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 \!**,^"*'»'"^ 
 
 IiAST DAYS 
 ^OCTOBERi 183K 
 
 .. A r. COMMUNICATED BY A FItiENiK 
 
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 I^RWTJSD BY <S|MttieB PERKIira BUtl* 
 1832. 
 
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 FULL ACC/Ol^T 
 
 OF THB: ' / 
 
 klOTS AT BRISTOI^ 
 
 01/ THE 
 
 THREE LAST ©AYS 
 
 <5P OCTOBER/ 1831. 
 
 COMMUNICATED BV A FRIEND. 
 
 
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 jHontreal : 
 
 pRlNlRb BY GEORGE PERKIHS BULi, 
 Ho, \9i' Saini Paul-itrwK 
 
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 1832. 
 
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 I fULL ACCOUNT \ 
 
 OF riife 
 RIOTS AT BRISTOl\, 
 
 ' On the three Uut dkyt of October, 183» . 
 
 \ 
 
 ON Satui«lay, the29lh of October, l83l,thenW 
 ing of the CommiMion of Assize wa» appomted\to 
 tAke place at Bristol, in the usual form Uy a ve^y 
 An Jnt Charter this solem*.- Court. oi Justice rau^t 
 be held by the Recorder, who^tla beask.lful and 
 SperiencL lawy.r, together with the Mapi^trates o^ 
 thecitv. The Gaol contained upward* ot one hun- \ 
 dredRrisoner..eonH«Uted for^an^^^^ \ 
 
 Weaierell,lhe Recorder.as Chief Judge. 
 
 Sir Charles is also a member of Parliament, and in 
 hU place in the House of Commons, he opposed hy 
 
 £f the day. '<"»«»'» ■»" 'T™' ""Jai^^k^ 
 
 is^pri^rpo^'sij^ww^^^^ 
 ^iri^rf^rrthrnir-ury^ 
 
 sfc^^^ofSsi.iw:;fS 
 
 mi clew notions as to what it meant, or what reason 
 there wai to expect such great things from it. The 
 Bill, Of some bill will pass one day I^uppo«e, «id^ 
 ^Utenttolet Old Time se tie t^**' P«»"\. ^°" 
 and I, have lived long enough, to see several *«great 
 iSestions'' aWf«/erf, with vast promise of good to 
 ?he Sry, aore especially to the labouring ctoses^ 
 l^^and Cnsiderat^n, however, must be. whether 
 
 A. .2 
 
 1 
 
 tftlt^i 
 
. Of(hi8,«neW J'*'*^''^^?^*^^ government. 
 
 h*idVthe.ex(reme iLv S""*'?.^'^ men are often 
 «^Ifi^^h^urpo8^tTsene ;L Zk^^?:.^ ^«««^"'J 
 «f them is, that theyTrT of tJnJf^^i *'*'** *'''^" •^^»*** 
 
 i^aul gh?.rbaTbW in* Rom iiiT' F '" "«' '*• 
 Bes are beJd 6nt of I new «nH V * '^^"" P'^^"'" 
 ^ystem, brineinir amlL. « improved poJitical 
 
 <«octrines, ^niprinZ^U^-^ *"'* ^*«^^*' ^he 
 in nev,^spapew>/Sff C; V'*''''^*."'*^*^ "P«» »'™ 
 
 despise the importMl Evir k^'" *** "♦'«f'«^* ""^ 
 
 consists his own^lWhnnnf * " ^J^«b«rge of which 
 Ihe nation at lZ«H?"lf^ '^^ **•« prosperifv of 
 ihecoSt th7l o^rJ; ««l««'''^dand cajcJTedfnto 
 meddle in polts'i^ :itr^^^^^ '« *« 
 
 pveming, instead 2f phW bis rdJ"'!!'"^' "f 
 laws, andenjoyinir their nrr^L« Z\ ^^y^^S the 
 
 l.ous« politicii^^io fi^^ '°"- J^"" '"«-«> ale 
 lifted tl thetme pinSu^ 5'"*"' "°*' '* 
 realm; and while <lw«L«r ^ ^''^ P®^'' "^ th^ 
 
 tions if rank a^dZ^T"^?- '*.''•'' '"**^"' ^'^'•«^- 
 iriththeff?owCf P;°^^^^^^ ^hich naturally ^ow 
 
 "onght, fo also ir 7ffZen^7\''''' ^^ -^ «» 
 wisest and best «-» ""'*'^®"<^ of character. The 
 
 in periodica, ofV^?,;;*^^P''«'»y."'> "-".ched 
 
 Ii 
 
 "Xywi^phl 
 
 
vtion, or in 
 I'ta/ hap pi. 
 overnmenl. 
 ood soe^ver 
 I the means 
 a are often 
 n base and 
 snn be said 
 '* let oQs do 
 do so, St. 
 iir promi. 
 i political 
 niy in its 
 % hubbub, 
 res. The 
 upon htm 
 ow pabii. 
 griect and 
 duties of 
 of which 
 'perify of 
 oled into 
 less is to 
 laws and 
 jingr the 
 >we8| ale 
 riot, is 
 r of th^ 
 distinc- 
 
 y grow 
 
 reset at 
 r. The 
 'el with 
 are the 
 roeree- 
 XMched 
 
 '«"* in 
 <?i*'s of ^ 
 t bran. 
 
 Jh 
 
 y*<r*" 
 
 thSnhe iapUng. after a whil^ «*^5^ r^j;^^Vu?d 
 Mh a few stripling, branch^i. ??^,it?ah oak^n 
 £L It, that. the.stroi,g and stately P^^^f J* ^^^ 
 only fliirisb. aftei" the same fiishiqn. 1 he <fO""»" 
 ri^TarMhe «*ote that. di«w nourishment from the 
 SiS earth: and fix the n«|ble stem inpmoveable. 
 Wutit'theli iluld not P«tforth:.its.prea^.nS 
 boaichs covered with the leaves of ^'"""'^^^^^'^ 
 th se on y f^r plcry and f<r beauty. T%w r«»?ei^e 
 the^ir a. d lijfht, tbe dew and rain of hes»-en ; they 
 Te^r the vital iip to return through the tree dowu 
 {k the roots again. All are oseTul; all are beautiful 
 Tn thesitu«tioS,appoint«d .them bytl^ '^"f^.^,^;:;::. 
 l-ir. Thtt^lwellei* anA revolationists say that the tree 
 i«p lid llounsh better if laidprosti^t? oiUlie ground, 
 
 "'U watwrStW-omo of these mischievous 
 ^ gpirite were actively^t work-b^for. the t"™^ fi'«» f«' 
 the feaol delUVry In .Brirtol. 1 hm'« heard, that there 
 are at least eight depo^Hories for Infidel and treeson- 
 uble trmrts in ditti4rfent qnarters ate ^>«". "J* '^"'^ 
 th- raemlier?, afraid to trust each other. If not dshamed 
 ofthMmpelves, attend in maHk*". 1 hate teen some ^t 
 th^rtwicts printed in the usmi) ^'^S - T".^ rt 
 Laudkerdnefr, for grgto" ^JHtalnlitv : W.d the ».ght 
 of lh«r deadly mordiifpn .!"««»'' my J>lood ru^ eohl • 
 Trtiitors and. infidels well know this, D.vme tratb, 
 • «Fr<>mwlt^n,ontoftheA'«r/of lAaw, proceed evil 
 thod«-hts, adnlterier, fortiications, warders, Ih/ft?, 
 OvetoHsnesv wickedness, d^peif, jaslciviousness, i.ii 
 evil e^e, blaspifrmy, pride, fooU.«.biies6." In pidtt.n- 
 \ mis: hief th«y begin by pnoyidinft menus- to oomilpt th« 
 
 hearts df the peopi*. ' ,, ,. 
 
 The propounders of iiie modem political dodniies 
 
 vftre Jiot idte. ' r \ . .. 
 
 I'he following fUacnrd tfrastssncd :— 
 
 prioe, ll 1^ fhe L'or.joraiion b»ve rrquesU'.djitKl obwiiw.l th<j.a^»^ 
 
 4 
 
 f{ 
 
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6 
 
 f 
 
 •Utanrc of iinB<>'(1 tronpn, for tlitt pnrpbs^ of «'ondil^ting Sir Clia*. • 
 Wptlinrrll, in liia jiiilioial capacity, inti thisri'y. \ It i« tb« upl*" 
 ni^n of this Council that if the magistnicy of tUif.(ity /eel tkem- 
 $e!v»$ inrowprfrnt to preserve the pnbllc ft»S wl hout being 
 piipportitd hytlie miliury, that tAeff mAwM refign their offees, 
 and sunerihe c!vic authur'iticrto l»e elected by^a majority of tb« 
 y-ntfn of their felloMTicitizens. The roi»«<?i7 think thaf u ««•"• 
 cinthe'd in the roliei of tnngisiracy«eiliightl^ner tb be a politician, 
 as such a magiMtrate cannot He expeciN^^to^pi**'^ tbe public 
 confidence, without irbict]^ be will alwrays be Ibun^ incompetent to 
 preserve the ptiblic peace. They wotild, thwe^re. rermmnentt 
 to the Corporat'on the immediate rest gnatiou of S% C. Wetberell, 
 M recorder, such being the means be^t calculate^l^ prevent riot 
 and perhapt htoodthrd. At the same time thr Council most 
 ^ameBtly recommend members of the Union, 'lind -Reformers in 
 ICrneral, at all tim<^« of popolar excitement, tqf«se their nost 
 ■tiemiou': eAd eavours for tnepreserration of the public 4>tace, as 
 it is only by such a course t|iey will be able to obuin the rights 
 they seek." . Oct. 25, IMl. 
 
 Political Unions have since been declared unlaw- 
 ful by a Royal Proclamation, and are alluded to in 
 the King's late Speech at the opening of Parliament, 
 as combinations which in their ** form and character 
 are incompatible with all regular government, and 
 are equally opposed to the spirit and to the provisions , 
 of the law/' I shall therefore make free to remark 
 upon thi^ ipanifesto, u calcula,ted to cause the riots it 
 pretended to dissuade' from. Ci^l any honest sensible 
 man r§ad it, and not see through the thin disguise ? 
 The mltgistrates are repr(»enM as unfit for tiieir 
 " offices.^ They ofaght to ^resign that otheft may be 
 elected by the votes of their fellow-citizens. Surely 
 members of the Political Union did not mean to sup- 
 plant them, for they are Politiciaois ! and a ** man 
 clothed in the robes of magistracy ought never to be a 
 politician !" Sir Charles Wetherell, a member of 
 Parliament, who expresses his opinions in one way 
 as the Lord Chancellor on the woolsack does m 
 
 , another way, is disqualifi^, say they, from being a 
 magistn^te and judge.. The maxim of the aathors of 
 the placard would certainly go to exclude many whom 
 they would not wish to exclude, and themselves also. 
 
 <^ However, theit^politiciaiis do not hesitate tp/take 
 
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 »**"*» '^'^■J •'U^*!'^!^ •'^'■■•■^'■•■ff.'' •■*' •"" . *^ ^^'^ -'"'/ ■ — -^ . 
 
 vpon tbedDselres the rf«i[i»# of magistrates, foir thdy J 
 
 dictate 
 
 not to 
 
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 Wen 
 
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 ed ' f 
 
 tii-etfa 
 
 andtfa 
 
 til>le, 
 
 ■hed'' 
 
 This' 
 
 to bui 
 
 nan 1 
 
 A< 
 
 8irC 
 
 Ikond 
 
 nevei 
 
 jostic 
 
 soldi* 
 
 civil 
 
 ~ Two 
 
 tered 
 
 . C|jiai 
 
 •mpl 
 
 O 
 
 thel 
 
 II 
 
 rlous 
 prom 
 RecJi 
 hope 
 fert 
 ratin, 
 stain 
 solcn 
 Qaol 
 feart 
 d«ni 
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 bswl 
 
 thSK 
 
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 dictntA : ■ f sHting in Council, what U, and irhat te 
 not to be done. " 'Soldiers ou^l.t not to be in midi- 
 ien in cau^ of riot ^ The Jndgfe appointed by the 
 
 Kinfr it unfit for his office, aind «? «'« *J!« ""P\^*;" ,'^- " 
 We recommend them ioxe^ign iraraedmtely. Kthe 
 adxi-e wa» good, it tnight^ve been " recominend- 
 ed' privately. To post it^ the waUs w«» to ad^et. . 
 ti.=a the.o)dier8 to endewt^nr to make the Recorder, 
 'and^he rSgistrales publicly o^>IlOJ^iou8 and contemp. 
 tible,andto provoked the riot and ^rhapa bload- 
 •bed" which " the Council of the Union" predictipd. 
 This war adding- fuel to the flame. ;' As coals ar^ 
 to burningcoals, And wood to fire, so is arontenUous 
 man to kindle strrfe."—rP»-o«er6»J . 
 
 A communldation having previously been made to 
 
 Sir Cha8..Wethefell and to the 8f '^J^'^y^ S^^** " 
 London, as to the state of P«»>l»c feeling. It was 
 nevertheless determined tha^the adaunistrationof 
 justice should proceed in its regular course. Some 
 iofdiers were sent to the neighbourhood lest the 
 civil force should prove insuflRci^t to keep the peace, 
 ^ Ti»ot«ii»psof the Mth Light Dragoons were quar- 
 Lr^ at O^fton, and one tr^p of the 3rd Dragoon 
 Gjaards at K^nsham ; in all about seventy ifeB, to be 
 Employed only in case of necessity. ^ 
 
 OnThjrfsdaythe 27th the magistrates published 
 the following address;— 
 
 It belnt •pprrfiend«d from InformKtion rfcelrea t^«^»^/»;^ 
 
 S^iSrninM ofirritation and excitement on the arrival of ih« 
 K^rShTcU^rJhe Mayor and) AW.rmen "o*' •'""/J^J 
 KS tl«t all clawei oftheirfellow citken*, *«^*'^'*«»'/'^5£ 
 J^tin/p^tMamtainpeac&anirgoodmderi and thai tb»y *»llab 
 
 !S!i^lSlS;« airt^to twe#ll Uwful means for the appreheBd- 
 Jomwtting .uy breach of thipwce, oi^Olher ille|al»cU. 
 
