Historic%20Yorkshire

THE LUDDITE RIOTS. 171
were to be wrecked and what masters were to be
murdered. The societies of different parts were under
the control of a general committee, and the various
brancheshad their own committees, whohad the arrangement
of allmatters relating to measures to be carriedout
in concert. The midnight assemblies were conducted
with awe-inspiring solemnity, and each new memberwas
bound by an oath as follows: — ■"I,
, of my own
voluntary will, do declare and solemnly swear thatI
never will reveal to any person or persons under the
canopy of heaven the namesof the persons who compose
this committee, their proceedings, meetings, places of
abode, dress, features, connections, or anything else that
might lead to a discovery of the same, either by wordor
deedor sign, under the penalty of being sent out of the
world by the first brother who shall meet me, and my
name and characterblotted out of existence,and never to
be rememberedbut with contempt and abhorrence; and
Ifurther now do swear thatIwill use mybest endeavours
to punish by death any traitor 01 traitors, should any rise
up amongst us, whereverIcan find him or them; and
though he should fly to the verge of nature,Iwillpursue
him with unceasing vengeance. So help me God, and
bless me to keep this my oathinviolable."
From every part ofthe country subscriptions poured in,
and the movement began to assume alarming proportions.
The local magistracy found that the riots were
almostimpossible to be checked by the ordinary course of
the law. Joseph Radcliffe, of Milnsbridge, was extremly
energeticin promoting a counter organisation, by which
the leaders were surprised and detected, and for this he
was afterwards rewarded with a baronetcy. In many
counties, too, the police made extraordinary efforts, and
largenumbers of rioters were apprehended, the leniency
with which the first offenders had been treated by the
magistrates, being changed for a severity due to the
importance of the threatening aspect of affairs. The
Luddites became more and more embittered against