236 ENGLAND-^ 



chant ships, were taken in the West Indies, by a fleet under the 

 command of sir Hyde Parker. 



By the intrigues of the French court, Spain was at length brought 

 to engage with France in the war against England. One of the first 

 enterprises in which tne Spaniards engaged, was the siege of Gibral- 

 tar, wnich was defended by the garrison with great vigour. The na- 

 val force of Spain was also added to that of France, now become ex- 

 tremely formidable, and their combined fleets seemed for a time to 

 ride almost triumphant in the British Channel"." So .great were their 

 armaments, that the nation was under no inconsiderable apprehen- 

 sions of an invasion ; but they did not venture to make an experiment 

 of that kind, and, after parading for some time in the Channel, 

 thought proper to retire to their own ports, without effecting any thing. 



The middle of the year 1780 was distinguished by one of the most 

 disgraceful exhibitions of religious bigotry that had ever appeared in 

 this country ; especially if it be considered as happening in an age in 

 which the principles of toleration were well understood, and very pre- 

 valent. An act of parliament had been lately passed " for relieving- 

 his majesty's subjects, professing the Romish religion, from certain 

 penalties and disabilities imposed upon them in the 11th and 12th 

 years of the reign of king William III." The act at first seemed to 

 give little offence to persons of any class in England ; but in Scotland 

 it excited much indignation, though it did not extend to that king- 

 dom. Resolutions were formed to oppose any law for granting in- 

 dulgences to papists in Scotland ; and a Romish chapel was burned, 

 and the houses of several papists demolished in the city of Edin- 

 burgh. The contagion of bigotry at length reached England ; a 

 number of persons assembled themselves together, with a view of 

 promoting a petition to parliament, for a repeal of the late act in fa- 

 vour of the papists, and they assumed the title of the Protestant As- 

 sociation. It was then resolved, in order to give the more weight to 

 their petition, that it should be attended by great numbers of peti- 

 tioners in person ; and a public advertisement was issued for that pur- 

 pose, signed by lord George Gordon. 



Fifty thousand persons are supposed to have assembled with this 

 view, on Friday the 2d of June, in St. George's Fields; from whence 

 they proceeded, with blue cockades in their hats, to the house of 

 commons, where their petition was presented by their president. In 

 the course of the day several members of both houses of parliament 

 were grossly insulted and ill-treated by the populace ; and a mob 

 assembled the same evening, by which the Sardinian chapel in Lin- 

 coln's-inn Fields, and another Romish chapel in Warwick-street, 

 Golden-square, were entirely demolished. These riots continued for 

 several days, during which time a number of public and private houses 

 were destroyed, prisons broken open, and the most violent excesses 

 committed. 



But at length, as all property began to be insecure, an order was 

 issued, by the authority of the king in council, " for the military to 

 act without waiting for directions from the civil magistrates, and to 

 use force for dispersing the illegal and tumultuous assemblies of the 

 people." The troops exerted themselves with diligence in the sup- 

 pression of these alarming tumults, great numbers of the rioters 

 were killed, many were apprehended, who were afterwards tried and 

 executed for felony,* and the metropolis was at length restored to or- 

 der and tranquillity. 



_ * Lord George Gordon was himself committed to the Tower, and tried for 

 high treason, but acquitted. 