 ' ,1 
 
 • i 
 
 ■u. 
 
€h» the tnoniinp of the 29th the troops mnrcfaed by 
 the outskirts of the town into the court ravd of the 
 noland the interior qC. the cattle market, wber^ 
 they remained out of wght. Sir Charles WethervlT 
 was met at half.past ten in the forainoon, a*>oat a mil^ 
 from tl|e Gulklhall,>y an escort, consisting^ as usual' 
 of the sheriffis and city t^cen. He was al^o aCtrad. 
 ^,f>y soa?e gentlpnjon on horse-back who rode le- 
 side bis ^riage, and *bout three hundred constables. 
 As he eAtered the Iowa, he was followed by a consi- 
 drr^ble crowd, who hissed and hooted hjim. perfectly.' 
 regardless that he came «» th&^king's r^iesenti^ive^ 
 bearing the sif 074. of justice. Some stones were 
 thrpwi^ at his carriage, and several respectable dti, 
 xens who had enrolled thems^yes as special consta. 
 bles for his protection were hurt. Xhese insults and 
 Qutragps. continued till the p^cession reaciied the , 
 guikthail. The commission wiia t(hereop«tned in the . 
 ^sual form amid great noise and confusion, Ori 
 leaving the guildhall the crowd, in greater^ mimbpr» 
 than bnfore, followed, his^ng and yellipg and occa- 
 ^tonall}; throwing stones till the recordcR entered the , 
 mansioh house in safety about A6on. 
 
 Soon after Ihe arrivalof Sir Charles WethertU at . 
 the Mansion.House, alx>ut mic« dav, soape thousards. 
 qf the labouring cl«8Sfs assembled in Qneen-Sqiiftw. 
 The rioters had several skirmishes with the consta. 
 bles. On one occaPSJon,a boilyof thpm suddenly 
 urmed themselves^lth sticks frwm a pile of fagyofa 
 on the ne|)BfW)onrlng <|^niftv, attd attacked the ctHYi 
 «»ables, but were quickly pOtloiii^bl. , In the cokirs^ 
 of the day a re»pe«-tabl^ citizen, one of the gpeeial/ 
 ^n*tal)les, being sepat>!|4ed (mm hi? f nrivj wa? chased 
 by the mob, to the <jimy, and fott-ed Info the wafe* • 
 he ve>y narrowly escaped ^i getting into a boatV 
 some diPtancflv and while swiraminif and struggUng 
 for his life, tlie unfeeling rioters watehed h*m tW»m 
 «iie bar^H tvitb sbont^nnd liiughtec, asLsiatitge* ihlifbt' 
 have done, *> - » & 
 
 'Mit thre e O t ?lo<'lf ». nnrf r*t <tin j<rtr» g* i-l-l-i-i i 
 
 —* •M^^'^:' w nui;jt* pnr»; «»i tne consimrieS' ii*ef e« - 
 
 ^l9med to retiifn home. ToM-ards ^veninj the crpu^ 
 
 A"' 
 
 iii!Aih^^ai^,jiMi. A 
 
incr^ase^; and niider clond of nigfbt, the rioters 
 grew bolder and more violent. The mayor, attended 
 by some of the maffislrates, appeared in front of the 
 Mansion-House lind endeavoured by expostulation 
 and entreaty, to prevail on them to go home, warning 
 them of their danger, if by persi^li)f^ in tLelr cririn- 
 nal conduct he should be compelled ta read the not 
 act puridg thi* kind and conciliatory address, tl»o ,- 
 mayor and those around him were assaulted with a 
 shower of stones, by one of^j^hich the person next 
 the mayof: was severely hurtlfeit length the not act 
 Was read, which declares that all persons asge.ubling 
 lumultuously are guilty of a capital felony, and may 
 be pnnishtd with death ; and messengers were des- 
 patched for the troops, which, till now had been kept 
 In concealment. In the interval of more than half 
 Ml boar, before their arrival, the 'mayor and those 
 who were with him in the Mansion-House, were in 
 (he greatest personal danger. The people on the 
 outsidfe had driven in the constables, torn up Ihe'lron 
 railings in front of the house, and with stones and 
 hirge pieces of timber battered iu the windows and 
 window frames and the pannels of the doors ; and 
 were with the greatest difficalty preve^ited from 
 forcing a complete entrance by barricading the 
 windows and doors with beds and furniture; they 
 had entered into the dining-raom and another room 
 on the ground floor, and destroyed the contents, and 
 bad made such a breach in the street door as enabled 
 tliem to rake and sweep the hall with stones and large 
 bars of wood ; and they had, as it appears, provided 
 and placed straw in the dining room, for the purpose 
 of setting fire' to the house. On the arrival ol tl»e 
 soldiers, the people withdrew from the atfcick, but 
 tliey shewed no signs o^ alarm, and received the sol- 
 diers with loud cheers. 
 
 Her^ was the JVf ansion House, the appointed dw<l. 
 
 ling place of the newly elected chief magistrate, a 
 
 ^ p arUu l HHa» a nd o nly presefv'Jgd^hyAgnard of soldiei|^ 
 
 From entire destrucjUon by the mob, who seemed 
 
 • iger to rush in, and dye their bands in blood. And 
 
JO 
 
 do) who witUhe honStrand ?^ ^""'^ nothing to 
 ^n, had spoken hfs m7nd tnth.u''^' *»/ «" En|ns. 
 *»d "'hose ^rgumenUbna]^^ ^""'^^^ ""^ Commons ^ 
 
 members. Was it l^vZuJ^.'i °'''H^7 o[ lh« 
 
 •" this, to insult a^em Jr n^? .'. ^"^ *"<^'» « oaase 
 
 where he was 'a "!">« **'^"*' ^'P^" «be honso 
 
 Javesaid ? And^;S,?H i?^"^'^ »'« """d as w^ 
 
 h.s doty ia the ottV£^5%»7^^^^^^ Itw^J 
 
 > J^'th bospjfality. Thevwp^« f ^''•"* the R^cordCT 
 
 «J«b, and tie pJ^ZK^it ^'T i^^^^^^^ 
 
 «ot scrapie to attack the It . ^*** *^« ^'°«'" dW 
 
 op^n his house, andattemlrr' * P^"**"* to break 
 
 ^herewere the objected ^.f ^"^ *"«« t^e room 
 Jwdly (o be doubeedTbat L^'\ •■*'««n«™ent, it Is 
 ^'l^n c^miS^ U *tii? ^^"^^* ««rder8 won d 
 WOfds tvftifit ;„j^ '*' ^*"W>n»o«ijtoffurv TK- 
 
 » half ago, and. ainnJ^Tk '^'""datioq a century and 
 
 '••PPHy been moTtllh '"*'** *^"««y» ^^ hatf 
 world. Npir, Zk 'S^i?*" aay other nation In Ji^ 
 
 -«d subject, to obe%^,;^V to o^^^^ i"* --•citl«ea. 
 *9 " give hbnour tn Zh^ I ^ ^^^ **»« m«Wl»tn»teB 
 
 f^.5ul hon"ooX fc Jr r .|f.^«f''' *« « W 
 «ne.andall of these aS h"*^'***'^'?'" the face of 
 lUI hi. mj[„ht to C r^riS*'^\»"^ strive, with, 
 
 ' "*** «<»f»t«ng Majesty, it|^|f , 
 
 j> . 
 
»ve nothing to 
 spfan EngUs. 
 -of Commons- 
 clj sifted and 
 aiorifj of (h« 
 P^ay, or WHS (t 
 f •nch a cause 
 '"^ a jadge or 
 jen the lioase 
 IS mind as we 
 >ne? Ii„r«g 
 the Recorder 
 political fen, 
 he rioters did 
 >n, to break 
 >nt his ears • 
 fo the room, 
 traent, it is 
 rders would 
 f^r^K Th(9 
 ft m their 
 •unkard ra|J 
 ihonesty, so 
 nst tyranny 
 Mt^rauts, 
 I ofQce ; .ta 
 natitiMtlon, 
 institution 
 sntury i^(| 
 
 > reignihg! 
 ♦ we have 
 ion In the 
 
 most that 
 '«citi«ea. 
 
 fflstrates, 
 lo«fear 
 he face of 
 ives with, 
 >nditi«wr^ 
 
 r. ttjielf ? 
 
 J. L 
 
 ^ sj^ 
 
 11 
 
 This is pride, this is'lijfrflnTij/ with a wngeocC; The 
 <«vioa8 toad puffing itself up with strfelling words of 
 vanity to the size of the ox. It may be said, perhaps, 
 there is no great mischief in words. Read what St. 
 James saith . " The tongue is a little member and 
 lioaateth great things. Behold, how great a matter a 
 little fire kindleth. And Ihe'tongtte is a fire—a wbrW 
 of iniquity; itgetteth on fire the course of nature j 
 undit is set OB fire of hell." 
 
 The "unruly evil of the tongue full of dehdhr poi.\ 
 fon," is Hiarfiiily manifest in the profone and trea- 
 sonable pamphlets by which .the people of England 
 are insulted. Aye insulted,^for lam dishonour-, 
 ed b^' being appealed to as capable of the' foulM 
 crimes, assassination, treason, rebellion, and such 
 like ; sp<duBn and written to, as if 1 were an Italian 
 robber, or one of the disciples of the ferocious Uobe- 
 spierre, who was guilty in the first instance, of shed- 
 ding roy»l blood, and afterwards became a tyrant, 
 . \rhose gnillotines made, the streets of Paris to flow 
 with the blood of the people* 
 
 To return to our narrative, the whole of Queen 
 Square was in darkness, the rioters Wing put out 
 the lamps. In the large hall, fhetlamps were still 
 burning, and tbrongh the shattered doors and window 
 frames shewed distinctly the interior of the lower 
 apartments, now filled with constables who had de>- 
 fendedthe staircase from the rioters. Dofiiig the 
 l^•ening, Sir Charles W«th€rell escaped bytbe roe^ 
 and soon atetwards left Bristol, as was publicly intK. 
 mated next day at noon. 
 
 These disgraceful outrages having proceeded thus 
 far, how ought they to have been checked r When 
 ought the dragoons to have been ordered to charge ? 
 Whose duty was 'it to give the oniers ? These and 
 other knotty qnestions<it is underistood will be so- 
 lomoly investigated, and rl intend to pass them over, 
 it i« much to be feared. and t lamented, that up to 
 .perio<^ »"<^ l'«^yo'^ 'ty man y of t he labouritig 
 classes, who woUlJ have shrunk with horror' fn>m 
 takjne any part iu aj^fift .or house brtaUinj,<-gave 
 
 ii 
 
I 
 
 if 
 
 12 _ ^ 
 
 »f 1h« crime wSTlhiX'^.f'^^?/"^'"'"! P-. 
 
 or mta.mi tken i. ,~^i. i^ "*•«» letting out 
 •flood, in™ Sri,wi'„^rll!*°^""' "wU'lik. 
 
 ,,>V hJ tei h fl duty of CfcrisfepnrabjromoinSeif Kings 
 
 c 
 
 % 
 
hoM who had 
 
 lat bscanse a 
 I'actioiial p«irt 
 
 !■ it a (rifl. 
 » bJM, thro«r 
 ingleadenr? 
 >raBiin]^iv6it, 
 I alt respect. 
 ' *nd g;o to . 
 
 a mob the 
 n bloodshed . 
 boldenedto 
 
 vil. No^ 
 yJBgi, ra* 
 Mw, strife, 
 letting out 
 bojlslika 
 reveUingff, 
 
 Bniwbodo 
 f contiaiy 
 entleneM, 
 ^e, which 
 defies all 
 rdinanoe. 
 n that be 
 retittetk. 
 and tbejr 
 inadoh.** 
 ^e is the 
 ipbniittt 
 ) snbj«ot 
 > sake.'* 
 ApoBtla 
 •nee of 
 (i\s as 
 that are 
 and for 
 
 % 
 
 X ■ 1* 
 
 and Governors is thus clearly pointed out in the New 
 Testament, some of the most terrible judgments re« 
 corded in the Old Testament scriptures were inflicted 
 on the Israelites for sedition and rebellion. With a 
 new and terrible judgment, God visitetl Korah and 
 his company when " the earth opened her month and 
 swallowed them up, and they and all that appertained 
 to tliem went down alive into the pit^nd the earth 
 closed upon them, and they perishejHrom among the 
 congregation." And on the nvwrow when all the 
 congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron 
 and were gathered against them, wrath went out from 
 the Lord "to consume them as in a moment;' 
 wrath which could only be appeased by the atoning 
 sacrifice which Aaron wtis commanded to offer, as a 
 type of the great High Priest, Christ Jesus, who was 
 to come and offer himself, the one great sacrifice for 
 sin. But, before the plague was stayed, atid while 
 Aaron stood between the dead and the living, holding 
 the censer of incense, fourteen thousand seven 
 hundred persons died of the plague beside them that 
 died in the matter of Korah. If, under the Christian 
 dispensation, it has not been the ordinary course of 
 Divine Providence to inflict temporal judgments for 
 particular offences in so signal and marked a manlier ; 
 yet " the Lord will reserve the unjust unto the day 
 of judgment, to be punished," (2 Pet. ii.) and who 
 does the Apostle proceed to tell us shall be the chief 
 criminals, the ringleaders^ so to ' speak' at the great 
 and solemn day, *' Chicjiy, tliem that walk after the 
 flesh in the lust of uncleanness, that desyise goverru 
 ment^ presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are 
 not afraid to speak evil of dignities. But as natural 
 brute beasts made to be taken aid destroyed, speak 
 evil of the things that they understand not, and shall 
 utterly perish, in their own corruption " Infidelity 
 and se<lilion, ^atheism and treason, go hand m hand. 
 In the nature of things it must be so Men that ho- 
 nonr not the King and obey not their Govemore, who 
 ^afe divinely ordained, cannot fear Himiiy whom th^ 
 were ordained. . Because the Bible condemns them 
 
 B 
 
 ,r(.i 
 
 vVit^di^A^i^ 
 
f ( 
 
 !- 
 
 t 
 
 14 
 
 ^TLg tbe remainder oj^^^^^^^jl^j^^^^^^^^^ 
 ^.e^^order^ *«..^r7K.fdilUhem iome hard blows. 
 
