a train of the deepest villany and fraud that Hell had ever contrived
to ruin a nation, which in due time they would lay before the House.
In the mean time, in order to a further discovery, the Committee
thought it highly necessary to secure the persons of some of the
directors and principal South Sea officers, and to seize their papers.
A motion to this effect having been made, was carried unanimously. Sir
Robert Chaplin, Sir Theodore Janssen, Mr. Sawbridge, and Mr. F. Eyles,
members of the House, and directors of the South Sea Company, were
summoned to appear in their places, and answer for their corrupt
practices. Sir Theodore Janssen and Mr. Sawbridge answered to their
names, and endeavoured to exculpate themselves. The House heard them
patiently, and then ordered them to withdraw. A motion was then made,
and carried nemine contradicente, that they had been guilty of a
notorious breach of trust--had occasioned much loss to great numbers
of his Majesty's subjects, and had highly prejudiced the public
credit. It was then ordered that, for their offence, they should be
expelled the House, and taken into the custody of the
sergeant-at-arms. Sir Robert Chaplin and Mr. Eyles, attending in their
places four days afterwards, were also expelled the House. It was
resolved at the same time to address the King, to give directions to
his ministers at foreign courts to make application for Knight, that
he might be delivered up to the English authorities, in ease he took
refuge in any of their dominions. The King at once agreed, and
messengers were despatched to all parts of the Continent the same
night.

Among the directors taken into custody, was Sir John Blunt, the man
whom popular opinion has generally accused of having been the original
author and father of the scheme. This man, we are informed by Pope, in
his epistle to Allen, Lord Bathurst, was a dissenter, of a most