LONDON. 
and keen in apprehenfion ; of ready wit and molt entertain¬ 
ing converfation ; not without a propenfity to farcafrn, 
but always ready to give up his opinion when his oppofer 
was able to bring arguments or facts w hich could produce 
convifHon. Of his moral character the lefs that is faid 
the better; but no one ever difcharged the duties of cham¬ 
berlain more refpeftably : he was better qualified to give- 
advice than to take it. 
The month of June of the year 1780 (Kennet mayor) 
was fiigmatized by a molt tremendous infurre&ion, 
which threatened the total deftruftion of the cities of 
London and Weftminfter, and the memory of which will 
live long in the minds of men as a deferable fpecimen of 
what ftern intolerance and blindnefs of religious zeal can 
do. Tantum rcligio potuit fuadere malomm! Lucr. B. i. 
Although vve have given a general account of this un¬ 
fortunate tranfaftion under England, in ourfixth volume, 
yet in the prefent article we think it will be expected of 
us to be fomewhat more particular. 
The dreadful feene of riot and confufion commenced 
on the 2d of June. On the morning of that day, in con- 
fequence of an advertifement from the Proteftant Affccia- 
tion, a vaft number of people afienibled in St. George’s 
Fields, to proceed to Weftminfter, in a body, with a pe¬ 
tition to the houfe of commons, for the repeal of a law 
palled in the preceding felfion for the relief of the Roman 
catholics. About eleven o’clock, they were joined by 
their prefident, lord George Gordon, who, having made 
a (liort fpeech to them, recommending a peaceable de¬ 
portment, formed them into four divifions; in which or¬ 
der they marched over London-bridge, through Cornhill, 
Fleet-ftreet, and the Strand, following their refpedive 
banners, on which was expreffed the nameof the divifion, 
with the words “No Popery!” At Charing-Crofs they 
were joined by frelh numbers of their own body, who pro¬ 
ceeded with them to the lioule of commons. On their 
arrival at New Palace-yard, they found their prefident and 
the committee, who had taken the route of Weftminfter- 
bridge, waiting to receive them. By this time their num¬ 
bers were increafed fo much, that the two Palace-yards, 
Weftminfter-hall, And all the avenues to both houfes of 
parliament, were.entirely filled with them. In this fitua- 
tion they waited the arrival of the members, many of 
whom were grol'sly infulted by them. The archbilhop of 
York was the firft attacked ; the bifhop of Lichfield had 
his gown torn ; the wheels were taken off the bilhop 
of Lincoln’s carriage, and his lordlbip narrowly efcaped ; 
lord Bathurft, prefident of the council, was treated very 
roughly ; the windows and pannels of lord Mansfield’s 
coach were broken to pieces; the duke of Northumberland 
loft his watch; the lords Townffiend and Hilifborough 
came together, and were greatly infulted ; lord Stormont’s 
coach was broken to pieces, and himfelf in the hands of the 
mob for near half an hour; lords Athburnham and Bofton 
were treated with the utmoll indignity, particularly the lat¬ 
ter, who was fo long in their power, that it was propofed to 
the houfe to go in a body, and endeavour, by their prefence, 
to extricate him ; but, in the interim, his lordfhip efcaped. 
Many others of the peers were perfonally ill-treated; and 
Wellbore Ellis was obliged to take refuge in Weftmin- 
fter-hall, whither he was purfued, the windows broken, 
the doors forced, and Mr. Juftice Addington, with all the 
eonftables, expelled. Mr. Ellis efcaped with the greateft 
difficulty. 
During thefe unwarrantable proceedings, lord George 
Gordon came feveral times to the top of the gallery-ftairs, 
and harangued the mob, informing them of the bad fuc- 
cefs their petition was likely to meet with, and pointing 
out the members who oppofed it. It was confidered by 
fome as a mark of pufillanimity in the houfe of commons, 
that, upon the arrival of the guards, at night, they did 
not commit oneof their own body, who had fo fliamefuliy 
violated their privileges, and brought them into inch dif- 
grace and danger, to the Tower; but it is doubtful whe¬ 
ther fuch an attempt, on that day, would not have in¬ 
s’ 
113 
creafed the fanatic fury of the populace to a height wftiich 
might have overpowered every endeavour to reftrain it. 