 Slacks of which, th^>^^^^^^^ .^, ir'y^^S: 
 
 About J»id»ight **»«-"'*^^bed the windows. The 
 Cooivcil House, ^^^^^^^ them, which they re- 
 cavalry pursued and cnarg the corners of the 
 
 ?:mS^by showers of ston^f^^^^^^^ 
 streets aid laneS. . At ^e^y ^ ^ ^j,^ 14th Dra- 
 «ftm)W laiie,) ¥Vmg st"c>^ *r|ji^t ^ man who is 
 
 IheLord's day ushered in. ine ^^^ ^^^^^^ 
 
 of i^Pce were at /f r^^f^Wef on their beds 
 ani th^retired *« P^^J^^^f Jas this to the p««eful 
 What a miserable content ^ ^^^ described m 
 happy close of *»»« ^««*^flt^ by the favourite poet 
 IK u Cotter's Saturday ^^^^^^^j^^^ genius always 
 
 true to nature, has given m v ^^^ ^^^ ^ that his 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 •Ihey «>'»"t ]?r2{'patriBrd.B\ grace, 
 
 v! 
 
(- 
 
 light, which 
 o spread the 
 iarkness uni- 
 
 ight, the moh 
 se, but besides 
 they were riot 
 The dragoons 
 with the sides 
 me hard blows, 
 a body to the 
 nndows. The 
 wrhich theyre- 
 . comers of the 
 
 Pithay, Ca»t««P . 
 the 14th Dra- j 
 t a man who is 
 n the riots ; no 
 
 the morning of 
 ricked disturbers 
 
 rom the streets, 
 liefontheirbeds. 
 ,18 to the peaceful 
 
 folly described in 
 the favourite poet 
 
 Ic genius always 
 em such a picture \ 
 to lament that his 
 
 nworthily. \ 
 
 i 
 
 II end* 
 btohoPBf 
 
 •ff homeward bend. 
 
 e wide^ _ 
 >g pride » 
 
 J5. 
 
 ThenkneermK down, to Heav'n's Eternal Kino, 
 The mint, llie fathfr, and the Kiuhmd prays ; ^^ 
 
 Hope flpiines PxuUinK on triiimpliant W^nlr. 
 That <A//«, thev all Hhall meet in future days : 
 
 There.ever bank in uncreated rays, 
 
 No more' to 8igli, or shed ihe bitter tear, 
 Tojiether hymning their Creator's praUe. 
 
 In such sotietv,yet still more dear, 
 Wliile circling tin«e moves rpund in art eternal sphere. 
 
 TJien liomewardall take ofi their sev'ral way J 
 
 ■ 'I'he v.iun;>lintf wtta^ers re;irp to rest ; 
 
 The p-tieiH pair, their secret homaiie pay. ^ 
 
 And proller up to heaven the warm request. 
 That He, who stills the lavi-nN damVoMs nest, 
 
 And decks the lily fair in flowVy pride. 
 Would, in the way hix wisdom sees the host, f^ 
 
 For them, and for their liitle ones pnivide ; 
 But*hiefly, in their hearty with grace divine preside. 
 
 Let us hope that such sithple J.nd happy st-enes are 
 not uulreqiient nowadays in the Lomes 6f our cot- 
 tiiffrtrs ; and that in our crowded towns, tht^re are 
 many farailie^s where devotion sheds its holy calm on 
 the clo^Miiff day, in the midst of surrounding profli- 
 cacy Bui doa.estic bappiut-ss and contentment must 
 be rare,'wh<*re the ale house frequently lures the la- 
 bourinjf man fro.n his home, where political registers 
 and Sunday newspapers take the place of the Bil^lr, 
 .f aching him to neglect Ws cheerful iire-side, his 
 wife and children, and make him discontented with 
 himself and with every thing, and every body around 
 
 "Lonff before the Sabbath bells had rung their hal- 
 lowl-d summons to the house of God, a prayer!, .-s 
 multitude, unwashed, clad in the dirty garments of 
 yesterday, and with hands and hearts still more im- 
 pure, came to the half ruin«id Mansion house, to 
 r. ioice over the destruction they had caused, and 
 watch an opportunity for further violence. Ihe 
 plcquet of dragoons was withdrawn to take refreeh- 
 iient, when the mob immediately renewed thei^ at- 
 tuck on the building, the mayor, several gentlemen, 
 aedionieconstubles, who were within, in all eight ot, 
 ten persons, had just time to escape over the roofs of 
 
 B w 
 
 vi 
 
16 
 
 the adjoining houses, when the rioters r«shed into all 
 the roiras. threw out the furniture into the street, and 
 destroyed or carried away clothes, »'»«"' "^"'Ji^ 
 e . ery article of value. The cellars were orced open, 
 c:isks of wine were staved, and bottles broken and 
 emptieW of their contents. The floornig and area ^ 
 flowed with, the intoxicating: liquors, ^ow, an 
 aljundoned crew of men and women were seen, some 
 curiviuaotf stolen property, others struggling greedu 
 Iv for vvine and spirits. The drunkards sUiggen d 
 aad reeled about tlie pavement, or lay .^ong in sensje- 
 le^s stupefaction, from which many never awoke 
 a.rain to the light of life ; but, ah ! ikconceivalle 
 woe ! sunk with a load of unreptnted gu.I'., into the 
 blackness of darkness lor ever. 
 
 The uicquet of the 14 th dragoons qnickly returned. 
 Th- mob now inflamed with liquor, and seeking to 
 revengt? the death of tile man who bad l)een killed ou 
 the preceding night; attacked them-with stones. As 
 thevhad no orders to fire or use their sabreB, the of. 
 lict^r again withdrew them to their quarters. VVhih* 
 th. V siowly retired along the Quay and Drawbridge^, 
 a number ol the raob'followed, and pelted them with 
 stones and brickbats. The church bells were ringing 
 for morning service ; their peaceful chime above the 
 angry shouts of the multitude^ seemed to bid them 
 cease their strife, and calm their raging passions. 
 But these Sabbath- bVeakers, these drunkards, these 
 riotersy heeded not. The soldiers who had borne 
 their insults and violence all nig)it long, bore it pa- 
 tiently still. They passed the drawbridge, and on 
 the ascent to College- green, almost every stone from 
 their pursuers fell within the line. The soldiers in 
 the rear, hurt and prqvoked beyond endurance, turned 
 and fired in self defence. Again and again they fired. 
 A m;in fell, and was carried away dying. The mob, 
 nothing daunted, foltowed them through College- 
 green to their quarters, the dragoons firing the car- 
 =^^inesat1ntervBte, as the showers of stones were m^ 
 peated. Seven or eight rioters, and a spectator on 
 the opposite side of tne Quay, were wounded. On 
 
 I 
 
 theirto 
 
 ^r who 
 
 engaged 
 
 fi«tldday 
 
 discord 
 
 to them. 
 
 scene ol 
 
 ings, in 
 
 be und 
 
 were a 
 
 was on 
 
 some w 
 
 falling 
 
 telling 
 
 the ^i 
 
 that he 
 
 fuland 
 
 tht»ws 
 
 sincen 
 
 the din 
 
 inf on 
 
 awake 
 
 thepn 
 
 The 
 
 this si 
 
 ^dragw 
 
 lagec 
 
 order 
 
 bope<! 
 
 tothi 
 
 Th 
 
 tect 
 
 4) rage 
 
 sion-l 
 
 mob, 
 
 they 
 
 moni 
 
 recei 
 
 riotfi 
 
shpd into all 
 le street, and 
 , china, and 
 forced open, 
 broken and 
 ng and area s^ 
 . Now, an 
 B seen, some 
 arling greedi- 
 Is stiiffffen d 
 m^ in sen^e- 
 lever a\v<ike 
 ihc<mceivHlle 
 uiL, into the 
 
 ■kly returned, 
 ^d seekinp to 
 een killed ou 
 I stones. As 
 labreB, the of- 
 ■ters. VVhih* 
 
 Drawbridge, 
 ted them with 
 
 were ringring 
 ine above the 
 I to bid them 
 ing passions, 
 inkards, these 
 lo had borne 
 gr, bore itpa- 
 idge, and on 
 ry stone from 
 he soldiers in 
 nrance, turned 
 ain they fired. 
 g. The mob, 
 >ugh CoUege- 
 Sring the car- 
 ifflies were i«» 
 a spectator on 
 roonded. On 
 
 17 
 
 ^r^oM "«^f?f". ^d martial pride of a 
 engaged, than in the »»»o^ f^" ^J of civil 
 
 ings, into one of the chu^hes 3««^ J^^*^^ ^egaUoa * 
 be\ndistarbedbv It, where a^large i^^„„^ 
 
 wew aawmbled ftj W®*^' "T g^iemn strain, or 
 
 was only broken by the organ s «,iem 
 
 some words of peace from t^e hps of ^^ ^ 
 
 felling on the «"»i»„^f ^^ij^Sof sin^^^^ " "^^^"^ 
 telling of mercy even ^ the chiet oi s ^-^^^^^^ 
 
 the wicked man t?/^"^^ Vd 7^ hThat ^^^^^ iB law- 
 that he hath committed, '^'^ ^^^^'^j;^^^^^ Sorely 
 
 fuland "gbybeBhaU ^veb^^so^ 
 tht* was no aint «?^emof^be U.t ^^^ ^^^^^^ 
 
 sincere christian, '^^^J. r®".^ ^n^ his soul enter- 
 the din and strite of this world, wiQ n 
 
 lag on the rest that remained for t^l^P „ ^^ 
 awakestothe rapturous notes of the serapa , 
 
 the praises ol the heavenly *iost ^^^ ^^ 
 
 The <»»»«^'*'"?,**®^!J^^ered the I4th light 
 
 this skirmish with ^^^ "^^^^^/^fKeynstam, a vil- 
 
 .dragoons, to wmove t» ^^fJ^J^^^' ^l Bristol ; an 
 
 ^l^Ton tbe Bj*^,'«,tyS vJ^ unwilUngly. He 
 order which they obeyea v , ^^ ^^^^^^ 
 
 hoped by this «o'»-,^»^^^X,tS them to do. 
 to their homes, which he e»^o'*" remained to pro- 
 The whole military force th^^^^j-J^^ ^f the*^3rd 
 tect the city, were *^J^^^^^^^^ jSLfore the Man- 
 dragoon guards w^oje^^^^^^ 6,^ ,t the 
 
 Bion-hotfse. These soia*e« cheer* which 
 
 mob, were received f^^^jf^^'J^Ss and other de- 
 they retdrned by ^^l^^^^'^lt^y afterwards 
 
 moistrations of good-wUl » J^^ /^t down tb^ 
 received decisive ordert to chargeiw j^ ^^^ 
 
 rintors, they ob^«^ P'**"^ ^'^ 
 
 lyvt—f^ -~~rf ; .'»-- .-- - . . .- - — 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 
18 
 
 gate fellows, and some worthless boys, who acted as 
 they were moved by others, on the spur of the mor 
 ment, were seen to take a part, as mischievously 
 busy, as ht other times such vf^gfabonds are idle, when 
 usdful work is to be done ; 
 
 '* For Satan finds some mischief still 
 For idle hands to do." 
 
 Thes& however were only the wretched dupes of deep 
 designings villains ; men of sharper intellects, who 
 planned and directed what was to be done, darkly 
 moved behind the scene of confusion and ruin they 
 had created, and then skulked away, leading the 
 victims of the crafty plot to perish in their drunklfe 
 revelry by fi^re and sword. 
 
