CHAPTER XI.

The Chartists--Their going to church--Dissolution of the
Convention--Approaching marriage of the Queen--The Queen and
lunatics--Raid on a Gaming House--Act of Penance.

This year Chartism was rampant and very militant. On 1 April there were
riots at Devizes, on 3 May, seven men were arrested at Manchester for
drilling, and, on the 25th of that month a great meeting was held on
Kersall Moor, four miles from Manchester. On 4th July there were very
serious riots at Birmingham, and again on the 15th. On the same date
between 3,000 and 4,000 Chartists met on Clerkenwell Green to condemn the
action of the authorities at Birmingham, and, towards the end of the
month, numerous meetings were held in the North of England, and there
were riots at Newcastle and Stockport. In August there was great unrest
in the North, and some trials took place at Birmingham and Manchester for
rioting and sedition.

A new, and somewhat unexpected method of agitation, was, about this time,
adopted by the Chartists. They betook themselves, suddenly, to
attendance in a body at public worship, taking early possession on the
Sundays of the various cathedrals and parish churches, to the exclusion
of the more regular attendants. On the afternoon of Sunday, 11 Aug., a
party of them, about 500 in number, met together in West Smithfield, and
walked in procession to St. Paul's Cathedral. On arriving there, many of
them refused to take off their hats; but, after some remonstrance from
the Vergers, they submitted. The majority of them wore a little piece of
red ribbon in their button holes, and conducted themselves quite
peaceably. On the Sunday following, their brethren at Norwich pursued a
similar course at the Cathedral of that city, which was crowded almost to
suffocation. The Bishop, who preached, took the opportunity to deliver
an impressive remonstrance on the folly and danger of their proceedings.
The Chartists behaved well in the Cathedral; but, at St. Stephen's Church
in the evening, they made a disturbance. The Chartists at Manchester,
following the advice of Feargus O'Connor, attended the Old Church (now
the Cathedral) in great numbers. The authorities, having been previously
advised of their intention, had the military in readiness to act, should
the Chartists behave in a disorderly manner: but they conducted
themselves with great decorum. It is said that, previous to Divine
Service, they handed the clerg