admitted of doubt, the settled
purpose of soul with which they sought his destruction.

A place of concealment so obvious to suspicion and scrutiny as that
which Porteous had chosen, could not long screen him from detection.
He was dragged from his lurking place, with a violence which seemed to
argue an intention to put him to death on the spot. More than one weapon
was directed towards him, when one of the rioters, the same whose female
disguise had been particularly noticed by Butler, interfered in an
authoritative tone. "Are ye mad?" he said, "or would ye execute an act
of justice as if it were a crime and a cruelty? This sacrifice will lose
half its savour if we do not offer it at the very horns of the altar. We
will have him die where a murderer should die, on the common gibbet--we
will have him die where he spilled the blood of so many innocents!"

A loud shout of applause followed the proposal, and the cry, "To the
gallows with the murderer!--to the Grassmarket with him!" echoed on all
hands.

"Let no man hurt him," continued the speaker; "let him make his peace
with God, if he can; we will not kill both his soul and body."

"What time did he give better folk for preparing their account?"
answered several voices. "Let us mete to him with the same measure he
measured to them."

But the opinion of the spokesman better suited the temper of those
he addressed, a temper rather stubborn than impetuous, sedate though
ferocious, and desirous of colouring their cruel and revengeful action
with a show of justice and moderation.

SCOTT.

[Notes: _The Porteous Mob_ occurred in 1736. At the execution of a
smuggler named Wilson, a slight commotion amongst the crowd was made by
Captain Porteous the occasion for ordering his men who were on guard to
fire upon the people. He was tried and sentenced to death, but reprieved
by Queen Caroline, then regent in the absence of George II. The reprieve
was held so unjust by the people that they stormed the Tolbooth, and
hanged Porteous, who was a prisoner there.]

* * * * *

THE PORTEOUS MOB--_continued._

The tumult was now transferred from the inside to the outside of the
Tolbooth. The mob had brought their destined victim forth, and were
about to conduct him to the common place of execution, which they had
fixed as the scene of his death. The leader, whom they had distinguished