 Having got rid of the greater part of the troops, 
 the rioters grew colder, and before the respectable 
 part of the inhabitants hud returned from public wor- 
 ship, they planned ap attack on the crowded gaol and 
 proceeded to piit it into execution. The objects of 
 this wicked design were to inspire terror and increase 
 the confusion ; to procure as accomplices men harden, 
 ed in crime, and ready to go with them to any ex- 
 cesses I and to defeat the.ends of justice by liberating 
 the prisoners that were to be tried by Sir Charles 
 Wetherell. Bridewell was the first point of attack. 
 On their way thitheK^lWmob were made to halt and 
 break open an ^nchibrsmith'sand ironmonger's shop; 
 sledgehammers, crowbars, and other instruments were 
 handed out and distributed in an orderly and syste- 
 matic manner. With these formidable weapons, the 
 unresisted mob quickly took the strong heavy prison 
 gates off their hinges, and threw them into the float ; 
 they then battered off the locks and bars, let loose the 
 prisoners, and set Bridewell on fire. ^ 
 
 About the same time, (near by twoo'clock) a larg^ 
 party of rioters attaclTed the new gaol, a strong build- 
 ing almost entirely buiU of massive stone^andirony^ 
 which cost nearly one hundred thj^usand pounds. A 
 very numelroos aud formidable mob ranged them- 
 
 v^ 
 
9 
 
 ; 
 
 iroiK 
 
 selves in front of the paol, while all aroand, and <m 
 the opposite bank of the river, a multitude, computed 
 at fifteen thousand persons, vrere gathered to);ether, 
 many from curiosity ; but from the loud shouts of 
 approbation from the crowd which rent th« air from 
 time to time as the rioters were forcing their way into 
 the- prison, it is but too evident that a very large num- 
 ber can\e to encourage by their presence and to assist 
 thera->if necessary. No due preparation had be<|^J 
 made for the defence of this strong building ; and to 
 thd suddenness and boldnesit of the attack, its success 
 may in a great measure be ascribed. 
 
 Two magistrates, and about thirty citizens and 
 constables, attempted to enter the prison, but were 
 stoned and driven back. Tbe rioters now forced 
 their way into the governor's house, carried off the 
 furniture, the prison books, the caravan, , and the 
 gallows, and threw them into the river. About this 
 time, the hopes of the well disposed spectators were 
 raised by the appearance of the twenty three dragoons, 
 the only remaining defenders of tbe city ; but tliey 
 hud no orders to attack the irob ; and it would scarce^ 
 Jy have been prudent to do so in a spot wher« their 
 own retreat mighty have been cut off by burning the 
 Prince's street bridge, along which they soon retired 
 to their former sta(ion. 
 
 With the help of the prison keys foun(| in the 
 governor's hou^, and with their thundering sledge- 
 hammers, tbe rioters quickly re^ased the prisoueri*, 
 about one hundred and seventy in number. These 
 sallied forth, as they made their escape one alter 
 another, mingling their yells, and frantic gestures with 
 the shouts of the multitude. Many of them stripfjed 
 of their prison clothes as they went, and were met by 
 their frien-ls and associates who never expected t«> 
 see them come forth, except for trial or punishment. 
 One of the ringleaders then tied a black handker- 
 chief to the weather-cock on the top of the porter's 
 lodge i this msQ in»=wr infidef, And tt trat a ih job 
 for him. At this lignal the incendiaries began their 
 yirork. Thick black cloads of smoke arose from the 
 
 >' 
 
20 
 
 rast pile of baildingf ; (he treadmill, the governor^B 
 hoaiin, the cbu))el were quickly on fire, end the strong 
 fireproof ii^alls of the priuon, constructrid of ettotie 
 and iron, were blackened by the flames, which strove 
 to spread themselves, bat were checked on either side 
 by those impenetrable , barriers * the mob burnt l^e 
 chairs, benches, tabids, and every destructible tbiugM 
 within the prison. ■ " 
 
 The rioters now felt themselves to be masters of 
 the city, aud openly avowed \ their intention of btiru> 
 injEi^ and plundering private property, home of the 
 leaders of the% Political tJnion, whose placard had 
 tended to raise the storm, oiwred their services to 
 quell it, but the mob were mastei« now, and refused ^ 
 to obey. A member, of the U>uion proposed a plan 
 whicH seem^ feasible: the gaol stands on a piece 
 of ground surroundejd on one side by the floating 
 harbour, on theotJ^|lif^'by the new\rrver. The only 
 approach to it 13% two swing bridges : it was pro- 
 posed to turn the bridges round* and confine the mob 
 on what would then have been aa is^nd. The plan 
 was not adopted. \ 
 
 It is said that the ringleaders seated themselves in 
 the courtyard of the prisoii. to deliberate as to the 
 places to be attacked ; various scheme Were broug[bi 
 forward ; at length they sallied forth i^ sei^rid par- 
 ties and burnt four totl-hooses : the gate l^eepiers were 
 allowed to remove their property* ^Tb^Ml for light- 
 ing the lamps was then poured cya^tbe iiiimi^Apixed 
 with other' combusti^e matter ; whicL^MMMJ|ted 
 bp, the house was instantly in a blaze^||p|ul)pnKler 
 directed the operations with impqdent coolnieius. 
 
 The Gloucester County Prison, near te ^ristol, 
 
 shared the same fate, and a party was dispatched U» 
 burnth Bridewell, which had been only partially con- 
 The three prisons, blazidg IB different*^quar- 
 >f the.cli'iy at the same moment, served as teriribie 
 
 iiBoons |d^«t||rn'tha inhabitants of their danker., 
 t -^ibemio street tiidhoase^tQ^iioiise^heruaMMU^ 
 
 \ 
 
 ^gOil 
 
 spread with fearful consternation. The magistraC 
 had been at the Council house, and a pnrty of citi^ 
 
 u_. 
 
 Am 
 

 let 
 
 ^^' 
 
 % 
 
 / -- 
 
 21 
 
 «eng had aFSPmbW at the Gnildhall, bat nORd«^nRt« 
 ci\ ilforc-e m as orpjatiized. The town was now at the 
 "' r% of a lHwle«8 rablile," increased by the bands of 
 I and robbers, who had just Issoed from their 
 _.._^'nail theiinsolenceof successful villainy. When 
 'Jfood^men uiidertiike a jrood object they endeavour 
 to unite in it, the honest, the iiprijfht, the liberal, 
 and the benevolent, t^^hat must'the men be and what 
 their oljjeet,whb to procure agents and and associates, 
 empty the common gaols. 
 
 From theOltince^terCoaillty Pri>!on» at Lawfonr* 
 GAte, the mob procei'ded, in two divisions, to I he 
 Bishop's Pulact^, and, the mny6r. with several per- 
 sons who had lien with him durinjr the day, and foU 
 .lowed bv as maity citizens as could he collected, went 
 Viown to' the see Jie. of action, huvinp p\\en orders for 
 all the troops wtiich could be brought out to be there. 
 The first division of the mob having entered, were 
 ^pllowed bymajiy of the special constables and th^^ 
 soldiers, who farmed inside the court, and it was 
 hoped the ringtlpaJtrs might be secured ; but just as 
 the citizens came in contact with them, the main 
 body of the rooj) w^ heard advjindng. The mayor, 
 and the few perfeonsVho were with him l)etween the 
 two bodies, wi h difficulty passed through them ; 
 and the constab es, who had attempted to secure some 
 of the mob, on looking to the place where the sol- 
 diershad l)een posted, in the hope of finding sup- 
 port, observed that the soldiers were pone, and finding 
 themselves deselrted, got away as they could, declar- 
 ing that they would not again venture their lives. 
 
 Th« handful of troops oit^arrlvinpival the Bishop's 
 Palace, perceived by the flames bow bursting Irom 
 the Mansion house, that advantage had been taken of 
 their absence, to set it on fire. The soldiers irome- 
 diately returned to their former post, and the Bishop's 
 Palace being likewise left nnproterted, H was fired 
 by a small party pf the mob, and consumed. The Bl- 
 shop bad quitted It during the day, and pai^^ of his 
 property had been. rembveaT" ~ ~ • \^ 
 
 No sooner had the troops been withdrawn troB 
 
y( f, 
 
 r 
 
 Mb 
 
 22 
 
 Ji! J?f*«o'»-hoa8e then the riotere kindled a flre ia 
 tfce kitchen beneath the banqaetting-room. The apper 
 ^«s ^ere then ransacked and plande;ed of whal 
 fo'^d'o^^ r/'fl' ^""^ ^^^e-^arswe^ea^afn 
 b^eTcnnv!^^ *^^ . P***^ ^^'^ ^"'"•»'>'« pictures had 
 g^TtTanS'^ ^„f ?'T °^"^"'^- Thefire spread with 
 dEL ann/i^H B /*" ^'f ^" '^ progress, the incen. 
 wEh« fl.f ^''t'''"'*^ *« the several rooms, and 
 ^. 1 !i,"*"^ *''*""^"' ^^ spreading in eve/y di- 
 
 thephl^^^^^^ ^"" to the windows ,hou«irin 
 
 the phrenzy of intoxication and of triumphant wicked 
 
 Tdoubt T«^'''^'^^'" ^•'"^» "^"^ ^'^^'^^ the'-ei« 
 
 deLtru^iirttf •"'rf; ^** "P^^y "'^ t'^« ^«'-k of 
 v^i^smoLiJ';t^^^^^^^^ hour the Alansion^house 
 
 t»J.?i!^"'^'""''^"'*'"****f«^'^"«on just visible in the 
 
 SLLf '!.yu"^"*^« ^^'^''^'^ height. The 
 I^^tsrJlKf^ the authority of the King, and of 
 ^ZiTur^t^- if ?"** vioienceio the person and pro- 
 ceefed totl^^^^^^^ and Judge fand then pro. 
 
 h!r h/i ,?"^ ^^^'^ imaginary urongs with un- 
 
 they Ir boS' r'^r^ "P"" '^ ^'^'•^P' - -horn 
 toey were bound not only to reverence the office, 
 
 eqnam.wasiSo ^..r^ T "/ Q»een Square. Each side of U.e 
 noble Km.a.?w i tSI n M-"^"" J*"* ^^ouudnty line of tl.i. 
 
 8'<Je; The Cnltnnrh * north easj ,«rner, on the north 
 
 E*ci^oflice at S.T„l';^r *"/'•' '"''^'^'* "^ »^'« .'ame side ; the 
 maiiXr «r!i ""rthwest corner on the west i.id«. ihe re. 
 
 c:^;?o.'i^T^7tlre"'''^n'°' ^'T'' <iwei,5:«ho«L";«is 
 
 *.hiod J^e Ee ;tt^^^ underneath, and warehouses 
 
 *i«leofihe8m,.,v a,ul tlfi !! /« '"?'n''d"»tely behind the west 
 •tnM.t, (whh?h hJd t^ rif r*^*r l''«''*"-''J8«' «t the er.d of that 
 
 direct . to the oil BHJn^r*'*'^*'^'*"^ *'"*"•> '««««• 
 •q..a.*^re qnavrwhem> Ih" *'f "«•■«•' and west sides of the 
 
 SiJddlespace wh Lhuln^-. t. ^^ piRng Wcfi^s the 
 
 
 at 
 
 
 Wl 
 
 
 CO 
 
 
 w 
 
 
 IM 
 
 
 «ll 
 
 
 U 
 
 
 It 
 
ied a fire in- 
 The apper 
 }d of what 
 were again 
 ictures bad 
 spread with 
 the incen. 
 ooms, and 
 » every di- 
 boutingf in 
 it wicked. 
 "s there is 
 Ful iiineral 
 e work of 
 ion^house 
 
 )Ie in the 
 •Saturday 
 ht. The 
 ifir, and of 
 and pro. 
 hen pro. 
 with un. 
 in whom 
 le office, 
 
 here gi ve 
 
 (ie of tli« 
 
 conuined 
 
 H<>Ut tilM 
 
 "0 yards, 
 the north 
 side ; the 
 I'he re- 
 >U(«8 and 
 ArehouRes 
 ind other 
 the west 
 r.d of that 
 n) leads 
 es of the 
 
 ored. A 
 
 loBes thfl 
 :iug WU. 
 
 2S 
 
 bat to love and respect the individual for his charl- 
 4ies, his generosity, his aeak>us and devoted labours 
 to promote the temporal and eternal interests of the 
 
 people. . , 
 
 Of all the outrages, that in which the rioters seemed 
 4o glory most was the liberation of the prisoners.— 
 ^* Sir Charles Wetherell has come to try the prison- 
 ers Well we shall save him the trouble, and make 
 Gaol Deliver, yourseUes !" Thisi^as their villainous 
 49oast, and it was quite according to their wild no- 
 tions of liberty. 
 
 The political incendiary wishes " there was no ne- 
 cessity for any laws whatsoever." If be would speak 
 out, he wishes there itere no laws whatever. But 
 since folly and wickedness abound, laws are abso. 
 lately necessary to restrain the wicked and protect 
 those tJiat do well. 
 
 True practical liberty, (the wild would-be liberty 
 of the kivellers, it were easy to show, is slaverj of the 
 worst description)- true practical liberty conwsts m 
 the preservation of every mans person, and property, 
 and life from injury and violence. Whoever obeys 
 the law is protected by it, and enjoys under a g« od 
 ffovernraem, as much freedom as is good for bim.--^ 
 Now to afford this protection to the innocent, the 
 law must punish the giiilty. No man ought to be 
 free to commit crimes. That is licentioumess. 1 ho 
 wild ory about liberty and equality comes from men 
 who wish to be licentious— to be free from the con- 
 troul of govemipent and the law, and although they 
 transgress, to go napunished. Under such a syatem 
 the lives and property of every hoh«8t man would be 
 ,at the mercy of rogues. So essential ate the pritjons 
 with th«r bolts and barf, and fetters, when ised ap- 
 cording to law, to the preservation of our liberiie*. 
 
 After »Uady and Tidy have 4U)ne a hard day's 
 work at the plough, tt is pleasant to see the liappy 
 baasts turned loose from yoke and collar, shaking 
 4he if rieefcy aides and rolling their clumt^' garabote. 
 
