1768 The Wilkes Rioting 103 



Although matters went on peacefully as usual at the 

 Mitre, there was much political commotion in London in 

 the earlier half of this year. In April and May a series of 

 riots led to much injury of property, and much anxiety on 

 the side of the peaceable part of the community. Franklin, 

 who was in London at the time, has left a graphic picture 

 of the condition of things in the metropolis as he himself 

 witnessed it. Writing on April i6th he recounts that he 

 has seen " the mob requiring gentlemen and ladies of all 

 ranks, as they passed in their carriages, to shout for Wilkes 

 and liberty, marking the same words on all their coaches 

 with chalk and No. 45 on every door. I went last week to 

 Winchester, and observed that for fifteen miles out of town 

 there was scarce a door or window-shutter next the road 

 unmarked, and this continued here and there quite to 

 Winchester." Again, on May I4th he wrote : " This capital 

 is now a daily scene of lawless riot. Mobs patrolling the 

 streets at noon-day, some knocking all down that will not 

 roar for Wilkes and liberty ; courts of justice afraid to 

 give judgment against him ; coal-heavers and porters pulling 

 down the houses of coal-merchants that refuse to give 

 them more wages ; sawyers destroying saw-mills ; sailors 

 unrigging all the outward-bound ships, and suffering none 

 to sail till the merchants agree to raise their pay ; water- 

 men destroying private boats and destroying bridges ; 

 soldiers firing among the mobs and killing men, women 

 and children." * 



Throughout this turmoil the philosophers met and dined 

 as they had been wont. When Franklin and Pringle dined 

 with them on 2nd June their several experiences during 

 the previous weeks would doubtless form the subject of 

 not a little of their talk. 



But at the dinners of the Club tin's year a more agreeable 

 topic of conversation would be found in the preparations 

 that were being made for the observation of the transit 

 of Venus, which was to take place in 1769. The Royal 

 Society had taken the lead in these preparations, and in 



1 Memoirs of Franklin, iii. 307, 315. 



