diers were posted before daylight. A body of Horse Guards
paraded Palace Yard; an encampment was formed in the Park, where fifteen
hundred men and five battalions of Militia were under arms; the Tower
was fortified, the drawbridges were raised, the cannon loaded and
pointed, and two regiments of artillery busied in strengthening the
fortress and preparing it for defence. A numerous detachment of soldiers
were stationed to keep guard at the New River Head, which the people had
threatened to attack, and where, it was said, they meant to cut off the
main-pipes, so that there might be no water for the extinction of the
flames. In the Poultry, and on Cornhill, and at several other leading
points, iron chains were drawn across the street; parties of soldiers
were distributed in some of the old city churches while it was yet
dark; and in several private houses (among them, Lord Rockingham's in
Grosvenor Square); which were blockaded as though to sustain a siege,
and had guns pointed from the windows. When the sun rose, it shone into
handsome apartments filled with armed men; the furniture hastily heaped
away in corners, and made of little or no account, in the terror of the
time--on arms glittering in city chambers, among desks and stools, and
dusty books--into little smoky churchyards in odd lanes and by-ways,
with soldiers lying down among the tombs, or lounging under the shade of
the one old tree, and their pile of muskets sparkling in the light--on
solitary sentries pacing up and down in courtyards, silent now, but
yesterday resounding with the din and hum of business--everywhere on
guard-rooms, garrisons, and threatening preparations.

As the day crept on, still more unusual sights were witnessed in the
streets. The gates of the King's Bench and Fleet Prisons being opened at
the usual hour, were found to have notices affixed to them, announcing
that the rioters would come that night to burn them down. The wardens,
too well knowing the likelihood there was of this promise being
fulfilled, were fain to set their prisoners at liberty, and give
them leave to move their goods; so, all day, such of them as had any
furniture were occupied in conveying it, some to this place, some to
that, and not a few to the brokers' shops, where they gladly sold it,
for any wretched price those gentry chose to give. There were some
broken men among these debtors who had been in jail so long, and were
so miserable and destitute of friends, so de