 But if a43aiavan of wild beast* w«reini8chie%««iily 
 let loose »« a crowxl«d folr, should we bave any sueh 
 
L 
 
 21 
 
 pleasant feelings ? and would adackinir in th«* horsfc 
 C '^^P""'''*''"^"* enough for the .L2tl X 
 had wantonly exposed man, woman and chUd to b^ 
 tc.rn b3| the leeth and cla« s of these be-.t. of ptv^ 
 Ihieve^ robbers, and murderers, are beasts of prey 
 
 .rr; atrn'""^ They are safe no«herebK 
 r)ns.on, and whoever turns them out on societv is 
 responsible for the crimes they comm t. BeSdes 
 here can scarcely be a more flagrant bmich of the 
 Hw- or of the /.6.r/.v of the subjLt. - He tha ius! 
 t.hethtlie wicked, and he that condemneU, tke S^> 
 even tiiey both are an abomination to the Wd '^'^ 
 Jerusalem the guilty city that killed the pronielL ^ 
 and stoned hem that were sent to her, fiHedTt^^ 
 measure ol her crlmei when her peoile calSd on 
 heir rulers to shed t^e most precio'^.s and .nnocen" 
 blood, and to release unto them Barabbas, a S 
 robber, and seditious person • 
 
 The alarming report had now spread that the mob 
 
 had been increased by a strong band of miscrerts 
 
 who^e trade is plunder, and who are accuXmTto ' 
 
 consider property only as a thing to be IZ^H 
 
 Thieves become selfi.h, mean, and cowardly from 
 
 continual fear but insolently bold an" merges 7t 
 
 an hour. like this, when thi civil authorities we Je 
 
 potrerless; and prisons and the gallows werrno 
 
 longer objects of terror « Wh«# „r« 4 ** 
 
 from thesi outlaws P'^ « VVhaTJreadTl IJce'ss^s'lSl 
 
 they not commit?" « Since the rioter^ have br^lTJn 
 
 open the gaols and added those desperadiJ^ lo^hS 
 
 namber, what else can resist them ?"«^ hat win 
 
 they burn next?" Thepe and euch like queltioni 
 
 wereaiMiiously and fearfully pot As ih« f!!L? 
 
 part of the trdips had been ienJatayt ittLfSuv 
 
 supposed that the mob met with noVls ste^ fjL*^ 
 
 joldiers 0r constables. What could Fiv^^iidTvr 
 
 duals do? Nighthad now closed in uporus SiJ 
 
 ^^^^'^«owUl^ingin diiferent qu«Zs of Se 
 
 rs 
 
£5 
 
 n th(^ hor^e 
 ndrel wiio 
 ^Lild, to be 
 ts of prey ? 
 *s of prey, 
 liere but in 
 society, is 
 Besides, 
 tcb of tbe 
 i thntjus- 
 h t^e just A^ 
 Lord."-p^^ 
 
 proplieljj^ ^ 
 ♦«d up the ' 
 called on 
 
 innocent 
 I a noted 
 
 t tbe mob 
 miscreants 
 stomed to 
 stoit^n. — 
 dly from 
 rciless at 
 ties were 
 were no 
 
 expect 
 Jsses will 
 > broken^ 
 
 to their 
 hat will 
 [uestions 
 
 greater 
 « rightly 
 ice from 
 ) iiidlvi. 
 us. Six 
 
 1 of the 
 fore day 
 
 nmitled 
 
 -• p » «»»< 
 
 l» 
 
 or what help would come on the morrow. All plane 
 of combination for mutuul defence were abandoned 
 in the general panic, and the prevailing feeling was, 
 " eauve qui peuV let him who catif save himself! — 
 Reports were every where flying as to the desigils of 
 thH rioters, which they mado no secret of ; but on the 
 contrary, to strike additional terror, their emissaries 
 carried about threatening messages; many false alarms 
 were given maliciously, and not a few originated in 
 th^ well meant anxiety of friends, fearing what might 
 happen to person]^ in any way distinguished, or ob- 
 noxious to the then masters of the city. In every 
 quarter, therefore, the rioters were expected, and peo- 
 ple set themselves about preparing to defend their 
 preknises, (in most cases a hopeless undertaking^ or 
 to remove their wives or children, and property, to 
 places of greater security. The rusty sword and pistol 
 were taken down, the doors and windows were barri- 
 caded, «nd more novel and ingenious contrivances 
 were adopted for defence. Tbe proprietors of several 
 manufactories got their large boilers in readiness to 
 pour downa scalding torrent of Water on the assailants. 
 In all directions people were carrying through the 
 •treets their money, deeds, account- books; and other 
 valuables, with suspicious looks and anxion»i- hasty 
 «teps. 
 
 it was now plain enough that neither public nor 
 private property, neither high nor low, rich nor poor, 
 would be spared. Wh6n the torch of sedition has fir^d 
 the palace, the flames soon spread to the cottage. — - 
 The Peer and the Peasant, the Magistrate and the 
 private citizen, are fellow sufferers in the common 
 ruin. After the Mansion House had been destroy^, 
 the rioters began their attack upou the dwelli)ig 
 bouses next to it, by forcing open the doors, breaking 
 the windows, throwing out the furniture and valuables 
 into the street, and then burning the houses one aftor 
 unotber. Books, looking.gldsses, and furniture, that 
 oottld not be easily carried away, were wantonly 
 deatfuye dT"^ Abont roidntght all the houses between 
 the Mau8ion>hoase and Costom-house, with the stables 
 
 C 
 
 \. 
 
28 
 
 »ndl \rnrcthoases behind them, w^re blazing \ and thas 
 the Sabbath closed. 
 
 A party of rioters who had forced Iheir way info 
 the Custom-honse, were ransacking the rooms ; and 
 others who had seated themselves with astonishing 
 hardihood, at a table in the kitchen, to eat and drink 
 'whildthebaildingwas burning over their heade:, were 
 «roa6ed by the flames bursting in upon them. Terror- 
 struck they fled from the fiery message of death, but 
 It is believed that very few escaped. Some were 
 scorched and smothered within the walls, while others 
 leaped from 'the roof and windows and fell on the 
 pavement lifeless or stunned with bruises of which 
 they soon died. A still more dreadful fate befel those 
 who dropped on the portico after the le<u) which 
 'covered it had begun to melt, and being fixed there, 
 suffered a lingering painful death, exhibiting an awfui 
 spectacle to their wicked associates. But not even 
 the agonies and helpless cries of their fellow.criminals, 
 •s they fell into the snare prepared by tbemselvt s, and 
 perished in the flames they had kindled, could stop 
 the rioters in their mad and perilous course. There 
 they might have paused, for a street called the Middle 
 Avenue, separated the Custom-house and the burning 
 mass of buildings to the East of it, from the renoaiu- 
 ing section of the North side of the square which was 
 yet untouched : but the rioters crossed the street and 
 plirsned their course westward, carrying fire and 
 destruction from house to house, like tha track of a 
 burning torrent of burning lava. The inhabitants 
 were summoned to leave their houses, which were in- 
 stantly plundered and burned with the same indiscri- 
 minate wanton fury as before. Having thus .com- 
 pletely destroyed the nof th side of the square on which 
 the Mansion-house stood, they attackeid the western 
 side, beginning with the Excise Office, and travelled 
 along- that line iilso» lint I shall not set down the 
 distressing particillars of how they sacked, and how 
 they burned the several dwellings-houses. Two only 
 ^^v^ere saved in the midst of the western nnge by tte 
 «iuurage and presence of mind of the inhabitants, win 
 
 Hi 
 
and tfans 
 
 way into 
 >ms; and 
 tonisbing 
 ind drink 
 ndi?, were 
 . Terrur- 
 eatb, but 
 me were 
 ile otbers 
 II on tbe 
 of wbioh 
 ?fei tbose 
 id wbich 
 sd there, 
 an awfiri 
 not even 
 riminals, 
 lv( s, and 
 >uld stop 
 There 
 B Middle 
 burning 
 f remain- 
 hich was 
 Jreet and 
 fire and 
 ack of a 
 labitanta 
 were iii- 
 indiscri- 
 us .com- 
 )u which 
 western 
 travelled 
 lown the 
 and how 
 wo only 
 e by tte" 
 Qt8,wlio 
 
 ,2T 
 
 iM&de a shew of reslstnno?, and doubtless at tbe lime 
 it Was not very difficult to make the incendiaries' 
 ehange their course, seeing that their first frenzy bad 
 in some degree abated, and they wp.re in undisturbed 
 possesiion of the square, and indeed of the whole 
 tbwn. Some imps of twelve or fourteen years of age,, 
 were particularly busy in spreadingthe flames. Several 
 of them were seen making their escape from a barning^ 
 fiouse along the roof, and they instantly set fire to a 
 bed<room of the next bouse. A large warehouse con- 
 taining spirits having caught fire, the burning liquid- 
 flowed along the street in*front of several boust-s behind 
 the s/quare with a bright livid flame. Some fennales 
 were much scorched in passing over this fiery stream, 
 but bylthe timely assistance of several sailors their 
 lives were saved. 
 
 Two sides of the square were now in a blaze, with, 
 here and there a smoaking ruin. Walls, roofs, and 
 rafters were lalliiig in with a momentary crash, fol- 
 lowed by clouds of dust and smoke, and bursts of 
 flame, and frantic yells from the dissolute crew, wbo 
 were holding their midnight revels in the open spaco 
 in the centre. Herf were profligates of both sexes 
 collected from the lowest haunts of infamy ; the libe- 
 rated gaol-bvdsy (birds of prey, birds of night) the 
 bully, the furious and besotted drunkard, the swearer, 
 the profane person. Some were tossing firebrand» 
 into the houses, stealing wine and provisions, plate 
 and furniture, and wantonly destroying far more. — 
 Thieves were fearlessly and openly plying their nefa- 
 fious trade, insulting and robbing the persons whom 
 they bad burned out of their houses, and other respect- 
 able individuals, who had come to the spot outof 
 curiosity, or with the benevolent wish of helping the 
 sa&rers. Some were oifering to sell stolen goods to 
 the by-standers, or holding mock auctions. Port, 
 claret, and champairne, were held up for sale at Id. 
 or 2d. a bottle. A piano. forte, worth £4U or £50 was 
 bought from^ the thief for » few shillings, and sfter:^ 
 wards restored to the owner. Carts and cars filled 
 wiib beds, tabli^s, chairs, plate, and stolen goods of 
 
 c2 
 
 / 
 
till . 
 
 t8 • 
 
 <r , 
 
 every description, were rattling along the pavement 
 to receiving bouees in the city and neighbourhood. 
 Others, with characteristic indifference to the future, 
 ^ere taking their migerable enjoyment of the prr-sent 
 hour. Seated in companies on the grass, they greedily , 
 devoured the provisions |h^y had stolen, juid quaffed 
 th^ ^ines which were handed about in great profusion. 
 M^n, women and boys, were seen knocking off the 
 necks of the bottles and swallowing the liquors, 
 they fell senseless. To many it wafe their last horrid/ 
 meal. Death was in the cup i)f drunkenness, and tl^ . 
 swift sword of the avenger was soon to pierce th^m 
 through, and the fires which lighted up their feast 
 were to be their funeral pile. * Let us eat and drink, 
 for to-raorrow we die.' The midnight assembly, with 
 its. glittering-throng, and the sound of the viols and 
 the dancing, has vanity, vanity, written upon it; 
 nor can any mind that has strongly realized by faith 
 the glorious and solemn, realities of an eternal wQrld, 
 the judgment day— the infinite blessedness of the rf- 
 deemed, and th« ueasless torments of the ruined soul, 
 ever iii}ie delight in spending the winged hours ot a 
 short life in such giddy scenes. The man who is- 
 striving earnestly to enter into the heavenly city — the 
 man who has beheld ' fhe-king in bis l)eau(y,' will not 
 loiter at play with the painted toys and trifles of the 
 world. To him w hose objects, desires, and tactes are 
 holy and heavenly, such pastimes appear folly; to 
 him they would be sin. And althou<(h he may not 
 '^eensure his brother or sister for lingering on such 
 doubtful, and dangerous ground, ho would warn and 
 chide, and strive to win them away from it to wisdom's 
 ways \(hic'h are indee^)lei)gantness, and. her paths 
 which are alt peace To do more than tilance at this 
 subject, is beyoncf my present purpose, for in the mid- 
 night /iotous assembly, in- Queen-. square, the lighter 
 features of vanity and folly were all overspread with 
 the I'oul ugliness and hideous deformity of sin. Our 
 , jnllen nature ^ud there sunk taita iQwesLpl tc b o f _ 
 degradation. The scene was said to resemble hell. — 
 Such ruffians as were collected there, will be amongst 
 
 . 
 
 m 
 
ivement 
 urbood. 
 
 future, 
 prr-sent 
 greedily ^ • 
 quaffed 
 )fusion. 
 
 off the 
 ors, till . 
 t horrid/ 
 and the. 
 ce th^ 
 ir ffust 
 d drink, 
 iy, with 
 iols and 
 ipon it ; 
 bj faith 
 1 wQrld, 
 
 the r**- 
 ed soul, 
 irs of a 
 
 wbo i» 
 ity — the 
 will not 
 i of the 
 ijpfes are 
 oily ; to 
 may not 
 on such 
 am and 
 (wisdom's 
 
 : ■ /^9, ■ i 
 
 the earM-6brn inbabitAnts of the place of torment.--. 
 But m&ny respectable persons (so called) many of^ 
 the slaves ^f fashionable vice and folly, who liated 
 coarseness and low brutality, but had no hatred of sin, 
 will be theirjcompanions during that long eternal night 
 of horror. JLike those giants in stature and in crime 
 
 J before the flood, they shall grow old in their wicked- 
 ness and ijaisery together. Oh ! who a^ong us 
 * shall dwell with them, and with everlasting burn- 
 ings ? 
 
