LON 
in which they were to march defcribed with great exad- 
nefs. Banners were prepared ; and Coon after break of 
day the populace was in motion, and the found of mufic 
was heard in every ftreet. At nine in the morning, a 
multitude, confilting chiefly of the parilh of St. Anne's, 
Soho, which they confidered as being, in faff, the head¬ 
quarters of the Burdettites, proceeded to the Tower, as a^ 
guard of honour ; and, by ten o’clock, all the places of 
rendezvous pointed out by the committee were fiikd with 
the partifans of fir Francis. Towards the afternoon the 
whole fine of ftreets from the Tower to Stratton-ftreet, 
Piccadilly, was thickly planted with people. Every win¬ 
dow and elevated Itation was occupied. In Piccadilly, 
fcaffoldings were ereded : the tides of all the flreets were 
alio nearly lined with waggons, teams, and carts, filled 
with men, women, and children ; and every eye was ea¬ 
gerly turned to the quarter from whence the fpedacle, fo 
much delired, was expedited to come. 
In the mean time, meafures of prevention had been 
taken by the civil rnagiftrates, by a proper difpofition of 
military afiembled in and about the metropolis. 
The different bodies of men, that were to form the 
proceifion, wore blue cockades. This badge was alio 
every-where to be feen among the multitude that lined 
the itreets. Molt of the ladies wore the garter-blue ribbon. 
From many houfes were fufpended rods with ribbons of 
the fame colour. Numerous bodies of the Weftminfter 
electors began to repair to the Tower, about one o’clock, 
preceded by bands of mufic, and with blue lilk colours 
flying, on which were infcribed various devices ; Inch as 
“The Conftitulion,” “Trial by Jury,” “Magna Charta,” 
“ Burdett forever.” The north and well lides of Tower- 
hill were immenfely crowded with people of every defcrip- 
tion, which prevented the proceflion from being arranged 
in the regular order that was intended ; for never had 
greater pains been taken to order diforder and confufion. 
About three hundred men on horfeback arrived at Tower- 
hill about two o’clock j among whom was major Cart¬ 
wright, and colonel Hanger, mounted on a white horfe, 
with a large oak ltick in his hand. They all wore blue 
cockades. 
After a long and anxious expectation of the appearance 
ef fir Francis Burdett, a foldier in the Tower called out 
feveral times to the populace, through a fpeaking-trum- 
pet, “He is gone by water.” But no one feemed to credit 
what he laid. A little afterwards one of the con [tables, 
polled on Tower-hill, allured the people that fir Francis 
Burdett had really gone by water. It is extremely diffi¬ 
cult to banilh ardent hope and expectation. The con- 
ltable was not credited for his afi'ertion, any more than the 
foldier who had fpoken from the Tower. At half pall 
four o’clock, however, three placards were fufpended over 
the gates of the Tower, with the following infer!ption : 
“ Sir Francis Burdett left the Tower by water at half palt 
three o’clock.” This he was enabled to do, though it 
was within a few minutes only after the prorogation of 
parliament was pronounced, by means of a fort of telegra¬ 
phic communication, eftablifned between the Parliament- 
lioufe and the Tower. 
The news of fir Francis having gone from the Tower 
by water, excited not only furprife, but indignation in 
many. For fome time conliderable confufion prevailed, 
and difeontent appeared in every countenance. After a 
Ibort confultation, the Weftminfter committee refolved to 
conduCt the proceftion to fir Francis Burdett’s houfe, in 
Piccadilly; but it was near half an hour before they could 
communicate their intention to the whole of thofe who 
were to foriy it. The order of proceflion being fixed, co¬ 
lonel Hanger, followed by major Cartwright, led the van. 