Before the riling of the houfe of commons, feveral par¬ 
ties of the rioters had filed off, and proceeded to the de¬ 
molition of the chapels belonging to the Sardinian and Ba¬ 
varian minifters. The guards had been ordered out to 
proteft the two houfes of parliament; and were now fent 
for to check the deltruftive rage of the mob, but did not 
arrive until every thing moveable was taken into the ftreet, 
and burnt; however, thirteen of the rioters were appre¬ 
hended at the Sardinian chapel. 
On the following day (Saturday) the riots had appa¬ 
rently fubfided, no material depredations having been 
committed ; but on Sunday, in the afternoon, the rioters 
affembled again, in large bodies, and attacked the chapels 
and dwelling-houfes of the catholics in and about Moor- 
fields. They ftripped their houfes of furniture, and their 
chapels, not only of the ornaments and infignia of religion, 
but they alfotore up the altars, pulpits, pews, and benches, 
and made fires of them, leaving nothing but the bare walls. 
About nine o’clock a party of the guards arrived ; on 
which the populace difperfed, but not without fome acci¬ 
dents occasioned by the greatnefs of the crowd. The lord- 
mayor, with the aldermen Clarke and Peckham, and ffie- 
riff Pugh, had before endeavoured to (fop the riot, but to 
no purpofe. 
On Monday the rioters collected again, in Kope-makers- 
alley, Moorfields, where they deinoliftied the fchool-houfe 
and three other houfes. A fecond party went to Wap- 
ping, where they deftfoyed the catholic chapels in Virgi- 
nia-lane and Nightingala-lane, and committed many out¬ 
rages; and a third party did the fame in the Borough. 
Mr. Rainsforth, tallow-chandler, of Stanhope-ftreet, Clare - 
market, and Mr. Maberley, of Little Queen-ftreet, Lin- 
coln’s-inn-fields, who had appeared as evidences again!! 
fome of the rioters on their examinations before the ma- 
giftrates, had their houfes ftripped, and the contents 
committed to the flames. Sir George Saville’s houfe, in 
Leicelter-fields, underwent the fame fate, becaufe he had 
prepared and brought the bill into parliament for the re¬ 
lief of the catholics. 
All the military in town were ordered upon duty onTuef- 
day ; but', notwithftanding every precaution, lord Sandwich 
was wounded in attempting to go down to the houfe of peers, 
his carriage was demolifiied, and he was refeued, with 
difficulty, by the military. About fix o’clock in the 
evening, one party went to the houfe of Mr. Juftice 
Hyde, in St. Martin’s ftreet, Leicefter-fields, which they 
deftroyed; another party paraded through Long Acre and 
Holborn, to Newgate, declaring, as they went along, that 
they would releale the confined rioters. When they ar¬ 
rived at the prilon, they demanded their comrades of Mr 
Akerman, the keeper; but he perfifted in his duty, and 
refufed; on which the mob broke the windows; fome 
battered the doors and entrances into the cells with pick- 
axes and (ledge-hammers; others climbed the walls with 
ladders; while feveral collecfed fire-brands, and whatever 
combuftibies they could find, and flung into his dwelling- 
houfe. The flames fpread from Mr. Akerman’s houfe to 
the chapel, and thence through the whole prifon; in con- 
fequence of which, all the prifloners, to the amount of 
three hundred, among whom were four ordered for exe¬ 
cution on the following Thurfday, were releafed. 
Even this was hut a moiety of the mifehief of this ter¬ 
rible night. Not fatiated with the deftruttion of this 
great building, a party was fent among the catholics in 
Devonfhire-ftreet, Red-lion-fquare ; another to the houfe of 
Mr. Juftice Cox, in Great Queen-ftreet, which was loon de¬ 
ftroyed : a third broke open the doors of the New Prifon, 
Clerkenwell, and turned out all the. confined; a fourth 
deftroyed the furniture and effects, writings, &c. of fir 
John Fielding; and a fifth defperate and infernal gang 
went to the elegant houfe of lord Mansfield, in Bloomi- 
bury-fquare, which they, with the nioft unrelenting furv, 
fet fire to, and confumed. The lofs here was immenie, 
both 
