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.

342 E R L EY N O VE L S.
this romantic path that Butler saw the morning arise the day after the
murder of Porteous. It was possible for him with ease to have found a
much shorter road to the house to which he was directing his course, and,
in fact, that which he chose was extremely circuitous. But to compose his
own spirits, as well as to while away the time, until a proper hour for
visiting the family without surprise or disturbance, he was induced to
extend his circuit by the foot of the rocks, and to linger upon his way
until the morning should be considerably advanced. While, now standing
with his arms across, and waiting the slow progress of the sun above the
horizon, now sitting upon one of the numerous fragments which storms had
detached from the rocks above him, he is meditating, alternately upon the
horrible catastrophe which he had witnessed, and upon the melancholy, and
to him most interesting, news which he had learned at Saddletree's, we will
give the reader to understand who Butler was, and how his fate was con-.
nected with that of Effie Deans, the unfortunate handmaiden of the careful
Mrs. Saddletree.
Reuben Butler was of English extraction, though born in Scotland. His
granwf9TfiWsis a trooper in Monk's army, and one of the party of dismounted
dragoons which formed the forlorn hope at the storming of Dundee in 1651.
Stephen Butler (called, from his talents in reading and expounding, Scripture Stephen, and Bible Butler) was a stanch Independent, and received in
its fullest comprehension the promise that the saints should inherit the
earth. As hard knocks were what had chiefly fallen to his share, hitherto,
in the division of this common property, he lost not the opportunity which
the storm and plunder of a commercial place afforded him, to appropriate
as large a share of the better things of this world as he could possibly compass. It would seem that he had succeeded indifferently well, for his
ekterior circumstances appeared, in consequence of this event, to have been
much mended.
The troop to which he belonged was quartered at the village of Dalkeith,
as forming the body-guard of Monk, who, in the capacity of general for the
Commonwealth, resided in the neighbouring castle. When, on the eve of
the Restoration, the general commenced his march from Scotland, a mea-
sure pregnant with such important consequences, he new-modelled his troops,
and more especially those immediately about his person, in order that they
might consist entirely of individuals devoted to himself. On this occasion
Scripture Stephen was weighed in the balance and found wanting. It was
supposed he felt no call to any expedition which might endanger the reign
of the military sainthood, and that he did not consider himself as free in
conscience -to join with any party which might be likely ultimately to
acknowledge the interest of Charles Stuart, the son of " the last man," as
Charles I. was familiarly and irreverently termed by them in their common
discourse, as well as in their more elaborate predications and harangues.
As the-time did not admit of cashiering such dissidents, Stephen Butler
was only advised, in a friendly way, to give up his horse and accoutrements
village of Pathhead, whose animosity against Porteous, on account of the execution of Wilson, was so extreme,
that they resolved to execute vengeance on him with their own hands, rather than he should escape punishlment. With this resolution they crossed the Forth at different ferries, and rendezvoused at the suburb
called Portsburgh, where their appearance in a body soon called numbers around them. The public mind
was in such a state of irritation, that it only wanted a single spark to create an explosion; and this was
afforded by the exertions of the small and determined band of associates. The appearance of premeditation and order which distinguished the riot, according to his account, had its origin, not in any previous plan
or conspiracy, but in the character of those who were engaged in it. The story also serves to show why
nothing of the origin of the riot has ever been discovered, since, though in itself a great conflagration, its
source, according to this account, was from an obscure and apparently inadequate cause.
1 have been disappointed, however, in obtaining the evidence on which this story rests. The present
proprietor of the estate on which the old man died, (a particular friend of the author,) undertook to question the son of the deceased on the subject. This person follows his father's trade, and holds the employment of carpenter to the same family. He admits that his father's going abroad at the time of the Porteous
lMob was popularly attributed to his having been concerned in that affair; but adds, that, so far as is known
to him, the old man had never made any confession to that effect; and, on the contrary, had uniformly
denied being present. My kind friend, therefore, had recourse to a person from whom lie had formerly
heard the story; but who, either from respect to an old friend's memory, or from failure of his own, happened to have forgotten that ever such a communication was made. So my obliging correspondent (who is
a fox-lhunter) wrote to sme that lie was completely planted; and all that call be said with respect to the
tratlition is, that it certainlly once existed, and was generally believed.