ife-guards, who
patroled through the streets, to join in the cry of "High-church and
Ormond!" and in Smithfield they burned the picture of king William.
Thirty persons were imprisoned for being concerned in these riots. One
Bournois, a schoolmaster, who affirmed that king George had no right to
the crown, was tried and scourged through the city, with such severity
that in a few days he expired in the utmost torture. A frivolous
incident served to increase the popular ferment. The shirts allowed to
the first regiment of guards, commanded by the duke of Marlborough, were
so coarse that the soldiers could hardly be persuaded to wear them. Some
were thrown into the garden of the king's palace, and into that which
belonged to the duke of Marlborough. A detachment, in marching through
the city, produced them to the view of the shop-keepers and passengers,
exclaiming, "These are the Hanover shirts." The court being informed
of this clamour, ordered those new shirts to be burned immediately;
but even this sacrifice, and an advertisement published by the duke
of Marlborough in his own vindication, did not acquit that general of
suspicion that he was concerned in this mean species of peculation. A
reward of fifty pounds was offered by the government to any person
that would discover one captain Wight, who, by an intercepted letter,
appeared to be disaffected to king George; and Mr. George Jefferies was
seized at Dublin with a packet directed to Dr. Jonathan Swift, dean of
St. Patrick's. Several treasonable papers being found in this packet,
were transmitted to England; Jefferies was obliged to give bail for his
appearance; and Swift thought proper to abscond.

REPORT OF THE SECRET COMMITTEE.

The house of lords, to demonstrate their abhorrence of all who
should engage in conspiracies against their sovereign, rejected with
indignation a petition presented to them in behalf of Blackburne,
Casils, Barnarde, Meldrum, and Chambers, who had hitherto continued
prisoners, for having conspired against the life of king William. On
the ninth day of June, Mr. Walpole, as chairman of the secret committee,
declared to the house of commons that the report was ready; and in
the meantime moved, that a warrant might be issued by Mr. Speaker, for
apprehending several persons, particularly Mr. Matthew Prior and Mr.
Thomas Harley, who being in the house, were immediately taken into
custody. Then he recited the report, ranged under these differ