 The streets at some distance from the Square, were 
 lonely and [deserted ; for the inhabitants kept within 
 doors, wattjhlng the fate of the burning town with 
 anxious forebodings for themselves and their families 
 and friends. Many sick persons were forced to leave 
 their beds and be carried through the streets. Many 
 an anxious mother hung over her sick child, her heart 
 beating high with fear. Wives who had followed 
 their husbands in thought to the post of duty and of 
 ^ danger, were watching the distant fires all night long 
 with fearful eye. And some brought their babes into 
 the world amid the alarms of this hour of strife and 
 confusion. Thus there were innumerable sufferers 
 throughout the city ; and the effect of highly agitated 
 feelings on a feeble frame, and the want of prompt 
 medical assistance, in some cases, proved fatal. 
 
 The strongest minded man needed all his patience 
 and energies to bear the sight of the property which 
 be had gained by long and patient industry, perishing 
 by the pitiless hands of the spoiler and incendiary.— 
 Hut even the prospect of heavy loss and embarrass- 
 ment, anJ all the noisy horrors of the tumult and 
 b'jriirng, were less appalling to look upon, th;ua the 
 hmely and unprotected streets, where only bands of 
 thieves and other flagitious persons, were wandering 
 a<M>ut; entering the public houses arid demanJin? li- 
 ^lors, thundering at the doors of private dwellings 
 and calling for money with threats and curses. These 
 -th»»>gs HhiSe us shudder to t^ak h&f^ ih» smvMar^ 
 of our homes might be invaded, and most of all when 
 duty called us away from them. But God watched. 
 
oyer lis. and made even the w ralh of man to praise 
 Mm; and in mercy restrained the remainder of it - 
 VVhile a laro^e par(y of the rioters were attemptinff to 
 pluhdi r a puljjio hoijse in Ca^tJe Street, the Doddhiff. 
 ton troop of Yeomanry entered the town . The hopJs 
 otthe inhabitants were raised by their arrival, but 
 alter spendinjr two hqjifs in the city without affordinff 
 any Hst^istance, the,troop was on its road homewards 
 wgain. I shall not stop to inquire who was to blame 
 lor their depur<ure at such a time. 
 
 The distant view of the fires from Clifton, Bedmins- 
 ter, and the d.ff+^rent points of view for several miles 
 around was awfully grand and terrific. The night 
 . was dark and cloudy, and rainy betimes. Very mer- 
 cifully, the wind was low, and the flames were not 
 luriously borne along : but they rose high in spiral 
 wavy columns, and often ihrew around a shower of 
 brilliant sparks. The thick smoko huhg over the 
 city like a broad curtain in massy folds, which glared 
 with a peculiar tinge of dark red, passing into clouds 
 ot dun and brown and bladk, the canopy of a ffreat 
 conflagration. When the fires were at their height 
 It \yas as light as day for a range of several miJes ' 
 and this beacon of sedition conveyed its bifleful mes! 
 sage as far as to the Welsh mountains. The varied 
 outline of the oily, with its numerous spires, the ve- 
 nerable Cathedral, the lofty gothic tower of Redcliflf, 
 standing out in bold relief and dark contrast, or else 
 brightly jlluminaled by a sudden flash or steady blaze- 
 the glowing wattV, the reflection from the canvass of 
 the shij^s, and all the varying aspect of the sky, as the 
 flames alternately rose and sunk, or grew pale in the 
 morning light ; all these objects formed a scene which 
 It IS impossible to paint or to describe as it appeared ; 
 x!^^!t 7'" "*'^'' ^^orgotien by those who beheld it! 
 Withal It was so sudden and so strange, that many 
 as they stood gazini upon it, fancied it was a terrible 
 dream, and could haVdIy believe their own senses, or 
 ^bmMhatothers wobld believe the dreadful tale. 
 
 T Tno rani- nltKitnAf^ »iL:-L t . . 
 
 The jmicmtam, which may long escape detec^^ 
 tiou m (he ordinary tenor of life, plainly shews itself 
 
 *-- A. 
 
 J 
 
 m 
 
 -n 
 
io prnisa 
 f^rofit. — 
 mptingf to 
 Dodding. 
 rhe hopes 
 rival, but 
 aifording^ 
 >iiieuards 
 
 to blame 
 
 Bedmins- 
 "ral miles 
 he night 
 '^ery mer- 
 »'ere not 
 in spiral 
 hower of 
 over the 
 ;b glared 
 to clouds 
 'a great 
 r height, 
 I miies; 
 Pul mes- 
 e varied 
 , the ve- 
 Redcliif, 
 , or else 
 Jy blaze; 
 Jivass of 
 y, as the 
 e in the 
 le vvhieh 
 peared ; 
 eheld it. 
 it many 
 terrible 
 nses, or 
 ale. 
 
 im 
 
 e detec- 
 '^s itself 
 
 31 
 
 on great and frying occasions, which throw men off 
 their guard, and cast them upon J heir own resource?. 
 Selfishness and cowardice are exposed, and hypocrisy 
 throws off its mask. The generous .and the brave 
 display their true nobility of soul; and aWe all tlw* 
 man of solid and exalted piety tinds God to te his re- 
 fuge and strength ; a very present help in trouble; in 
 w^hora he trusts and is at peace. There wer^ many 
 melancholy exhibitious ol human frailfy jis well as of 
 clfirtie at this time of public danger ; but these were 
 beautifully contrasted with opposite examples of fide- 
 lity, heroism, generosity, and bene\oIence among 
 persons in the humbler as well as the higher walks of 
 life, in the weaker as in the stronger' sex. Thera 
 were christians in every condition who can look back 
 to their own feelings at this time, with humble thank- 
 fulness in the recollection of them, and who would not 
 wish themselves to have been absent from these dan- 
 gers, because they never felt so deeply before, the 
 exceeding sinfulness of siij, nor how vain was the 
 help of man,--how all sufficient and full of consola- 
 tion were the power and faithfulness of their God. 
 
 About five o'clock in the morning, the rioters at- 
 tacked the first house on the south side of the aquare 
 belonging to Mr. Claxton. A troop of the 3d dr«, 
 goon guards appeared at this moment ; and under 
 their protection, several gentlemen generously un- 
 dertook to save the house which had been entered by 
 eleven men, and seversi women and boys who were 
 plundering it, and were about to set it on fire. A 
 black servant of the proprietor, bravely and faithfully 
 defended his master's property. He felled one of tho 
 rioters to the ground, and threw another out of a win- 
 dow ; and several more were severely bruised or run 
 through by the soldiers. 
 
 Major Mackworth, who bad given his valuable 
 services towards arranging and conducting a plan of 
 defence, and after sobe fruitless attempts to accom- 
 plish hia object^ had agreed to meetat^hctif the ffiofii.^ 
 ing with such of the inhabitants as would unite for 
 their mutual protection, came to the square about an 
 
 \ 
 
32 
 
 hour after the attack bad been made on Mr. Claxton's 
 hou-ie,onthosoathslde.ofit. ImmedhUHv Dehind 
 that line of houses, the shipping was dosely moored, 
 nnd perceiving the probable wide destruction, if theV 
 rioters were not instantly checked, he urged an im- 
 mediate attack upon them. The sole remainiiig t*op 
 of he 3d dr^igoon guards were quietly patrolll.Ii, with 
 Colonel Breretoa, the military commander df"^ d is. 
 triot attheic hoad. They charged the spoil .S-um. 
 liered mob, who made some miserable attemptlSt re- 
 P'stance by throwing stones, glass bottles, and'/iring 
 a f('w sl.ots, one of which wounded a soldier. * His 
 ^ahre ^yas taken by Major Mack worth, who had been 
 jvithout rtno. " I trust in God,- says this officer in 
 Ins nirrative of these events. «'that every man then 
 inj-ired was actually engttged in plunder or in bum. 
 jyg ; and that not « single iiinoc„Mperson there fell 
 boneath our sabres. Numbers wWe cut down and 
 ridden over; some were driven i.UO the burning 
 ^ ' 'i"* "^ '""^^-^^ ^^y ^^f® n'^ver sewi to return • 
 Kn-^IIv «^^"'' after sabering all they could co«Ke 
 ntin the hquaro, coleoted and formed, aud th6n 
 c^hirged down Pnnces street aiKl again returned to 
 the s=q!,are, ridmg at the miserable mob in all direc 
 ti'»ns ; ul>ont m or m of the incendiaries were kill, 
 ed or wounded here." This service accomplished, 
 M«j .T Mackworth rode with all possible sLed to 
 Keynsh un, about six miles from the Square, whither 
 j^e sqnudr,.n ot;the Mth bad been s«,r?he day ^e!^' 
 1 t»ey ass^mbted with the utmost alacrt'v, and on their 
 way to town,^ were joined by twelve of the UedmJnster 
 rrr.T^ ""^f^r t»,eir CaptHin. The destruction of 
 so mncb private property, and the genera* ii.security 
 
 /^' ^""^u^ ""^ """^ ^^'^ "»*ster., had wrourrht 
 a *onderlul change in the public ft^Hng The I I th 
 
 S^'l^ifh"^' ^Y'n^'^^ biJt were everj^ where 
 ha?lerf vrifh joy. They prWewJerf tb Queen -ouaTe 
 
 S^peraedT^ ^ ^ ^' "^^ v»^t*e- again 
 
 y—. — 
 
■>««# 1 
 
 S3 
 
 Clax ton's 
 y Oehind 
 moored, 
 >n, if the/- 
 )d an im* 
 h]githop 
 liii^, with 
 rWdis. 
 
 Tilts ^itre- 
 nd'iiriii^ 
 er. ' His 
 liad been 
 ffieer in 
 nan then 
 in burn* 
 here foil 
 <wn and 
 barninjr 
 return ; 
 Id co»ne 
 id th(^n 
 rncfd to 
 II direc- 
 3re kill. 
 I>lished, 
 wed to 
 whither 
 be/oTe. 
 m their 
 minster 
 tjon of 
 wurrty 
 roiipht 
 e nth 
 where 
 quaTf; 
 ♦Irawn 
 
 •y Jh? 
 
 U'g'HlU 
 
 Darings the night an express had been sent to. 
 Gloucester for an additional force of the 14th dra- 
 goons, (japt. Congreve's troop immediately marched 
 to Bristol, and Major Beckwith, the commanding of- 
 ficer, set off with the Adjutant in a post chaise, and 
 arrived fit the Council bouse at seven in the morning, 
 to take the command of the squadron of the 14th that 
 had returned from Keynsham. The first service 
 Major Beckwith had to perform, was to disperse a 
 mob who were plundering the Bishop's Palac^.— 
 THiBy defended themselves with stones and broken 
 bottles; but were speedily scattered with considera- 
 ble bloodshed. Major Beckwith then led his dra- 
 goons at a rapid pace to Queen square, whither the 
 mob bad returned to pillage and burn othei^ houses. 
 They were charged again, driven along the street* 
 and quays, some leapt^ into bouts, some fled to the 
 public houses ; but before they could come forth again 
 to attack the soldiers with stones and bottles, they 
 were followed by dismounted dragoons, and sabred or 
 thrown out of the windows. Numbers who had coma 
 from (he country, fled along one of the roads, and 
 were pursued and scattered. Patrols were then sent 
 to scour the neighbouring country, and. a party of 
 rioters having collected on the Bath road to plunder 
 some houses there, were overtaken by a troop of the 
 14th dragoons, about four miles from Bristol and dis- 
 persed ; and several of them were captured and 
 lodged in prison. Thus a swift and terrible punish- 
 ment was inflicted on the rioters. So soon did thej^ 
 reap the bitter fruits of theif'x;rimes. They had trans* 
 gressed with a high hand. Vengeance had slumber- 
 ed for a season, but it was now time to make a i^ignal 
 example. They had shewn no pity to their fellow 
 citizens, and it would have been UDJust to spare them.. 
 
