3 o6 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

chap. prepared for its defence, as if the enemy wererxvn. at its gates : The chains and posts were put up :

1678. And it was a noted faying at that time of Sir

Thomas Player, the chamberlain, that, were itnot for these precautions, all the citizens mightlife next morning with their throats cut ‘.

In order to propagate the popular frenzy ,several artifices were employed. The dead bodyof Godfrey was carried into the city, attendedby vast multitudes. It was publicly exposed inthe streets, and viewed by all ranks of men; andevery one, who saw it, went away inflamed, aswell by the mutual contagion of sentiments, asby the dismal spectacle itself. The funeral pompwas celebrated with great parade. The corpsewas conducted through the chief streets of thecity: Seventy-two clergymen marched before:Above a thousand persons of distinction followedafter: And at the funeral - sermon , two able-bodied divines mounted the pulpit, and stood oneach fide of the preacher, lest, in paying the lastduties to this unhappy magistrate , he should,before the whole people, be murdered by thePapists 7 .

In this disposition of the nation, reason couldno more be heard than a whisper in the midst ofthe most violent hurricane. Even at present ,Godfrey’s murder can scarce!}', upon any system,be rationally accounted for. That he was assas-sinated by the Catholics, seems utterly improbable.

North, p. 2 ad. 7 North, p. 20;.