266 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



The 14th light dragoons followed; 

 both regiments mustered very 

 strong. The one body was pre- 

 ceded by a militarv band of music, 

 and three blue silk banners. On 

 the first was inscribed, " The Con- 

 stitution ;'' on the second, " Trial 

 by Jury ;" and on the third, "Bur- 

 dett and Freedom," About 300 

 gentlemen assembled on horseback 

 in different parts of the city, and 

 arrived on Tower-hill about two 

 o'clock. Among them we observed 

 Major Cartwright, and a number 

 of gentlemen who compose the 

 Westminster committee. In the 

 Minories thecarriages were arrang- 

 ed about two hundred in number. 

 There were about twenty gentle- 

 men's carriages, the remainder 

 were stage and hackney-coaches. 

 The latter were crowded outside 

 and in with men and women, who 

 woreblue favours and other tokens 

 of their attachment to sir Francis 

 Burdett. Asearlyas twelveo'clock 

 the greater part of the shop win- 

 dows by which the procession was 

 to pass, were shut, and the other 

 front windows were left for the 

 accommodation of persons who 

 wished to witness it. The sides of 

 all the streets were also nearly lined 

 with teams and carts, which were 

 filled by men, women, and children. 

 The north and west sides of Tower- 

 hill were immensely crowded by 

 people of every description, which 

 absolutely prevented the proces- 

 sion from being arranged in that 

 regular order which was originally 

 intended. The ramparts of the 

 Tower were filled by soldiers, 

 chiefly in their slop-dress, and 

 without arms. They were fre- 

 quently cheered bj the people on 

 Tower-hill, but did not once re- 

 turn it. After a long and anxious 

 fiuspense for the appearance of sir 



Francis Burdett, a soldier in the 

 Tower cal led several times through 

 a speaking trumpet — " He is gone 

 by water:" but no person seemed 

 to give any credit to what he had 

 said to them. A little afterwards, 

 one of the constables, with much 

 difficulty, assured the people that 

 sir Francis Burdett had gone by 

 water ; but he received no more 

 credit for his assertion than the per- 

 son who spoke from the Tower. 

 At half past four o'clock, however, 

 three placards were suspended over 

 the gates of the Tower, with the 

 following inscription: — "SirFran- 

 cis Burdett left the Tower by water 

 at half-past three." 



The appearance of this notice 

 soon spread the utmost astonish- 

 mentand consternation among the 

 whole people assembled ; and gave 

 rise to ver}' different andcontradic- 

 tory surmises. Some asserted that 

 sir FrancisBurdett never would de- 

 part by water, and disappoint the 

 goodintentions of hisfriends, unless 

 he were compelled to do so. Others 

 said he had withdrawn himself pri- 

 vately, lest his appearance should 

 excite tumult, and he should after- 

 wards be blamed for the conse- 

 quences ; and many even asserted 

 that he had been ordered to attend 

 the House of Commons, where he 

 was to receive a reprimand pre- 

 vious to his discharge. 



Mr. Sheriff Wood and Mr. She- 

 riff Atkins at last came to the 

 Tower-gate on horseback, and ap- 

 peared as little able as the rest to 

 account tor tlie non-appearance of 

 the honourable baronet. They then 

 entered the Tower, where they re- 

 mained about a quarter of an hour; 

 when they returned, and informed 

 JNIajor Cartwright and the other 

 gentlemen who were appointed to 

 conduct the procession, that sir 



