A Printer in the Pillory

25 February 1721   The dignifed Mr. Mist being lately made Surveyor of the Highways [i.e. put in the pillory], on Monday last executed that office at the Royal-Exchange, London, and on Thursday last at Charing-Cross; when the Jacobite Mobb, to execute his farther advancement, signified their approbation of his sentence (out of their usual respect to the Government) before, behind, upon, and on each side of his coach, made themselves his Guard de Corps, with continued Huzza’s, particularly from the last place, to his new Palace in Southwark; in which he is to reside for three months only, if not otherwise enjoyn’d. As he was formerly a sailor, it is no wonder he made the best of his retreat, and crowded all his sails for that purpose; but let him look to it, how he makes such expedition, lest at one time or other, according to his own paper, he goes up a higher pair of stairs next time. (Weekly Journal: Or, British Gazetteer)

25 February 1721
           Charing-Cross, Feb. 24.
Mr. Read,
     To insult over men under misfortunes, must be own’d to be ungenerous; but to sufer the justice of the Government to be insulted, as it was here yestereay, without censure, must betray weakness and fear, in those who pretend to bear any respect to it. I will not directly say, that MIST himself engag’d the mob to

commit such outrages, but really, the whole proceeding of their conduct, during the time of his standing in the pillory, seem’d no less than a bold and open defiance of the laws, and downright braving the justice of the Government, and plainly saying, That whoever you attempt to punish, we will exalt; and whoever you exalt, we’ll endeavour to debase and destroy. At this rate, this hair brain’d faction will become ambitious to deserve the honour of the cart’s-arse and pillory, purely for the sake of having their names celebrated in Jacobite records; like the poor stupid enthusiastick boy, Shepherd, who took all the measures his little wit was capable of, to be hang’d, meerly to be talk’d of. The respect of such a rascally mob, shou’d, methinks, rather make a man asham’d; and how was that wretched party exclaim’d against all tumultuous mobs, when a formidable Whig-mob has made them tremble, and driven that of their adversaries like sheep before them. Then, truly, ’twas a shame there should be such doings allow’d: I shall be of opinion, Mr. Read, that if they continue their insolence, not retaining any memory of Salisbury-Court-End, it will be necessary to revive the ROE-BUCK upon them, who kept them once in due obedience.
        I am, &c.
(Weekly Journal: Or, British Gazetteer)