rees close by the place of execution. On seeing the rope,
Porteous made remonstrances, and caught hold of the tree, but being
disengaged they set him down, and as the noose was about to be put over his
head, he appeared to gather fresh spirit, struggling and wrenching his head
and body. Here again some citizens appeared for him, telling that the
troops being now in full march, they must all expect to be sacrificed, and
that the artillery of the Castle would doubtless be discharged among them.
They answered, "No man will die till his time come."

About a quarter of an hour before twelve they put the rope about his neck,
and ordered him to be pulled up; which being done, observing his hands
loose, he was let down again; after tying his hands he was hauled up a
second time, but after a short space, having wrought one of his arms loose,
he was let down once more, in order to tie it up and cover his face.
Stripping him of one of the shirts he had on, they wrapped it about his
head, and got him up a third time with loud huzzas and a ruff of the drum.
After he had hung a long time, they nailed the rope to the tree; then
formally saluting one another, grounding their arms, and another ruff of
the drum, they separated, retired out of town, and numbers of them were
seen riding off in bodies well mounted to different quarters, leaving the
body hanging till near five next morning.

Neither the two gentlemen who conversed with the rioters at the Tolbooth,
nor those who were sent out by the magistrates to see if they knew any of
them, could say they had ever seen any one of them before, though the
flames of the fire at the Tolbooth door rendered it as light as noonday;
so that it was generally believed no citizen acted any principal part in
the tragedy; though, indeed, it is certain that many of the burgesses and
inhabitants of Edinburgh, led by curiosity, went to the streets to behold
the surprising boldness and incredible extravagance of the scene.

Upon the whole, it would seem that the rioters were a body of gentlemen and
others in disguise, some having masons' aprons, others joiners', fleshers',
shoemakers', dyers', and those of other trades, who had concerted their
plot with judgment, conducted it with secresy, executed it with resolution
and manly daring, and completed the whole in the short space of two hours
with unparalleled success.

FOOTNOTES:

[C] The inn or house here referred to is now demolished. It was a back
hou