THE RIOTS IN 



give, with chalk, threatening to return in the evening and burn 

 them for refusing. Whatever induced the ruling powers to neglect 

 this matter so long, they now began to stir. Soldiers were drawn 

 trom different parts of the country towards London. One camp was 

 formed in St. James's Park, another in the gardens of the British 

 Museum, and others in different situations where they might be 

 useful. This was now become highly necessary ; for the mob, find- 

 ing their orders had been obeyed at the Fleet and King's Bench, sent 

 a similar notice to the Bank of England, intimating their determina- 

 tion to visit that establishment. They now began to mount the 

 sky-blue cockade, which had long been the favourite symbol of 

 VVilkes and liberty ; they wore it themselves, and likewise insulted 

 those who did not. This was now interrupted by the appearance of 

 light-horsemen in the street, sometimes singly, at others in pairs, 

 riding as patroles with sabres drawn. Where they saw several of 

 the mob together, they were ordered to disperse ; where blue cock- 

 ades were seen, the possessors were ordered to give them up to the 

 soldiers. This was, by these children of liberty, thought a hard- 

 ship, and resisted by grumbling, which was generally overcome by a 

 few smart strokes from the fiat side of a sabre, but I saw none who 

 indicated a desire to be subjected to the operation of losing blood. 

 As every thing indicated an important change in the order of things, 

 I changed my resolution from being present at seeing what was 

 going on, to that of seeing what had been done after it was over. 



The sight of individual houses burning, or, after having recently 

 been burned, had entirely lost the charm of novelty for me, and left 

 scarcely any other, they were so very common. Walking home one 

 night, I counted twelve extensive streams of light in different parts 

 of the firmament, reflected from different fires in various parts of 

 the town, and heard different vollies of musquetry, which indicated 

 that mischief was doing its work in various parts of the town. 

 This induced me, the following day, to survey, in the safety of 

 broad day-light, the scenes in which the firing that I heard the pre- 

 ceding evening passed. 



In going towards the city, where the principal actions of the pre- 

 ceding evening seemed to have passed, great alterations in the streets 

 were perceived. Holborn was deserted, and the pavement so dry, 

 that not a single drop of gin was to be perceived, nor any individual 

 capable of drinking it had it been there. Newgate was a deserted 

 ruin, as much so as King John's Palace at Eltham, or Kirkstall 

 Abbey in Yorkshire. The first symptoms of animation that is, ac- 

 tive mischief shewed itself at the top of Cheapside : this induced 

 me to press forward to the fountain head whence all this mischief 

 sprung. I learnt that the mob had kept its promise, sending to in- 

 form the governors of the Bank they would go in the evening to 

 receive their dividends in person, not doubting that they would be 

 duly honoured. The silence, if not the civility, they were received 

 with, misled them to believe the rest would be a matter of course. 

 Upon knocking at the gates a pause first ensued, then the gates 

 opened slotvly. Those assailants who were nearest being pushed for- 

 wards by those immediately behind, and they by others in succession 



