On the Monday preceding his death, at the request of George Smith, the
two prisoners, Falconer and Bruce, for whom a respite had been obtained,
were removed from the room in which they had all been confined. They
parted from their companions in misery with great feeling and
sensibility, and during the process of taking off their chains, Mr.
Brodie, with great calmness, remained an unaffected spectator. Nothing
appeared capable of shaking that fortitude which had attended him during
the whole of his confinement.
On Tuesday morning, the day before his execution, a gentleman, who was
visiting him, occasionally remarked the fatal consequences of being
connected with bad women, and in how many instances it had proved
ruinous. He began singing, with the greatest cheerfulness, from the
“Beggar’s Opera”--“‘Tis woman that seduces all mankind.” The gentleman
reproved this levity, but he sang out the song.
On the Tuesday evening, the 30th of September, the magistrates gave an
order that none should be admitted to him but clergymen--a report having
prevailed that there was an intention of putting self-destruction in his
power. But of this order he complained, appearing to have full
conviction of the dreadful consequences attending the crime of suicide;
and declared that if poison was placed on one hand and a dagger at the
other he would refuse them both, and not launch into eternity with the
horrid crime of self-murder to account for--he would submit to the
sentence of the laws of his country, and would wait his fate with
calmness and composure.
The nearer the fatal moment approached the greater his resolution and
fortitude appeared, without any adventitious aid, his manner of living
being rather abstemious. He astonished every one that conversed with
him, and his courage and magnanimity would have rendered his name
immortal had he fallen in a good cause.
Late in the evening, while he was inveighing with some acrimony on the
cruelty of not admitting his friends to him, he was suddenly agitated by
hearing some noise, and, turning to Smith, he said, “George do you know
what noise that is?” “No,” said Smith. “Then I’ll tell you; it is the
drawing out of the fatal beam on which you and I must suffer to-morrow!
I know it well.” Soon after eleven he went to bed, and slept till four
in the morning, and continued in bed till near eight o’clock without
discovering any symptoms of alarm at his approaching fate.
At nine o’clock the next morning (Wednesday, 1st October) he had his
hair fully dressed and powdered. Soon after a clergyman entered and
offered to pray with him. Mr. Brodie desired he might use despatch, and
make it as short as possible. During the remainder of his time he was
employed in the most painful of all trials--parting with his friends,
which he did with the utmost fortitude and composure.
At eleven o’clock he wrote the following letter to the Lord Provost, in
a strong, firm hand:--
Edinburgh, Tolbooth,
Oct. 1. 1788, Eleven o’clock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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