anarchy prevail. But this was by no means the cafe, for on Sunday in the afternoon, the rioters affembled in large bodies, and attacked the chapels and dwelling-houses of the Catholics in and about Moorfields. They ftript their houfes of furniture, and their chapels not only of the ornaments and infignia of religion, but tore up the altars, pulpits, pews, and benches, and made huge fires of them, leaving nothing but the bare walls, and in many places not even them. They publicly avowed their intention to root out Popery, to release those who had been confined in Newgate for their proceedings at the Sardinian and Warwick ftreet chapels on Friday, to pull down the houses of the juftices who committed them, and the perfons who gave evidence against them likewife.

On Monday the mobs collected again, and became more formidable. They began to put their threats in execution in different quarters of the town. Some paraded with the reliques of havock, which they collected in Moorfields, as far as Lord George Gordon's houfe, in Welbeck-ftreet, and afterwards burnt them in the adjacent fields. Another party went to Virginialane, Wapping, and a third to Nightingale-lane, East Smithfield, where they severally destroyed the Catholic Chapels, and committed other outrages. They feemed to have been marfhalled

our,

out, and different bodies difpatched on these infernal errands. Mr. Rainsforth, tallow-chandler, of Stanhope-ftreet, Clare-market, and Mr. Maberly of Little Queen-street, Lincoln's Innfields, who had appeared as evidences on the examination of thofe who had been committed, had each of them their houfes, fhops, &c. ftript, or as they wantonly termed it, gutted, and the contents committed to the flames. Sir George Savile's houfe in Leicester-fields underwent the fame fate, his crime was preparing and bringing the bill into Parliament in favour of the Catholics. Happily for Sir George he had prudently removed his plate and fome of the most valuable of his furniture, and other effects, in a private manner.

This day alfo, which was held as the Anniverfary of the King's birth-day, a Proclamation was iffued, promifing a reward of five hundred pounds, to thofe who would make difcovery of the perfon or perfons concerned in demolishing and fetting fire to the Sardinian and Bavarian Chapels. The perfons formerly ap prehended, too, were re-examined, and fome were discharged, while others were ordered to Newgate, whither they were escorted by a party of the Guards, whom, on their return, the mob had the infolence to pelt. One of the foldiers who had been hurt by a ftone, turned and prefented his piece; but the commanding officer humanely

E

humanely ordered him not to fire; and the foldiers were obliged to make a hafty retreat.

All ranks of people began to be exceedingly terrified at the lawless proceedings of this day; and numbers put blue cockades in their hats, (al→ though it might now be faid to be the enfign of rebellion,) on purpose to avoid perfonal injury and infult.

We now come to that period of defolation and deftruction, when every man began to tremble, not only for the fafety of the city, but for the conftitution, for the kingdom, for property, liberty and life, for every thing that is dear to fociety, or to Englishmen.

On Tuesday all the military in town were ordered on duty at the Tower, both Houfes of Parliament, St. James's, St. George's Fields, &c. during the day. Notwithstanding every precaution, Lord Sandwich was wounded in attempting to go down to the Parliament Houfe to attend his duty, his carriage demolished, and himfelf rescued by the military with difficulty. The houfe of Lord North was attacked, and only preferved by the exertion of a party of Light Horfe, who rode over, and wounded with their fwords, feveral of the affailants.

About fix in the evening one party went to the houfe of Juftice Hyde, near Leicester Fields, which

which they deftroyed in less than an hour; another, shortly after, paraded through Long Acre, down Holborn, &c, till they came to Newgate, and publicly declared they would go and release the confined Rioters. When they arrived at the doors of the prison, they demanded of Mr. Akerman the keeper, to have their comrades immediately delivered up to them; and upon his perfifting to do his duty, by refufing, they began fome to break the windows, fome to batter the doors and entrances into the cells, with pick-axes and fledge-hammers, others with ladders to climb the vast walls, while others collected firebrands, and whatever combuftibles they could find, and flung into his dwelling house. What contributed more than any thing to the spreading of the flames, was the great quantity of houfehold furniture belonging to Mr. Akerman, which they threw out of the windows, piled up against the doors, and fet fire to; the force of which prefently communicated to the house, from the houfe to the chapel, and from thence, by the affiftance of the Mob, all through the prifon. A party of Conftables, nearly to the amount of a hundred, came to the affiftance of the keeper; these the Mob made a lane for, and fuffered to pass till they were entirely encircled, when they attacked them with great fury, broke their staffs, and converted them into brands, which they hurled about wherever the fire, which was fpreading very fast, had not caught. It is almost

E 2

almoft incredible to think that it were poffible to destroy a building of fuch amazing strength and extent, with fo much fwiftnefs as they accomplifhed this. As foon as the flames had destroyed Mr. Akerman's houfe, which was part of Newgate, and were communicated to the wards and cells, all the prifoners, to the amount of three hundred, among whom were four under sentence of death, and ordered for execution on the Thursday following, were released. The activity of the Mob was in this inftance, as well as every other, amazing. They dragged out the prifoners, many of them, by the hair of the head, by the legs or arms, or whatever part they could lay hold of: They broke open the doors of the different entrances, as easily as if they had all their lives been acquainted with the intricacies of the place, to let the confined efcape. Great numbers were let out at the door that leads to the Seffion's House; and fo well planned were all the mapœuvres of thefe defperate ruffians, that they had placed centinels at the avenues, to prevent any of the prisoners from being conveyed to other jails. Thus was the ftrongest and most durable prifon in England, that had been newly erected, and was not yet finished, and in the building of which the nation had expended immenfe fums demolished, the bare walls excepted, which were too thick and strong to yield to the force of fire, in the space of a few hours.

i

Eve