APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



351 



tated the person into the area, a 

 height of at least twenty feet : 

 but he contented himself with 

 putting one hand to his breast, 

 and with the, other shutting the 

 window. Sir Francis, his son, 

 and brother, shut down all the 

 other windows — while they saw a 

 body of troops drawn up in front 

 of the house. During this mo- 

 ment, so alarming to the deli- 

 cacy of the sex and to the affec- 

 tion of a wife and mother, seeing 

 her husband and only son ex- 

 posed to the possible discharge of 

 artillery and musketry, both she 

 and all the ladies maintained the 

 most perfect constancy of mind ; 

 and both in this moment, and in 

 the scene which ensued, displayed 

 a courage that did honour to 

 their understandings and their 

 hearts. 



Mr. O'Connor ran down stairs 

 to see if all was safe below. He 

 met about twenty men with con- 

 stables' staves in their hands. 

 They had descended the area, and 

 had burst open a window, sashes, 

 frame and all, by which they en- 

 tered through a small servant's 

 room. He asked them what they 

 wanted ? They answered — Sir 

 Francis Burdett; Was heat home? 

 He replied, that sir Francis was 

 at home ; What did they want 

 with him ? They rushed up to 

 the drawing room where sir Fran- 

 cis and his family, with the ladies, 

 still were. At this time there 

 were constables only ; the ser- 

 geant-at-arms did not show liim- 

 self, nor was there any magistrate; 

 but the sergeant-at-arms (Mr. 

 Colman) followed the posse of 

 constables up stairs, and said : — 

 Sergeant,—*' Sir Francis, you 

 are my prisoner." 



SJri^ranc/s.— <'By what author- 



ity do you act Mr. Sergeant ? By 

 what power, Sir, have you broken 

 into my house, in violation of the 

 laws of the land ?" 



Sergeant. — " Sir Francis, I am 

 authorised by the warrant of Mr. 

 Speakerof theHouse of Commons." 

 Sir Francis. — " 1 contest the 

 authority of such a warrant. Ex- 

 hibit to me the legal warrant upon 

 which you have dared to violate 

 my house ? Where is the sheriff? 

 Where is the magistrate?" (at 

 this time there was no magistrate, 

 but he soon afterwards appeared.) 

 Sergeant. — " Sir Francis, my 

 authority is in my hand— 1 will 

 read it to you : it is the warrant of 

 the right honourable the Speaker 

 of the House of Commons." 

 (And here Mr. Colman attempted 

 to read the warrant; but which 

 he did with great trepidation.) 



Sir Francis. — " I repeat to you 

 that it is no sufficient warrant. No 

 ' — not to arrest my person in the 

 open street, much less to break 

 open my house, in violation of all 

 law. If you have a warrant from 

 his majesty, or from a proper 

 officer of the king, I will pay in- 

 stant obedience to it; but 1 will 

 not vield to an illegal order." 



Sergeant. — " Sir Francis 1 de- 

 mand you to yield in the name of 

 the Commons House of Parlia- 

 ment, and I trust you will not 

 compel me to use force. I en- 

 treat you to believe that I wish 

 to show you every respect." 



Sir Francis. — "I tell you dis- 

 tinctly, that I will not voluntarily 

 submit to an unlawful order ; and 

 I demand in the king's name, and 

 in the name of the laws, that you 

 forthwith retire from my house." 

 Sergeant, — " Then, Sir, I must 

 call in assistance, and force you 

 to yield," 