Immediately at their heels were feveral gentlemen from 
the country, on horfeback, four abreaft ; and, after thefe, a 
long column of the electors of Weftminfter on foot, fix 
abreaft, and an immenfe number of carriages, in fome of 
which were feveral members of the common-council, and 
many liverymen of London. Next came fir F. Burdett’s 
DON. QQ3 
phaeton, the horfes of which were led by feveral atten¬ 
dants on each tide. A great part of thole who had origi¬ 
nally intended to take part in the proceflion, left Tower- 
hill, St.John’s ftreet, and the Mihories, when, it was afeer- 
tained that fir Francis had gone by water ; but many others 
joined it in its progrefs. The proceflion was preceded by 
horfemen with trumpets, and a long line of people on 
foot, with blue fifties and ribbons, decorated with appro¬ 
priate mottoes and emblems. 
As it was apprehended by the government, that Jones, 
alleging a right to a trial, would not quit his quarters in 
Newgate peaceably, it was determined to effeft his ejed- 
ment by a ftratagem. As foon as notice was given to Mr. 
Newman, keeper o! Newgate, of the prorogation of parlia¬ 
ment, one of the turnkeys informed him that a gentleman 
wilhed to lpeak with him at the door. Mr. Jones imme-- 
diately defeended from his apartment; but, feeing nobody 
in the lobby, the turnkey faid, “He is on the otitfide of 
the door, where you may fpeak to him if'you pleafe.” Mr. 
Jones had no fooner got through, than the wicket was 
barred again!! him ; and all his entreaties for re-admiilion 
were in vain. He therefore harangued the mob out of a 
hackney-coach window, on the grievance of being (like 
St. Paul, Ads xvi. 37.) illegally imprifoned, and then 
thrvfl out privily. Not being much liftened to, he haf- 
tened to join the proceftion, where, as foon as he was recog- 
nifed, his coach wms drawn by the populace, preceded and 
followed by an immenfe line of hats with blue ribbons, as 
deep as the pafifage through the ftreets would permit, and 
furmounted by a number of perfons wearing the fame li¬ 
very. When he arrived at Piccadilly, he mounted the 
roof of his hackney-coach, and harangued the populace 
again ; but, fuch was the confufion and noife, that not a 
word was heard of what he faid. 
The grand proceflion, as it was called, reached Picca¬ 
dilly about eight o’clock in the evening. By the efforts 
of the (heriffs and conftables, that ftreet was nearly cleared 
by ten. But parties going off - , in various diredions, ex¬ 
claimed, “Lights up!” The fummons was inftantly 
obeyed ; and the town in a fliort time difplayed a general 
ill u mination. 
In confequence of fir Francis Burdett’s conduct that 
day, two members of the Weftminfter committee waited- 
on him at Wimbledon. Sir Francis laid, that his conduct 
had been the refult of the deepeft refledion. Their ene¬ 
mies, he faid, had been bafe enough to charge him with 
the blood that had been filed on the day of "his commit¬ 
ment ; and had he, by gratifying his perfonal vanity, been 
the caufe of a Angle accident, he lliouid have refleded oil 
it with pain for the remainder of his life. 
Sir Francis, previous to his liberation, had entered an 
adion at law againft the Speaker of the houfe of commons, 
for iffuing the warrant for his arreft and imprifonment; one 
againft the ferjeant at arms, generally for executing the 
warrant, and particularly for breaking open the doors of 
his houfe in the execution of it; and another againft earl 
Moira, as the perfon who kept him in cuftody in the 
Tower. The houfe of commons ordered the attorney- 
general to defend them. The plea of defence was, that the 
warrant, being iflued by the authority of that houfe, was a 
legal warrant, and therefore rendered the arrelt and im¬ 
prifonment legal. This plea was admitted : the privileges 
of parliament were allowed by the judges of the king’s 
bench not to be cognizable in a court of law, but to be a 
part of the law of the land. 
The peninfula prefented during this year a very doubt¬ 
ful al’ped with regard to its emancipation from French 
fervitude.—The great battle of Ocana, fought on the 19th 
of November of the preceding year, and in which the 
Spaniards had nearly loft an army of 50,000 men, had 
given new hopes to Napoleon ; and he haltened to plant his 
eagles on the ramparts of Cadiz and the towers of Lilbon. 
The city and province of Grenada were obliged to yield; 
and Seville furrendered without the leaft refiltance. Not 
fo Cadiz. Marfiial Soult lent, February the iotli, a lum¬ 
inous 
