gate to the town hall , was on this morning thronged with people , whose heads were so closely packed on either side against the houses -LRB- like stones of a wall -RRB- that they left but a narrow passage through the middle . A hollow murmur , the indication of great expectation , which issued from the crowd , was only occasionally interrupted by a loud laugh , caused by the severity of the city guard , celebrated for its strictness and its antiquity , who , using their long halberds , pushed back with appropriate rudeness whoever was unfortunate enough to be squeezed out of his place into the middle of the street ; or perchance by some wag , who , by way of joke , would exclaim , `` Here they come , here they come ! ''