 The [lumbers who died of drunkenness and perish- 
 ed in the burning houses, where they were overfakea 
 and into which they rushed to escape the sword, ne- 
 ver more to return, and those who were killed and 
 ^frounded by the soldiere, have been vaftonsly stated.^ 
 The actual loss of liie, alid the amount of sutferiug 
 
 -J' 
 
94 
 
 >IH n«rer heknftmi ; bat all the statehienta whick I 
 have read or hfrard from military men, estimate tlii 
 rtumbers v^ho 86 perished or suff^re^ at abo«r5k^ 
 
 •Sl^'nfflT*'*' ^"^^ «*»^'«-n«nt that appoai-ed from a mill- 
 2[^f h?.f r '"^^ f«"«'^«'^bly under this amount ; anl 
 S I «rtf ?"" ''""'*' '"^'^*':^'' *-»*' *» «hewr that if 
 fldicul^ hovrever, aa an exa^rjreration, by persons 
 
 Jo the .rrrter, which vrould have no weight with a ..eiu 
 tfoojan and a christian The testimoL of ImlH 
 mart .s the best in such cases. In the firsr E 
 there were very few unconcerned spectators of theT« 
 ^a^'^^^'Tn "^"^ /•<>*«« ^-ere then panic 
 fls?a^nn« M? 'i*'^ peopIe got out of the way «• 
 fast as possible A spectator raij?ht see a part. Th« 
 
 Where. Officers who have seen in many a battle - 
 field, and the dead and dyiug. falling around\hemnkr 
 ^^l^^::'^'^-^^'^^'}-^^^^^^ the probaSeef 
 ^l /r J"" ^'^^ «Pe'«tions. But any man of plain 
 nnder^ta«d,„g.rtny guess what a numbet of deadly 
 
 ?ii'?h"' "!."""'*' ""^^^ ''*^'« ^'^ '"flJ^t^d first by 
 twenty three dragoons, and afterw^rd^ by upwards of 
 
 soe:; St'a''^"^ '""'^ ^^'"^ "^'^ in open'filerjith the 
 
 her atil'rr^'T''*'^" rioters ,re,« gather^ toge. 
 ttier, at intervals for several hours. Besides each 
 Jc^Id.er can tell pretty correctly how many were strl^^k 
 down by h.s ownhandi and by eomparinff note" 
 
 If iih ^''at old soldiers who fought on the heiffht. 
 of Albuera or the plains of Waterl5>. where ^ - 
 " every turf beneath their feet, ' 
 Should be a soldier's sepulchre' " 
 wonid make a vain-glorious boast of drlvii* awav an 
 miarmed m„b in Queen square, I shall n^otT^^ddv 
 tmiexe. i he brave man goes to such a revolting task 
 onjy from a strong anim^^^^^ 
 inasf rave fell a iust ind^ati«n i^A^Jt „* ^^ Ji^ " 
 
 ^<^^^m^iSi^s^;;^::tL^ 
 
Th0 
 
 35 
 
 ful.cU'gtrnotion of properly, and the prrivokin^ insulif 
 with which their patience had been tried. Jiut, her« 
 tliere could be none of these natural feelings ofpul- 
 lantry, which compensated the horrors of war. Th^ 
 sword that leaps from its scabbard to defend their felr 
 low countrymen, is drawn forth .with reluctance to 
 prevent and puni*h their crimes; and the brave »•«» 
 returns it unhonoured, w^hen compelled to be their 
 executioner. 
 
 The hospital reports, it has been alleged, do noi 
 [**"^«P»«<J ^ HIJ »o great an extent of cannige. Thf. 
 hospital returns give about one hundred cju-es of all 
 kinds; but no -one can tell how many perJHhtd by 
 fire, how many were killed in the square and their 
 bodies removed; for the friends and associates of 
 those killed, did so immediately. The hosi Jtal pa- 
 tieqts were guarded as felons, and none therefor*, 
 would be taken to the hospitals whose friends would' 
 tike them home; and for their own sakes they were 
 glad toiivoid the public disgrace and trouble that 
 would be brought upon them by having a relation 
 killed or wounded in a riot. There cannot be a r^^a- 
 Bonable doubt, therefore, that many cases of trifling 
 wounds and many severe and dangerous ones, were 
 never brought to the hospitals. I have dwelt upoii 
 this point, because it has been much disputed ; and it 
 « imporiant that the truth should be known. I 'lio»rd 
 wrong mj' country, by aflfepting to conceal or diminish 
 the truth for the grfcat end of punishment is to deter 
 Irom similar crimes. 
 
 Various anecdotes are related of the manner i^ 
 ^-hlch some of the rioters perished. One man had 
 bij head severed from, his body by a single blow of^a 
 sabre. Several were pierced through. Two soldtiTs 
 were ordered to mark a rioter, who had been very 
 riQtous and insolent. He got up into a tree out of 
 their reach, and there they lefl him in bodily fear till 
 released by an officer who would not have him cut 
 down in cold blood. A case unusually dreadful qc- 
 Ju^redJiLdiggiiigout the ruiiw in the iiqnarealter4e 
 riots weie over... A man who had drunk himself iqto 
 
36 
 
 fo,?nd h« ""^^ "r^ ' u"'^''^^ ^y ^^^ fl^'^es. When 
 found, he vvas alive, but his arms w ere burnt to stumna 
 and he looked more like the leafless vvithereS Zfk 
 
 fuS ^ '^^'''^^^' ^^ '" ^*'" '» existei.ce; an a^ 
 
 of th^e^thT""""* ".?'.^ """ 8""^ «»d »fa« ho'oTs 
 ui ^ose three memorable days. 
 
 The service ofthe officer and soldiers whodid their 
 the^fnU ^"PPTf"^ *^"«ts, were acknowledged in 
 the following letter of thanks from Lord Hill :!_ 
 
 at 80 perilous and critical a momennatuLTlv^n^r °^ .^'"^°' 
 ficerasthe fm object of hisT:SS;;.:'r„' L„^"^ J "• 
 
 ■ worth '8 judgment •nd pe™^ ml firmri V' r'. *'*y*"" ^»'''*- 
 
 ^.nd ..se'ful r and LorS &ill eSi«r Smirel^h^r''""""" 
 
 ^^. i„ti.e ^^H^i^s-i::-i;— s-r^ii 
 
 »entlo»edd,.ys; «5d Lord H |lls?rtSL^ev°lv'll-7 '^"i 
 
 fluent conduct whiX^h;: l^lZd 'n dJ'oTL"' •"^f"'*'; «" 
 ;>t|||^ Of their wuntiy. "P'-J^o «n aid of Uie civil authori- 
 
 ii'l.^ii''""*'' *^'"*' '^'" "«ke8 Major Beckwith of th ... 
 Light Di-agoqns the la^t ol.ject of Ins com,n«J!^Lf' *•** ''*"» 
 tlitofficer««fthe I i nejie may hralsui^irr ,?*'?" ''^'•«««rd. 
 •o merely for the sake of Ti aritv « ,h« mI' ^'''*''''* '*"*' 
 Bri.U.1 took place on the thKy i'tK riol-rd iL*"'^' "« 
 from any feeiinf that his services were le^^t^Il* ^/ !*"* '^''^* 
 
 I ■UUfiM u,i r r^"::^ I u ^^ ^■■'^ " " "''" Of t&a 
 
8 was en- 
 s. When 
 t to stumps 
 red trunk 
 an being-, 
 e ; an aw- 
 he horrors 
 
 o did their 
 Jedged in 
 ill:— 
 
 liarly grati- 
 iH of an of- 
 cution of a 
 
 I ck worth to 
 of Bristol 
 suttliat of- 
 li. 
 
 •se frightfitl 
 •U'or Mark, 
 conspicuous 
 Major up> 
 Yor of Brit- 
 ying lott. r, 
 1 for your 
 
 net Kdson 
 ' liavp con • 
 licate Hiid 
 two first 
 * infonn<*d 
 ir«undu(a. 
 ion to tli« 
 ailments in 
 ■etiier ex- 
 1 authorf. 
 
 the 14th 
 w regardt 
 shi{) docp 
 irrival ii| 
 »o ineana 
 >an tiio«* 
 
 w o^ t^^- - 
 
 ttt plo}^ 
 
 ^^^Wfr^^Kw 
 
 37 
 
 the milltnrvmPans entrusted tohiscond.ict on Monday, the jTst 
 t and th^reloi-e has the g.-eHte.st aatisfaotion in thus recorili.ig 
 
 onthatdly.""'' "" ^^^"'*'"'^'***"^^*^ ''^ »'"'« °'''"-*^^- 
 
 r 
 
 Letters of thanks were also addressed by the ma-' 
 ffistrates of Bristol, to Major Mack«rorth and Major' 
 Beckw^.th, strongly expressing their grateful sense* 
 ot the zealous and energetic assistance afforded by 
 these officers. The riots wrere no«. quelled effectual, 
 ly .--the troops had acted with decisive energy, and 
 the citizens w*re at length roused to take measures 
 tor the protection of the town. A numerous body of 
 constables armed withfowling pieces, pistols, sWords 
 and staves, were speedily organized, which would 
 Jave be«n of stiil greater service, had it been as avail- 
 able on the day of danger, as the day after. At six 
 t» clock on Monday morning, a dispatch fjom the ma- 
 gistrates had reached Lieut, Col. Love, t^mmanding 
 rr! ''^^f''* ^'*"'P*^»'es of the 1 Jth Foot al CaMiff.— 
 lae Colonel immediately marched hismii to New* 
 port, and seized a steamboat, which the |mob there, 
 in co-operation with their confederates at Bristol, tried 
 to prevent him from using as a transport. I It was no 
 easy matter however to resist soldiers ; I the troops 
 soon embarked, and by rapid marching, cilonel Love 
 arrived in Bristol with two hundred men,af six o'clock 
 the same evening. As he entered Park fetreet with 
 drums and music, ladies and gentle men fflocked to 
 JJe doors and windows, and greeted his Lrrival with 
 
 not wiZn* •7'^?'"^ ^'^"'^^y ""'SK hWever, was 
 not without Its alarms, especially in the itemote parts 
 ot the city and in its neighbourhood, wh^re the am- 
 ple preparations for defence were imperfectly known. 
 This was increased by an oil warehouse i^ Queen 
 
 dur"ir*hr' -^K??^*** ^J*' *"** ^y ti»efr^uent firing 
 duriiy he night from the ships moored in*the middli 
 
 ll fh TT' ^. '°*'"'d«t« tb« "oters. It was singu 
 ar that at snch a time there should have been a partial 
 
 windows by order of the magisK, l^t the mob 
 should put out the lamps. , f • •«: mou 
 
 O 
 
 «fc. 
 
88 
 
 On Tuesday morning, the shops and pablic offices 
 were open again^ it being known that every necessa- 
 ty precaution had been taken to preserve tranquillity 
 within the town, and to prevent the entrance of bands 
 of rioters, from the country, by troops stationed at the 
 oatposts. Reinforcements of infantry and yeomanry 
 had already reached the city, a brig^e of artillery 
 from Woolwich, and troops from other qaarter«i, had 
 marched upon it. Crowds of well dressed spectators 
 now ventured forth to look at the ruins. In the 
 square upwards of forty houses, public offices, and 
 warehouses were burnt to the ground, save here and 
 there a few pillars and tottering walls standing above 
 the heaps of smoking rubbish. Tlte mutilated remains 
 of several of the snnerers were dug from the ruins, 
 all of whom are believed to have been rioters. Sol^. 
 diers and constable^ were parading the /streets and. 
 entering houses where stolen property was suspected 
 to be concealed. Plate and furniture to a considera- 
 ble amount was recovered, a great part of it;^ much to 
 the disgrace of families who would not have been 
 supposed likely to be guilty of sharing the plunder. 
 ^The stolen goods were carried into the Exchange ; 
 and in a few days, the space under the piazzas, in the 
 large quadrangle, was filled with confused heaps, 
 from which the sorrowing owners sought out the 
 broken and injured remains of their property. A 
 great deal was voluntarily restored, and not a little 
 destroyed, to escape detection. Scarcely any part of 
 the wine and spirit stores were recovered ; three hun- 
 dred dozen of wine had been wasted and carried off 
 from the cellars of the Mansion House, and a still 
 larger quantity from those of one of the wine mer- 
 chants, who w^re plundered. Only a vague idea can 
 be formed of the value of the property destroyed. — 
 On the most moderate computation, it was between 
 4! 100,000 and i:2U0,(K)0. Uut the actual loss in 
 buildings, furniture and other articles was, perhaps, 
 the least part of the injury. For several days, all bu- 
 siness was completely at a stand, and a stagnation of 
 
 trade followed, hKcU conUnuesTd thSs hour/, autf tM 
 
k 11 lilt) 
 )art of 
 
 
 
 e han- 
 
 
 
 9d otf 
 
 >aiM 
 
 "" '^ 
 
 a still 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 mer- 
 
 
 
 racaii 
 
 
 
 ed,— 
 
 
 
 tween 
 
 
 
 >SS III 
 
 
 
 rbaf>s. 
 
 
 
 ill bu. 
 
 
 
 Dn of 
 
 
 
 idtlie 
 
 ■'" ■ v ■ • - 
 
 ' 
 
 30 - 
 
 effecfs of which will Ije felt for a long time to come. 
 \^'hen the labouring man Is thrown out of work for 
 several days, he feels it sharply when he conies to pay 
 bis week's rent, and ill his other nnt^oinj^s with bi<» 
 scanty earnings. W hat mj^t the effect be when such 
 a visitation i^lls heavilyon awholecommanity ; when 
 fhfl merchant and shcpkeeper, as well as the jonrney- 
 man and duy-labourei' are all idle, or nearly so, f©c 
 days and weeks tog^ether? Persons of large en pits'! 
 must reduce their expenses and,establishmenfs; tho?o 
 of moderate income, are put to tstrait^ and difficulties; 
 bul the heaviest burdtn falls upon the labouring class- 
 es, and the poor, who .«eldom provide for a rainy day, 
 if they had formerly lltUe to spare, are retluced* in a 
 tiineof public dis^tress to absolute want. When the 
 wealthier classes are bbliored to draw in their capital 
 and lessen their exper|so?, the demand for work, and" 
 the wa^es of labour^ are proportionally low, and Iho 
 liibourinff man must sulfer aocordinffly. Where this 
 is eauspd by bad cro|)s and a depressed state of trade, 
 we look for better tirajes to raond matters. Bot hf ra 
 there was an additional cau^ of distress, which so 
 long as the feeling lasts, must act as a dead weight 
 and an effec^nl damper to all spirited enterprise and 
 employment Wcapitid : 1 mean the insecurity of pro- 
 petty. One great cause of the prosperity of our coun. 
 try in times past, has been the security of every roan's 
 property under our admirable laws and constitution ; 
 a security far greater than other nations enjoy. But 
 if the farmer's corrt-ricks, the merchant's warehouse, 
 and the tradesman's shop and stock in trade, are now- 
 a>days to be burned and plundered, who will have the 
 spirit to carry on business, and to set about any new 
 undertaking? The man of capital will confine hfe pur- 
 chases, and contract his dealings within the narrowest 
 
 possible limits till he can extend thera with safety. 
 
