352 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



Upon which the constables laid 

 hold of Sir Francis. Mr. Jones 

 Burdett, and Mr. O'Connor im- 

 niediately stepped up, and each 

 took him under an arm. The 

 constables closed in on all three, 

 and drew them down stairs. 



Sir Francis then said, — " I pro- 

 test in the king's name against 

 this violation of my person and 

 f my house. It is superior force 

 only that hurries me out of it, and 

 you do it at your peril." 



The ladies were still present and 

 betrayed no symptoms of alarm ; 

 no doubt from the confidence 

 which they had in sir Francis's 

 temper, and in their persuasion 

 that no outrage beyond the ac- 

 tual arrest would be committed.'' 



In descending the stairs, sir 

 Francis hoped that his brother 

 and his friend might be allowed 

 to accompany him ; which Mr. 

 Colman promised. 



A coach was drawn up at the 

 'door ; it was instantly surrounded 

 by cavalry. The baronet stepped 

 in first, followed by the sergeant 

 and a constable. Mr. Jones Bur- 

 dett and Mr. O'Connor also got 

 in ; but the latter was taken out, 

 and the cavalcade instantly set 

 oft' at a rapid pace. 



The procession moved from sir 

 Francis Burdett's house in the fol- 

 lowing Older: — two squadrons of 

 the fifteenth light dragoons ; two 

 troopsoflifeguards, with Mr. Read 

 the magistrate at their head ; the 

 coach with sir Francis; two more 

 troops of life guards ; a troop of 

 the fifteenth light dragoons ; two 

 battalions of foot guards, march- 

 ing in open order ; and a party of 

 the fifteenth light dragoons form- 

 ing the rear. In this order they 

 proceeded to Albemarle-street, 

 where they halted, and then turned 



up that street, with the exception 

 of two battalions of foot guards, 

 who marched forward through 

 Piccadilly, the Haymarket, and 

 Strand, to the Tower. 



The escort proceeded along Al- 

 bemarle-street, Bond-street, Con- 

 duit-street,acrossHanover-square, 

 into Oxford street, along John- 

 street, GreatPortland-street, Port- 

 land-road, the New-road, Mary-le 

 bone, byPentonville,acrossIsling- 

 ton, along the City-road to Moor- 

 fields, from thence by Sun-street 

 into Aldgate High-street, and 

 along the Minories to the Tower. 



The procession went on at its 

 outset at a quick rate, and the 

 capture having been made at an 

 earlier hour than the crowd had 

 been in the habit of assembling, 

 the event was not immediately or 

 generally known. The baronet 

 had passed up Albemarle-street 

 before a cry was set up, " They 

 have taken him — they have drag- 

 ed him out of the house !'' The 

 cry spread immediately far and 

 wide : and an immense crowd 

 soon attended the cavalcade, which 

 increased to such an extent that, 

 by the time sir Francis reached 

 the Tower, the crowd had blocked 

 up the Minories and all the streets 

 in its vicinity, and it became im- 

 possible for cart or carriage to 

 pass. Additional preparations had 

 been made in the contemplation 

 of a disturbance near the "Tower. 

 Troops were stationed near it, and 

 a fresh regiment came up by 

 water from Tilbury-fort the same 

 morning. They were quartered 

 in the New Mint, Tower-hill. 



The foot-guards whohadmarch- 

 ed along the Strand and through 

 the city, arrived upon Tower-hill 

 five minutes before twelve. They 

 came down Mark-lane, headed by 



