It was no use disguising the fact—I had not sufficient in my chests to pay the reckless demands. Not that I had misused the money entrusted to me, but that I had lent it out again, that it might work and earn for me the means to pay interest to the depositors and afford me something for my trouble; all this was quite honourable and above board, and yet how frightened I was! Had I wished it I could not have run away, for you know I had but one room, without private doors and staircases; I was, therefore, compelled to stand and face the excited and unreasonable crowd. In the case of a _run_, it is absolutely necessary to find the money somewhere, in order to meet the demand made by the public; for if once payment is suspended credit is gone, career blasted, and business at an end. When a person asks me in confidence my definition of a _run_, I always answer, “A reckless, senseless attack on a bank—one in which self-interest is so overpowering as utterly to cover and blot out reason for the time being.” Of course the news spread like wildfire that I was surrounded by a clamorous people whom more than likely I should not be able to satisfy, and who, in that case, would not hesitate to take my life. This roused my friends, who without loss of time came to my assistance with the only commodity that could save me. Godolphin (the Lord Treasurer in the reign of Queen Anne) declared that the credit of the country was bound up together with mine, and that help must be at once offered, for which phrase, when I had time to think of it, I was thankful; but, better than words, my friends, the Dukes of Marlborough and Newcastle, and others of the nobility, at once came to my rescue with large sums of money, and gentlemen of all ranks came with their offering of such cash as they had in hand. One incident deeply touched me. A poor man, hearing of my trouble, came to me with £500 which he had saved, and placed them absolutely at my disposal. On my mentioning this to the Queen when next I saw her, she was so pleased that she sent him a present of £100 and an order on the Treasury to pay at once the £500 which had been lent to me. You may be very sure that I did not forget such a friend. You see, therefore, how the ill effects of the _run_ were averted by the kindness of private and powerful friends. The next fright I had was of another character, and occurred on the 28th of February, 1709, just two years after the _run_. You who have studied the history of this country know that in the reign of Queen Anne a certain Dr. Sacheverell caused a great deal of trouble to those in authority, and roused the people to acts of riot and rebellion.