The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

TIHE HEART OF MID-LOTHIAN. 341
variety which can gratify the eye and the imagination. When a piece of
scenery so beautiful, yet so varied,-so exciting by its intricacy, and yet so
sublime, —is lighted up by the tints of morning or of evening, and displays
all that variety of shadowy depth, exchanged with partial brilliancy, which
gives character to the tamest of landscapes, the effect approaches near to
enchantment. This path used to be my favourite evening and morning
resort, when engaged with a favourite author, or new subject of study. It
is, I am informed, now become totally impassable; a circumstance which,
if true, reflects little credit on the taste of the Good Town or its leaders.*
It was from this fascinating path-the scene to me of so much delicious
musing, when life was young and promised to be happy, that I have been
unable to pass it over without an episodical description-it was, I say, from
of one who hawl'd the rope by which Captain Porteus was pulled up,'tis believed Taylor was the person;
and'tis farther probable, that the witness who delated Stirling had mistaken Taylor for hin, their stature
and age (so far as can be gathered from the description) being the same.
"A great deal of pains were taken, and no charge was saved, in order to have catched hold of this Taylor,
and warrands were sent to the country where he was born; but it appears he had shipt himself off fbr Holland, where it is said he now is.
"There is strong evidence also against Thomas Burns, butcher, that he was ane active person from the
beginning of the mob to the end of it. He lurkt for some time amongst those of his trade; and artfully
enough a train was laid to catch him, under pretence of a message that had come from his father in Ireland,
so that he came to a blind alehouse in the Flesh-market closs, and, a party being ready, was, by Webster the
soldier, who was upon this exploit, advertised to come down. However, Burns escaped out at a back window, and hid himself in some of the houses which are heaped together upon one another in that place, so
that it was not possible to catch hirm.'Tis now said he is gone to Ireland to his father who lives there.
"There is evidence also against one Robert Anderson, journeyman and servant to Colin Alison, wright;
and against Thomas Linnen and Jamnes Maxwell, both servants also to the said Colin Alison, who all: seem
to have been deeply concerned in the matter. Anderson is one of those who putt the rope upon Captain
Porteus's neck. Linnen seems also to have been very active; and Maxwell (which is pretty remarkable) is
proven to have come to a shop upon the Friday before, and charged the journeymen and prentices there to
attend in the Parlianlent close on Tuesday night, to assist to hang Captain Porteus. These three did early
abscond, and, though warrands had been issued out against them, and all endeavours used to apprehend
them, could not be found.
"' One Waldie, a servant to George Campbell, wright, has also absconded, and many others, and'tis informed
that numbers of them have shipt themselves off ffor the Plantations; and upon an information that a ship
was going off ffrom Glasgow, in which severall of the rogues were to transport themselves beyond seas, proper
warranlds were obtained, and persons despatched to search the said ship, and seize any that can be found.;" The like warrandls had been issued with regard to ships from Leith. But whether they had been scard,
or whether. the information had been groundless, they had no effect.' "This is a summary of the enquiry, ffronr which it appears there is no prooff on which one can rely, but
against M'Lauchlan. There is a prooff also against Braidwood, but more exceptionable. His Majestie's
Advocate, since he came to town, has join'd with the Sollicitor, and has done his utmost to gett at the bottom
of this matter, but hitherto it stands as is above represented. They are resolved to have their eyes and their
ears ope,. and to do what they can. But they laboured exceedingly against the stream; and it may truly
be said, that nothing was wanting on their part. Nor have they declined any labour to answer the commands laid upon them to search the matter to the bottom."
THE PORTEOUS MOB.
In the preceding chapters (II. to VII.) the circumstances of that extraordinary not and conspiracy, called
the Porteous Mob, are given with as much accuracy as the author was able to collect theni. The order,
regularity, and determnined resolution with which such a violent action was devised and executed, were only
equalled by the secrecy which was observed concerning the principal actors.'
Although the fact was performed by torch-light, and in presence of a great multitude, to some of whom,
at least, the individual actors must have been known, yet no discovery was ever made concerning any of the
perpetrators of the slaughter.
l'wo men only were brought to trial for an offence which the government were so anxious to detect and
punish. William Ml'Lauchlan, footman to the Countess of Wemyss, who is mentioned in the report of the
Solicitor-General, (page 197,) against whom strong evidence had been obtained, was brought to trial in
March, 1737, charged as having been accessory to the riot, armed with a Lochaber-axe. But this man (who
was at all tinmes a silly creature) proved, that he was in a state of mortal intoxication, during the time he
was present with the rabble, incapable of giving them either advice or assistance, or, indeed, of knowing
what he or they were doing. He was also able to prove, that he was forced into the riot, and uphield while
there by two bakers, who put a Lochaber-axe into his hand The jury, wisely judging this poor creature
could be n(ipropersubject of punishment, found thepannel Not Guilty. The same verdict was given in the case
of Thomas Linnillg, also mnlmtioned in the Solicitor's memorial, who was tried in 1738. In short, neither then,
nor for a long period afterwards, was anything discovered relating to the organization of the Porteous Plot.'lThe imagination of the people of Edinburgh was long irritated, and their curiosity kept awake, by the
mystery attending this extraordinary conspiracy. It was generally reported of such natives of Edinburgh
as, having left the city in youth, returned with a fortune anmassed in foreign countries, that they had originally fled on account of their share in the Porteous Mob. But little credit can be attached to these surmises, as in most of the cases they are contradicted by dates, and in none supported byaanything but vague
rumours, grounded on the ordinary wish of the vulgar, to impute the success of prosperous men to some
unpleasant source. The secret history of the Porteous Mob has been till this day unravelled; and it has
always been quoted as a close, daring, and calculated act of violence, of a nature peculiarly characteristic
of the Scottish people.
Nevertheless, the author, for a considerable time, nourished hopes to have found himself enabled to throw
some light on this mysterious story. An old man, who died about twenty years ago, at the advanced age of
ninety-three, was said to have made a communication to the clergyman who attended upon his death-bed,
respecting the origin of the Porteous Mob. This person followed the trade of a carpenter, and had been
employed as such on the estate of a family of opulence and condition. His character in his line of life
and anlongst his neighbours, was excellent, and never underwent the slightest suspicion. His confession
was said to have been to the following purpose: That he was one of twelve young men belonging to the
* A beautiful and solid pathway has, within a few years, been formled around these romantic rocks; and
the author has the pleasure to think, that the passage in the text gave rise to the undertaking.:2D2