]lS LON 
both to lord Mansfield, as an individual, and to fhe pub¬ 
lic. A raoll valuable colleftion of piftures, fome of the 
fcarceft manufcripts faid to be in the pofleflion of any private 
perfon in the world, with all his lordfliip’s notes on great 
law-cafes and the conftitution cf England, were facrificed ; 
and lord and lady Mansfield were with difficulty preferved 
from their rage, by making their efcape through a back¬ 
door, a few minutes before thefe rnifcreants broke in and 
■took pofleflion of the houfe. The military was fent for, but 
arrived too late; they were obliged, however, to fire in 
their own defence, and fix men and a woman were killed, 
and feveral wounded. Not contented with the havoc 
and deftr.uftion they had been guilty of in Bloomtbury, 
they went from thence to his lordfinp’s country feat, at 
Ken-wood, which would certainly have ffiared the fame 
fate, had they not been repelled by a party of horfe, which 
had been fent thither for the preservation of this delight¬ 
ful place. The inhabitants were obliged, this night, to 
illuminate their windows. 
It is impoffible to give any adequate defcription of the 
events of Wednefday. Notice was fent round to the pub¬ 
lic prifons of the King’s Bench, Fleet, &c. by the mob, 
at what time they would come and burn them down. 
The fame kind of infernal humanity was exercifed to¬ 
wards Mr. Langdale, a diftiller, in Holborn, and feveral 
other Roman catholics. Tjiree boys went through the 
Ifreets, and, in particular, down Holborn, in the middle 
of the day, with iron bars got from the railing before 
lord Mansfield’s houfe, extorting money at every Ihop, 
huzzaing, and fl'.outing “No Popery!” and, though 
numbers were pafling and repafling, the inhabitants durlt 
not refufe them money, nor attempt to fecure them. Small 
parties, cf the like daring nature, were formed in other 
parts, and the whole city was laid under contribution. 
One man, in particular, was mounted on horfeback, and 
refufed to take any thing but gold. Two men, in the 
broad day, not contented with the former mifehief, got 
into Mr. Maberley’s houfe, in Queen-ftreef, and ltaid for 
upwards of an hour, knocking down the wainfeotting, and 
every bit of wood-work they could with fafety to them- 
fel ves ; and, though a great many peaceable well-drefled peo¬ 
ple looked on, no one molelted them. In the afternoon, 
all the (hops were fliut, and bits of blue filk, by way of 
nags, hung out, at mod houfes, with the words “No 
Popery” chalked on the doors and windovv-fhutters, by 
way of deprecating the fury of the infurgents, from which 
no perfon thought himfelf fecure; infomuch that a certain 
foreigner, well known for his excellent aftion at Sadler’s 
Wells and elfewhere, thought it fafelt to write up “ No 
Religion.” 
As foon as the day was drawing towards a clofe, one of 
the moil awful and dreadful fpectacles this country ever 
beheld was exhibited. The mob had not only declared 
their refolution of firing the prifons, and fome private 
houfes, but had avowed their intention to deftroy the 
Bank, Gray’s Inn, the Temple, Lincoln’s Inn, the grand 
arfenal at Woolwich, and the royal palaces. An univer- 
fal ltupor had’feized the minds of men; they looked at 
one another, and waited, with a refigned confirmation, 
for the events which were to follow. Government, in¬ 
deed, had exerted itfelf to the utmoft, as far as their power, 
under the a i reft ion of the civil magittrates, would extend. 
Now, however, it was become necefiary to make ufe of the 
royal prerogative, and give difcretior.ary power to the mi¬ 
litary. Nothing could convey a more awful idea of the 
mifehief which was dreaded, titan the itreng guard which 
was placed in the Royal Exchange, for the protection of 
the Bank ; as nothing, perhaps, could have equalled the 
national defolation, had the diabolical purpofes of the in¬ 
furgents, upon this place, fucceeded. Befides this, fol- 
diers were difiributed at Guildhall, in the inns of court, 
in almoft every place tenable as a fortification, and in 
fome private houfes; and the cannon was difpoi'ed to the 
belt advantage in St. James’s Park, 
DON. 
