Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 17
General
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 17
Scottish Borders (Scotland) -- Fiction
two thereafter, before the effects of the liquor had worn off, and before
they had time to come to themselves, and without any of them taking the
most rational and obvious measures to make their escape.
As to the case of George Robertson, it is not said that the inhabitants
gathered together upon the streets, came there to save or rescue what was
contained in the room; on the contrary, it was admitted on debate that the
inhabitants of small coast towns are not very ready on these occasions to
lend their assistance to the officers of justice; and if George Robertson
had truly said to the persons whom he met on the street that he was by fear
obliged to leave the house, it might very possibly have been true, and an
argument of his innocence, and therefore ought not to be turned into a
circumstance of his guilt.
Our space will not admit of further argument. Suffice it to say that the
jury unanimously found Andrew Wilson and William Hall guilty, and George
Robertson art and part on the crimes libelled; and the Lords of Justiciary
passed sentence of death on all three, which sentence they appointed to be
executed on Wednesday the 14th of April 1736.
Leaving the criminals in the condemned cells, where they are to remain five
weeks before being executed, let us, in the meanwhile, in order to the
better understanding the case, and forming a clearer opinion in reference
to the nature and origin of the Porteous mob--one of the most extraordinary
events recorded in history, and which arose out of the trial and sentence
against Andrew Wilson and the others before narrated--let us endeavour to
give a brief sketch of Mr Porteous' history, from his birth till the time
of which we write, namely, the recording of the sentence of death against
Wilson and his associates.
John Porteous, one of the captains of the Edinburgh City Guard, was son of
Stephen Porteous, a tailor in Canongate. The father held a fair character,
and was esteemed a good honest man in the whole conduct of his life, his
greatest misfortune was his having such a son as John.
The father early discovered in his son a perverseness of nature, and a
proneness to commit mischievous and more than childish tricks. The mother,
out of a blind affection for her child, took them all for growing proofs of
spirit and manliness, and as marks of an extraordinary and sprightly
genius.
Thus the family were divided upon the education of the son, and from being
often thwarted in his measures about him, the father lost his authority,
and for the peace of his family winked at the faults which the good man saw
it his duty to correct. The loss of parental authority begot want of filial
regard, so that the boy, shooting up with these vicious habits and
disregard of the father, advanced from reproaches and curses to blows,
whenever the unfortunate old man ventured to remonstrate against the folly
and madness of his son's conduct.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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