made void_, _and that he be restored again_, according to the direction of a peremptory mandamus, issued out of his majesty’s court of King’s Bench, to the mayor, aldermen, and common councell for that purpose directed: and the said Hen: Southwell appearing, was sworn, and found pledges.”—This might have taught our corporation a very useful lesson, and been a standing warning to them never more to act in so arbitrary a manner, or attempt to extend their power beyond its due bounds. Being now come to the close of this reign, it may be proper here just to mention some of the principal events by which it was distinguished. Among them the first in order of time was the _rebellion_ in 1715, in favour of the pretender; which, though it was suppressed early in the ensuing year, was far from being eradicated from the minds of the people. The malcontents were long after very numerous in the kingdom, and ever busy in forming new plots against the government, of which that wherein bishop _Atterbury_ was concerned seems to have been the most formidable. The seasonable discovery of it prevented its being productive of much mischief, except to the conspirators themselves, some of whom paid very dear for the share they had in it; particularly Layer and Atterbury. The former was hanged and quartered, and the latter banished his country for ever. But of all the occurrences of this reign the South Sea scheme, or grand bubble, as it is sometimes called, was that which proved most disastrous and calamitous to the nation. This memorable scheme was laid before the House of Commons by the South Sea Company, along with another from the Bank of England, in 1719, for reducing all the public Funds into one, in order to discharge the national debt, on some valuable consideration to be granted them, &c. After much debate and contest, it was determined in favour of the South Sea Company, and their proposals were accepted on Feb. 1. 1719–20. An Act afterwards passed both Houses for that purpose, which received the royal assent in April following. Upon the proposals being accepted, stock rose gradually to a prodigious height; to 310 per cent. even before the bill received the royal assent; in a few days to 340, then to 400, and before the end of May to 500. In short, what by the artifices of the managers, and the credulity of the people, eager to grasp the riches now held out to them, by the 2nd. of June it got up to 890, and continued rising and falling till it amounted to above 1000. Nothing was now minded but the business of stock-jobbing. Exchange Alley, where these affairs were transacted, was in a continual hurry, and thither crowds of all ranks and qualities daily resorted. The desperate, who ventured first, were generally gainers, whilst the more wary, who came in later, were many of them great sufferers: so that the _wrongheads_, (as the saying then was,) had the better of the _longheads_. A spirit of gaming thus prevailing in the nation, many