Castle, perched safe
aloft upon its rock. But Porteous, filled with a false security, and
rejoicing in the reprieve that had arrived from London, took no heed of
the warnings. Perhaps, like the Duke of Guise on something of a like
occasion, he would, if warned that there was any thought of taking his
life, have answered, secure in the sanctity of the old Tolbooth, in the
historic words, "They would not dare." Porteous remained in the old
Tolbooth; he gave an entertainment in honor of his reprieve to certain
privileged friends; he was actually at supper, with the wine going
round and round, and his apartment noisy with talk and laughter, when
the jailer entered the room with a pale face and a terrible tale. Half
Edinburgh was outside the Tolbooth, armed and furious, their one demand
for the person of Porteous, their one cry for his life.

The tale was strange enough to seem incredible even to minds more sober
than those of Porteous and his companions, but it was perfectly true.
Edinburgh had risen in the most mysterious way. From all parts of the
town bands of men had come together; the guard-house of the city guard
had been seized upon, the guards disarmed, and their weapons
distributed among the conspirators. In a very short space of time
Edinburgh was in the hands of an armed and determined mob; the
magistrates, who attempted to enforce their authority, were powerless,
and the crowd, with a unanimity which showed how well their plans had
been preconcerted, directed all their energies to effecting an entrance
into the Tolbooth. This proved at first exceedingly difficult. The
great gate seemed to defy the force of all the sledge-hammer strokes
that could be rained against it, and its warders were obstinate alike
to the demands and the threats of the besiegers. But some {64} one in
the ranks of the besiegers suggested fire, and through fire the
Tolbooth fell. Fagots were piled outside the great gate and lighted,
and the bonfire was assiduously fed until at last the great gate was
consumed and the rioters rushed to their purpose over the glowing
embers and through the flying sparks.

[Sidenote: 1736--A "respectable" mob]

They found Porteous in his apartment, deserted by his companions, dizzy
with the fumes of wines, and helpless with the horror of the doom that
menaced him. He might perhaps have escaped when the first alarm was
sounded, but, as he lost his head before through passion, so he seems
to have lo