Barnaby Rudge · Chapter
Chapter 67 explained
The morning after the riots reveals a city transformed by fear and military occupation.
What happens
The morning after the riots reveals a city transformed by fear and military occupation. London is under martial law with soldiers posted throughout, and the mob continues its reign of terror, delivering threats and collecting money. The authorities finally issue a proclamation to use force, and as night falls, the rioters, led by the seemingly invincible Hugh on horseback, make repeated, ferocious attacks, including on the vintner's house where Mr. Haredale is discovered and targeted.
Themes in this chapter
Mob Violence and Chaos
The chapter vividly portrays the mob's unchecked power, from delivering threats and collecting money to launching repeated, violent attacks on buildings and soldiers, plunging the city into chaos.
Freedom and Imprisonment
The release of prisoners and the paradoxical return of some to their jails highlights the theme of freedom and imprisonment, where the 'freedom' of the mob is terrifying and the 'imprisonment' of jail is, for some, a safer alternative.
The Spectacle of Death
The riots are a public spectacle of violence and death, with soldiers firing on crowds and the mob attacking with lethal force, all witnessed by the terrified populace.
Characters to notice
- Hugh
Leads the rioters on horseback, wielding an axe and wearing fetters from Newgate. He is seemingly invincible, leading attacks on the Bank, prisons, and the vintner's house, and specifically targets Mr. Haredale.
- Mr. Geoffrey Haredale
Observes the riots from the roof of the vintner's house with the vintner. He is recognized by Hugh, who swears to have his life.
- John Willet
Not explicitly present in this chapter, but the Maypole Inn and its regulars are part of the broader narrative context.
Key passages
“In place of the usual cheerfulness and animation of morning, everything was dead and silent.”
The morning's typical liveliness was replaced by a deathly quiet.
Describes the city's atmosphere after the riots.
“Full twenty times, the rioters, headed by one man who wielded an axe in his right hand, and bestrode a brewer’s horse of great size and strength, caparisoned with fetters taken out of Newgate, which clanked and jingled as he went, made an attempt to force a passage at this point, and fire the vintner’s house.”
Twenty times, the rioters, led by a man with an axe riding a large horse decorated with chains from Newgate prison, tried to break through and set the vintner's house on fire.
Describes Hugh's leadership and the repeated attacks on the vintner's house.
“So the day passed on: the prisoners moving their goods; people running to and fro in the streets, carrying away their property; groups standing in silence round the ruins; all business suspended; and the soldiers disposed as has been already mentioned, remaining quite inactive.”
The day continued with prisoners moving their belongings, people fleeing with their possessions, and silent crowds near the ruins, while all business stopped and the soldiers stayed idle.
Summarizes the state of London during the day.