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that he is justly offended, I will immediately beg his pardon. I beg your pardon, who are totally unconcerned in this attack, for this singular interruption, which I trust I shall obtain from you, as men and Englishmen ; when you have before your eyes a defenceless individual, in a situation so singular, as will, I hope, justify my present address to you.'
"It was impossible to be heard distinctly. I could not find an interval of silence to utter half of the above, which I had conceived in my mind and wished to deliver. The clamour of the persons in uniforms behind me was loud and incessant. I heard myself called, in the first instance, a democratical scoundrel that deserved to be hanged." ' A Democrat, a Democrat, a d—d Democrat. Out with the Democrat—no Democrats.' Scoundrel and rascal were titles lavishly bestowed. It is needless to repeat the silly oaths and unmeaning expletives! which served those, who were too much enraged to be able to say any thing else, to add to the noise and drown my voice. I particularly remember hearing one man say, • No speech—that won't do—he ought to be hanged—out with him:' and another call repeatedly for personal violence to be inflicted upon me before I should be suffered to depart. A grim and gaunt figure exclaimed, ' Irons— Irons, here; he ought to be put in irons directly.'
" I found it was impossible to be heard by the House at large, who could not know the cause of the disturbance. 1 thought my perseverance might create a riot. I |
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* I have been informed, since the publication of the former editions of this Narrative, that many of the assailants were of a different opinion, and thought drowning was to be preferred to hanging me ; it having been proposed that I should be dragged to the sea, which is near, and thrown into it. A person of veracity was told of this by a tradesman of Brighton ; who added, that the presence of Mrs Knox and my children alone saved me from the watery grave. I laugh at this; but there might be some danger, as these gentlemen were not of the humane society.
t Such as Bah ! Boo ! Boh t and other noisy sounds, of which I know not the meaning, not being in possession of the St. Giles's Glossary, or the Scoundrel's Dictionary, |
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