GENERAL HISTORY. 



[7^' 



at the same place^ on Monday, 

 the 10th of that month, prepared 

 to set out on a march to London, 

 to present their petition themselves 

 to the Prince Regent in person ; 

 that they should form themselves 

 into i)arties of ten each (which 

 arrangement was proposed with 

 the professed view of not trans- 

 gressing the law) ; and that they 

 should supply themselves with 

 provisions for the march, and 

 with blankets for the purpose of 

 sleeping on the ground. 



At many other meetings pre- 

 vious to the 10th, which; though 

 comparatively private, wei'e yet 

 numerously attended, it was re- 

 presented to them, by their ora- 

 tors, that they would be sui'- 

 rounded by the police and the nii- 

 lilary, and that they would be an 

 easy prey if they proceeded with- 

 out arms for their protection. 

 They were assured, however, that 

 their numbers, which, in the 

 course of their progress, would 

 amount to not less than 100,000, 

 would make it impossible ulti- 

 mately to resist them. It was 

 stated that all the huge towns in 

 Yorkshire were adopting the same 

 plan, that the Scotch were actu- 

 ally on their march, and that if 

 the petitioners could once reach 

 Nottingham, or ]5irminghum, the 

 business would be done. They 

 were advised to choose leaders 

 over each subdivision of tens, 

 fifties, and hundreds, and to aj)- 

 ])oint a treasurer to receive con- 

 tributions, which were actually 

 made in a great number of small 

 sums, out of which fund they 

 were taught to expect that eacii 

 man would he suj)plicd with a 

 daily allowance. 



A petition was accordingly pre- 



paredj with a copy of which eveiy 

 tenth man was furnished ; and 

 which concluded by stating to his 

 Royal Highness, that, without the 

 change which they demanded, 

 " they could neither support him, 

 nor themselves ;" and they were 

 told, that if their petition was re- 

 jected, they must demand it; if 

 still rejected, they must force it, 

 and say they would be righted. Jt 

 appears, that some of the pei'sons 

 appi'ehended, were fully prepared 

 to act up to these instructions ; 

 though it is to be presumed, that 

 many of them had no very defi- 

 nite idea of the way in which 

 their services were to be employed j 

 and that even among their leaders, 

 some of the more moderate reck- 

 oned rather upon intimidation, 

 than upon the actual employment 

 of force. At one of those more 

 private meetings, however, which 

 preceded the general assembly, one 

 of those persons, who appeared to 

 have most influence, avowed him- 

 self a republican and leveller ; and 

 professed his determination never 

 to give up till they had established 

 a republican government : the 

 examples of the insurrection in 

 the reign of Richard 2nd, and 

 of the rebellion in Ireland in 

 17 98, were held out, as objects 

 of imitation; and the most vio- 

 lent of such declarations w.is ge- 

 nerally received witlithe strong-est 

 marks of applause. 



In consequence of these pre- 

 parations, the public meeting pro- 

 posed took place at the time a|)- 

 pointed ; and was attended by 

 piobably near 12,000 ))ersons : 

 majiy of these j)roceeded to the 

 ground in regular order, with 

 knajisacks on their backs ; and not- 

 withstanding the assembly was 



dispersed 