With minds thus pre-difpofed to terror by fo many cb*> 
jefts of devaftarion, and in a city, which,- but a few day 3 
before, enjoyed the molt perfect tranquillity, let thole, 
who were not fpeftators, judge what the inhabitants felt, 
when they beheld, at the fame inftant, the flames attend¬ 
ing, and rolling in vaft and voluminous clouds, from the 
King’s Bench and Fleet prifons, from New Bridewell, 
from the toil-gates on Blackfriars-bridge, from houfes in 
every quarter of the town, and, particularly, from the bot¬ 
tom and middle of Holborn, where the conflagration was 
horrible beyond defcription. The houfes that were firft fet 
on fire, at this laft-mentioned place, both belonged to Mr. 
Langdale, an eminent diftiller,* and contained immenfe 
quantities N of fpirituous liquors. It is ealy to conceive 
what fury thefe would add to the flames; but to form an 
adequate idea of the diftrefs of the neighbouring inhabi¬ 
tants, or, indeed, of the inhabitants in every part of the 
city, is not fo eafy. Men, women, and children, were 
running up and down with beds, glades, bundles, or 
whatever they wilhed molt to preferve. In ftreets where 
there were no fires, numbers were removing their goods 
and effects at midnight. The tremendous roar of the in- 
fatiate fiends who were the authors of thefe horrible feenes 
was heard atone inftant; and, at the next, the dreadful re¬ 
port of foldiers’ mufkets, firing in platoons, and at various 
places; in fhort, every thing that could imprefs the mind 
with ideas of univerfal anarchy, and approaching defola¬ 
tion, feemed to be accumulating. Sleep and reft were things 
not thought of: the ftreets were fwarming with people; 
and uproar, confufion, and terror, reigned in every part. 
It is hardly poflible to collecl, in one point of view, the 
havoc of thisTiight. Had half the mifehief the mob had 
threatened been effefted, nothing lefs than national bank¬ 
ruptcy and deftruftion could have enfued ; that they were 
prevented at thofe places, on the fafety of which the very 
exiftence of the empire might be faid to depend, was ow¬ 
ing, not to their want of will, but of power, and to the 
exertions of government. They made two attempts upon 
the Bank ; but were fo much intimidated by the ftrength 
with which they beheld it guarded, that their attacks were 
but feebly conducted. They were led on to the firft by 
a brewer’s fervant on horfeback, who had decorated his 
horfe with the chains of Newgate, but were repulfed at 
the firft fire from the military ; and their fecond fucceeded 
no better. They made an effort to break into the Pay- 
office, likewife, and met the fame fate. Several of them 
fell in thefe fkirmilhes, and many more were wounded ; as 
the importance of thefe places made it necefiary to ihovv 
but little lenity. 
It is impoffible to afeertain the number of unhappy 
wretches who loft their lives in the courfe of this dread¬ 
ful night. The attacks of the military were not fo fatal 
to them as their own inordinate appetites. Numbers died 
with inebriation, efpecially at the diftiileries of the unfor¬ 
tunate Air. Langdale, from wliofe veffels the liquor ran 
down t lie middie of the ftreet, was taken up by pail fulls, 
and held to the mouths of the befotted multitude, many 
of whom killed themfelves with drinking non-reftified 
Spirits, and were burnt or buried in the ruins. Eight or 
nine of thefe miferable wretches were found, and dragged 
out. The fame feenes of beaftly drunkennefs happened 
in many other places ; as at Mr. Cox’s, at lord Mansfield’s, 
See. At Newgate, likewife, many had made fo free with 
the liquor, that they could not get away, and were burnt 
in the cells. In the ftreets, men,were lying upon bulks 
and Hails, and at the doors of empty houfes, drunk to a 
ftate of infenfibility, and to a contempt of danger: boys 
and women were in the fame condition, and fome of the 
latter with infants in their arms. 
On the following day, the metropolis prefented the 
image of a city recently (formed and flicked : ail bufinefsar 
a (land ; houfes and (hops ffiut up ; the Royal Exchange, 
public buildings, and ftreets, poffefled and occupied by 
troops; fraoking and burning ruins, with a dreadful void 
and 
