of the House, but that he did not like delays, for the Parliament might be prorogued by that time.

He came once more, and faid he faw little reafon to hope redrefs from the decifions of Parliament that they fhould meet again-that they ought not to defpair, but to put their truft in Providence,

He came a third time, and faid, "Gentlemen, the alarm has gone forth for many miles round. the city. You have got a very good Prince, who as foon as he fhall hear the alarm has feized fuch a number of men, will no doubt fend down private orders to his Minifters to enforce the prayer of your Petition."

When the mob was raging and roaring in the lobby, General Conway fat himself down by Lord George, and addreffed him to the following purpose: "My Lord, I am a military man, and I shall think it my duty to protect the freedom of debate in this Houfe by my fword; you fee, my Lord, the Members of this House are this day all in arms. Do not imagine that we will be overpowered or intimidated by a rude, undisciplined, unprincipled rabble. There is only one entry into the Houfe of Commons, and that is a narrow one. Reflect, that men of honour may defend this pafs; and that certainly many lives will be loft. before

Da

before we will fuffer ourselves to be overawed by your adherents. I wish, in one word, my Lord, to know whether it is your intention to bring those men, whofe wild uproar now ftrikes our ears, within the walls of this house?" Soon after General Conway had done fpeaking with Lord George, Colonel Gordon, a near relation of his Lordship's, went up to him, and accofted him in the following manner: "My Lord George, do you intend to bring your rafcally adherents into the House of Commons? If you do,—the first man of them that enters, I will plunge my fword not into his, but into your body."

Lord George, it is faid, was very much dif mayed by what had fallen from General Conway, and his kinfman, Colonel Gordon, and it was in confequence of what they had threatened, that he came to the top of the gallery stairs, and defired the populace to be quiet, and to truft to the goodness of their caufe, and to his Majesty's clemency and juftice,

While his Lordship was making his fecond fpeech, one of his relations, General Grant, came behind him, and by a gentle violence endeavoured to draw him back into the Houfe, and aid to him, "O Lord George, Lord George! for God's fake, Lord George! do not lead thefe poor people into any danger."-His Lordship, however, made the General no anfwer, but con

tinued

tinued his harangue-" You fee, faid he, in this effort to perfuade me from my duty, before. your eyes, an inftance of the difficulties I have to encounter with from fuch wife men of this world as my honourable friend behind my back.",

Alderman Sawbridge and others endeavoured to perfuade the people to clear the lobby, but to no purpose; and about nine o'clock, different Members conjured them in the most earnest and pathetic manner to difperfe, informing them at the fame time of their danger, and of the refolution that was taken to fend for the Guards. The young gentleman, the Affiftant to the Chaplain of the Houfe of Commons, addreffed them, but gained nothing except curses, and "You be damned! Lord George Gordon forever!" soon after this, a party of Horse and Foot Guards arrived. Juftice Addington was at the head of the Horfe, and was received with a volley of hiffes; but on his affuring the people that his difpofition towards them was perfectly peaceable, and that he would order the foldiers away, if they would give their honour to difperfe, he gained their good will. Accordingly the Cavalry galloped off, and upwards of fix hundred of the Petitioners, after giving the Magiftrate three cheers, departed from thence,

The greatest part of the day the attention of the House of Commons had been taken up in debates

debates concerning the Mob. When they had obtained fome degree of order, Lord George introduced his bufinefs with informing them, that he had before him a Petition* figned by near one hundred and twenty thousand of his Majefty's Proteftant fubjects, praying "A Repeal of the Act paffed the laft Seffion in favour of the Roman Catholics," and moved to have the faid Petition brought up,

Mr. Alderman Bull feconded the motion, and leave was accordingly given.

Having brought up the Fetition, his Lordship then moved to have it taken into immediate confideration, and was again feconded by Mr. Alderman Bull.

After fome debate, the Houfe divided, and there appeared fix for the Petition, and one hundred and ninety-two against it. Soon after this the House adjourned, and the mob having difperfed from the avenues of both Houses, the Guards were ordered home.

But though order and tranquility were re-established in this part of the town, it was far otherwife elsewhere. The Mob had paraded off in different divifions from Palace Yard, and (whether inftigated by religious phrenzy or defigning men, time alone can difcover) as a prelude to the hor

* Vide Note F.

rid

rid devaftations which were to follow, went fome of them to the Romish Chapel in Duke-street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, and others to that in Warwick-ftreet, Golden-fquare, both of which they in a great measure demolished. The military were fent for with the utmoft expedition to both places, but could not arrive time enough at either to prevent the mischiefs. Those who had the command of the military were very cautious of proceeding to extremities, much fcuffling enfued, and fome few were flightly wounded with the bayonets. Thirteen of the rioters were taken, and the mob, for that night, dispersed without any farther mifchief.

The conclufion of this evening's disturbance may be faid, to be only the beginning of those dreadful scenes of defolation which have fince enfued; and which when the perpetrators are long funk into oblivion, fhall be recorded as fome of the most unparalleled and daring outrages hiftory can furnish.

The riots which were fo alarming on Friday evening partly fubfided on the Saturday, and the peaceable part of the inhabitants imagined it was nothing more than the intemperate fury of a few mifguided zealots, affifted by thofe mifcreants, who always mingle with the mob, whofe trade is plunder, and who are therefore continually active in all fcenes where tumult and anarchy

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