 Men of property sum^f in the first instance ifs true, , 
 but the labouring clas,v < s mu st f>ufler in the end, nnd 
 that iB«»r« beverety; A nd thts is Thejponft fo^ whlcIT" 
 political incendiaries are striving (o bring the conn, 
 try : This is what the j)e(»pld bring upon themselves 
 
 D 2 
 
I'll 
 
 i I 
 
 40 
 
 •f 
 
 when tbey attempt to put in practice (he doctrines and 
 Rilvice, put forth ia their iiiflumtnatury gpeecheis and 
 seditious prints. 
 
 Besides the insecurity of property, these outrngfes 
 produce a4 unnatural separation between the classes 
 who have acquired property, and those who are sii|i- 
 ported l»y daily labour. Many, many, in our free 
 country have risen by their intlustry Iroin the labour- 
 injr clat-s into the other— nay, to the very hig:hest sta- 
 tions. The two cl^Sjies are naturally dependent on 
 each other; the lower nior«» es|»ecially on the higfher, 
 and they ouo;ht to be united to^eMier as brethren and 
 ftillow citizens. The Jinn of power can enforce obe- 
 dience to the laws, and whatever unprincipled ajiifa- 
 tors and political scribblers lifiay prate aiiid write aboiit 
 " physical lorces" »^nd (he" poWer of might ftg^ainst 
 right," we have to bles^t; God ihal those who have be. n 
 foolish enoujib to be duped by thein, and mad enough 
 to make the^xpcriuient, ha\ e e\ er been (vund in our 
 day, immeiisurably (be weakt-r parly. Grtdl are tin'lh 
 ainijuslire and tluif mil prtvailx and on any serious ' 
 attempt being maile to overthrow these pillars of tho ] 
 Constitution, such a host of strength will rise up in , 
 their delent ens must spe<^dily and effectually crn>'h| 
 the rash assailants. The guardians and possessors 
 olproperty may bo taken by jsurprise, but (he country 
 must be revolutionized indeed, and corrupted wi(h the 
 leaven of infidelity and sedition to an extent hitherto 
 unknown, before they will^sulfer their just and inde- 
 fesible rights, to be wrested from them, by traitors to 
 the common weal. But though ihe law can and uill 
 protect property, and enforce the relative duties con- 
 nected wi(h it, there are other duties not less binding 
 and vastly impcrtant to the general welfare, which no 
 liuman laws have povrer to enforce. The good will 
 wiiich ought to subsist between man and man ; con- 
 descension, forbearance and liberality from superiors 
 to inferiors in station on one hand ; and on the other 
 — respect, dutiful obedience, and gratitude for favours 
 These have theFr seat in the heart amf^ 
 
 -«^ 
 
 aifei'tions, and are Uy be judged of by the enlighti^ned 
 cunscieace and the Bible. 
 
 > 
 
ines and 
 he& and 
 
 oufrngfps 
 
 classes 
 
 are siij^- 
 
 >ur free 
 
 > labonp- 
 hc^st s(a- 
 \d(.\,t on 
 » hijrher, 
 ron and 
 rce obe- 
 d aj;ifa- 
 ito about 
 
 fto^ainst 
 ai'e be' n 
 I tnoufih 
 d in our 
 aretnitk 
 y" serious 
 s of tho i 
 «e up in 
 Ij criij-h 
 Bsse.spors 
 
 > country 
 I with the 
 
 hitherto 
 ind inde- 
 aitorij to 
 and' will 
 ties con^ 
 9 binding 
 (vbich no 
 ood u'itl 
 in ; coii- 
 snperiors 
 the other 
 »r favours 
 
 ligbtc^ned 
 
 If these duties 'Are generally well performrd, tho 
 mo\emenfs of society go on in delightlul quiet and 
 harmony ; and appeals to the law are ttnfripquent, and 
 unnecessary: if they are violated, all is trouble and 
 discord, and society can only be kept toge^er by 
 Qoercion. As in a private family,- so is it in (he great 
 family of the nation. When the husband and wife, 
 parent and child, master and servant, observcf their 
 respective duties, there is peace and happiness \ but 
 when the children usurp authority, and the servants- 
 disobey, nothing is done without the rod, and tho 
 frown, there is perpetual jarring and turmoil. So, 
 likewise, when the King and all in authority under 
 him, are treated by thei people with gross disrespect, 
 the persons and pi-operty of public officers with wan- 
 ton outrage, Ihere is neither public happiness nor 
 prosperity. The tendency of such a state of things i^ 
 tf) alienate and separate the higher from the lower 
 classes ; to throw back their kindness, to dry up their 
 charities, and td confine their sympathies to persons itt 
 their own station. This is its natural tendency ; that 
 such has not been its effect to any great extejit among 
 us, I am happy to believe; for while many, from their 
 losses in consequence of the destruction of so much 
 property, have been unable to give to the same extent 
 as formerly, while Colston's anniversary could not be 
 celebrated on account of the public calamities, and the 
 large subscriptions thi^t used to be collected there were 
 in a measure lost to the poor, yet the fires in Queen- 
 'Square had scarcely burnt out, before large dums 
 Were raised for the relief of the poor, on the dreaded 
 approach of the pestilence. In this respect the weal- 
 tiuer classes have act^d with bt^oming generosity. 
 
 'J'he riots have further disgraced our city, so dis- 
 graced it that some have left it to reside elsewhere, ^ 
 and others who wx)uid have setded here, have staid* 
 away. The riots have brought shame and trouble into 
 many families, formerly of good npuhition and in com- 
 fo i t . > l)| e c i ct;umst i inc e s i ^aiany n}» the d^ they were-= 
 tt-wipted by bad example, and th« hope of concealment, 
 (; partake of the plunder ; man)- have lost their rela- 
 
 vcl 
 
 #j 
 
I! 
 
 ! 
 
 
 , ( ,: 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 t 
 
 1 
 
 ' 
 
 1* 
 
 • 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 > 
 
 
 
 42 
 
 — _ * 
 
 tions In circumstances of dishonor, and been obliged 
 to maintain them while disabled from » prk, and euf- 
 ferfogfrom|)ainful vrounds. • " 
 
 . And what have the chief actors ^n this doleful 
 4ragr^ytgained by all this wasteful ruin and pillage, 
 and the long train of public and private calamities they 
 have^tooght upon us ? At how cosily a price have 
 they j^wrchased to themselves as well as to others, their 
 night of unbridled licentiousness, and their pittance 
 oT miserable booty. Let the dreadful fates of those 
 who perished by fire and fell by the edge of the sword 
 declare it, « the wages of sin to them was <!eath ;" 
 but the last awful scene is hast^itig on to a close.— ; 
 Five ringleaders of the mob have already been doomed 
 to pay the penalty of their crimes; nineteen others 
 " to pass the remainder of their live^ in a foreign land, 
 separated for ever from parents, relations, and iriends, 
 and in a stat&of severe Jabour and constant privation :" 
 and many more will have to linger but the weary 
 hours in the ptisop-dungeons they had hoped to 
 destroy. 
 
 I'here were among them men who had property 
 arid some influence, which they might have increased 
 hnd exerted for the happiness of other men, who might 
 
 have lived and died useful, respected, and beloved 
 
 But they had not the fear and the love of God in their, 
 hearts. Impelled by pride and selfishness, and their 
 own unruly lusts, they rushed on to relellion, against 
 the laws of Gon and their country, leading others 
 along Mith them to an ignominious end. Great vias 
 their braggart boldness then, nor had it left them alto- 
 gether on the day of trial, while hope remained ; but 
 when the fatal verdict had been pronounced, when 
 they stood convicted and in despair at the solemn 
 judgment seat, what quivering of the lips, what pale- 
 ness, what tottering limbs, what piteous wailings, 
 what cries for mercy ! These were among the boast- 
 ful leaders, but now, how condemned and crest fallen. 
 Unhappy men ! And is an earthly toibnnal and the 
 face of man arrayed m the^stern atttipites of. justice^^ 
 so terrible to tljip guilty soul ? These are but the 
 
 mlM»^ 
 
en obliged 
 
 ., and £uf- 
 « 
 
 tis dolefal 
 td pillag^e, 
 tniticsfhey 
 price have 
 :hers, their 
 ir pittance 
 i of those 
 the sword 
 s <!eath ;" 
 a close.— 
 >n doomed 
 pen others 
 -^ign land, 
 nd friends, 
 irivation :" 
 the weary 
 hoped to 
 
 I prdperty 
 increased 
 vho might 
 )eIoved.— . 
 OD in their, 
 and their 
 »n, against 
 ng others 
 Great was 
 them alto> 
 Ined ; bat 
 ed, when 
 le solemn 
 vh&t pale- 
 wailings, 
 the boast*- 
 est- fallen. 
 A and the 
 >fljfisti€% 
 ^ bat the 
 
 4»»IM«9 
 
 43 
 
 beginning of woes, anless there follows repentance 
 deep, cordial, and sincere, which shall lay hold on that 
 long- buffering mercy, :whieh is extended even to the 
 eleventh hour. But it is the melancholy experience 
 and testimony of tho^ who have the best means of 
 judghig, that the corapHnctious visitings of persons 
 who have delaj'ed repentance till they come to a death- 
 bed or the prison. cell, are for the most part only (he 
 effect of fear, that they are not the Godly sorrow that 
 workelh repentance not to be repented of; not that 
 true change of heart which would certainly produce 
 a holj' life ; for of such instances where the lile that 
 
 'seemed lost past recovery, has afterwards been «»pared, 
 there are few, very few that have not quickly cast 
 away all signs of contrition and returned again to 
 their evil ways. May these unhappy men be led to 
 sorrow after a Godly sort, and to find mercy. There 
 are some that have escaped detection and a miserable 
 end, who were the guilty associates of the convicts. 
 Their period for repentance may be lengthened out. 
 " Let him that stole, steal no more, but rather let him 
 labour, working with his hands the thing that is good, 
 that he may have to give to him that needeth." Let 
 all wrath, strife, seditions, murders, drunkenness, and 
 revellings, be put away. 
 
 But thinky«»u that the men who have suffered and 
 have yet to suffer were sinners above all that dwell 
 among us ? As their judge stated in his impressive 
 address, « each of them was a striking and awful exam- 
 ple to others, of the crimes which men commit, andShe 
 misery which inevitably follows it, when they throw 
 off the rdlitraint of the laws of God and man, and give 
 themselves up to their own unbridled passions !'' But 
 many who have not proceeded to such open excesses 
 have the same need of repentance ; which of us needs 
 it not, for himself and the whole community ? What 
 irreligion, profaneness, sabbath-breaking, and low 
 debauchery, openly prevail amongst us ! How many 
 heinous sins are committed* that are hidden from men, 
 
 4mt revealed t»HiM wb&i» of pur e r -^yeg tfawi te- 
 behold iniquity, but with abhorrence. How Itnany sins 
 
 M-^ 
 
!l 
 
 f( 
 
 - y •! 41 
 
 have been dommiUed in hardness of heart in irllf. i 
 Ignorance, and unbelief. How manv in ih« f n "^^ 
 
 3e shall alliikeii'ise perish •' ^'^«*"Pt J e repent 
 
 (Jamesir 1 V V \ "'^^*»«' '« y«"r members?" 
 audTil «. ^^ ^'^ '*'*'' '" °°*^ «f God's scourges • 
 
 «ijent?n tfl !' !''""^'' "'"" '^''^^ tJ^e immediate 
 
 me.rus of defence wereuitho'rawn or nndered useles^ 
 "» iiie rioiers, and ihey seenaec to le s-nvll-l nnnA <« ' 
 
 :v:^*^.r '• ";^';^"f 7'™''"? ™..f"'"" ir;;'!,: 
 
 tWngs H^ith gramude? ^ "' ''"^"'^^^^ ^^*^'^« 
 
 «<l»r£e a^l...fl«..j i.yojS" nlt^^Z 
 
4 
 
 '4 
 
 45 
 
 fU in wilful 
 
 the full en- 
 
 ^nd shall not 
 
 >t ye repent 
 
 and punit^h- 
 was theirs ; 
 5 a warnirifT 
 < and to our 
 hence com© 
 
 not hence 
 nembers ?'' 
 
 scourges ; 
 md terrible 
 
 immediate 
 came from 
 hjis spread 
 lighter rod 
 un. » Shall 
 rt done it?' 
 periented 
 Ve marvel 
 l>at it was 
 tie fury of 
 All the 
 ?d Useless 
 J prevent 
 "civil and 
 iTH fhose 
 bound to ' 
 and ruiji 
 Jted was 
 I were to 
 ly laden 
 isuiicier : 
 ♦ d. The 
 
 er these 
 
 4»4»^ 
 
 Bristol luive sounded an alarm through the length and 
 breuijth df the land. The sudden springing of the 
 min^ in a quarter where it was n*»t expected, has pro- 
 Wably saved us from a more terrific explosion, and sent 
 us ta watch more narrowly the secret machinations 
 of ourlenemies. The warning, and ifie lesson will be 
 brown away unless we learn /rom this frightful exhi- 
 bition of the theories and principles of Inlidel and 
 revolutionary incendiaries, to detest, and spurn fhein 
 away from us, and to value as we ought, the inestim- 
 able privileges of the laws and consiitutiou they seek 
 to destn y. j •* 
 
 " J..N. 
 
 BULI., Pii.iter, 19, St. Paul.-stieet. 
 
 rhation 
 
 mults lit 
 
{v^A^