expected by many to have a similar termination. Mr. Aislabie, whose
high office and deep responsibilities should have kept him honest,
even had native principle been insufficient, was very justly regarded
as perhaps the greatest criminal of all. His case was entered into
on the day succeeding the acquittal of Mr. Starthope. Great excitement
prevailed, and the lobbies and avenues of the house were beset by
crowds, impatient to know the result. The debate lasted the whole day.
Mr. Aislabie found few friends: his guilt was so apparent and so
heinous that nobody had courage to stand up in his favour. It was
finally resolved, without a dissentient voice, that Mr. Aislabie had
encouraged and promoted the destructive execution of the South Sea
scheme with a view to his own exorbitant profit, and had combined with
the directors in their pernicious practices to the ruin of the public
trade and credit of the kingdom: that he should for his offences be
ignominiously expelled from the House of Commons, and committed a
close prisoner to the Tower of London; that he should be restrained
from going out of the kingdom for a whole year, or till the end of the
next session of Parliament; and that he should make out a correct
account of all his estate, in order that it might be applied to the
relief of those who had suffered by his malpractices.

This verdict caused the greatest joy. Though it was delivered at
half-past twelve at night, it soon spread over the city. Several
persons illuminated their houses in token of their joy. On the
following day, when Mr. Aislabie was conveyed to the Tower, the mob
assembled on Tower-hill with the intention of hooting and pelting him.
Not succeeding in this, they kindled a large bonfire, and danced
around it in the exuberance of their delight. Several bonfires were
made in other places; London presented the appearance of a holiday,
and people congratulated one another as if they had just escaped from