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diff --git a/41642-8.txt b/41642-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index cdcb5b3..0000000 --- a/41642-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7342 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Court of Cacus, by Alexander Leighton - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Court of Cacus - Or The Story of Burke and Hare - - -Author: Alexander Leighton - - - -Release Date: December 17, 2012 [eBook #41642] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COURT OF CACUS*** - - -E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team -(http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (http://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - http://archive.org/details/courtofcacusorst00leig - - - - - -THE COURT OF CACUS; - -Or, The Story of Burke and Hare. - -by - -ALEXANDER LEIGHTON, - -Author of "Curious Storied Traditions of Scottish Life," etc. - - - - - - - -London: -Houlston and Wright, Paternoster Row. -Edinburgh: W. P. Nimmo, St David Street. -1861. - -Edinburgh: -Printed by Ballantyne and Company, -Paul's Work. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -I have not written this book,--narrating a series of tragedies -unprecedented in the history of mankind, as well for the number of victims -and the depth of their sufferings as for the sordid temptation of the -actors,--without a proper consideration of what is due to the public and -myself. If I had thought I was to contribute to the increase of a taste -for moral stimulants, said to be peculiarly incident to our age--and yet, -I suspect, as strong in all bygone times--and without any countervailing -advantage to morals and the welfare of society, I would have desisted from -my labours. But, being satisfied that what has really occurred on the -stage of the world, however involving the dignity of our nature or -revolting to human feelings, must and will be known in some way, wherever -there are eyes to read or ears to hear, nay, was intended to be known by -Him through whose permission it was allowed to be, I consider it a -benefaction that the knowledge which kills shall be accompanied by the -knowledge which cures. Nay, were it possible, which it is not, to keep -from succeeding generations cases of great depravity punished for example, -and atoned for by penitence, the man who tried to conceal them would be -acting neither in obedience to God's providence nor for the good of the -people. We know what the Bible records of the doings of depraved men, and -we know also for what purpose; and may we not follow in the steps of the -inspired? - -But a slight survey of the nature of the mind may satisfy any one, not -necessarily a philosopher, that it requires as its natural food examples -of evil with the punishment and the cure. If it had been so ordered that -there were not in the soil of the heart congenital germs of wickedness -ready to spring up and branch into crimes under favouring circumstances, -which the complications of society are eternally producing, and that, -consequently, all evil was sheer imitation, something might be said for -concealing the thing to be imitated, even at the expense of losing the -antidote. Even in that case the "huddlers-up" would not be very -philosophical or very sensible; religious they could not be, because the -supposition is adverse to the most fundamental truth of Christianity--for, -as the imitation must of necessity be admitted to be catching, where so -many are caught, the deterring influences would be more necessary. But as -all must admit that the evil comes of itself and the antidote from man, -those who would conceal the latter must allow to the former its full sway. - -In all this, I do not overlook the benefits of abstract representations of -the beauty of virtue and the ugliness of vice. These belong to the -department of the imagination, where no principle of action resides; and -every one knows that the images must be embodied, in particular instances -taken from the real world of flesh and blood, so that the historian of -real occurrences must still work as an adjunct even to the fancy. If it be -said that he narrates stories that are revolting, the answer would seem to -be that, as the law still justifies example, and society calls for it, the -objection that the interest of a story is _too deep_ can only be used by -those who view the records of wickedness as a stimulant and not as a -terror, or those who, amidst the still-recurring daily murders, consider -society as beyond the need of amendment. The objection is thus an -adjection. Fortunately, none of us are acquainted with _amiable_ -enormities, and the longer these remain unknown to us, the better for us -and mankind; so that it seems to follow, that he who can render the acted -crimes of history as disagreeable and hateful as they can be made, even -with the aid of the dark shadows of his fancy, performs an act favourable -to the interests of society. Yet I have done my best to save from revolt -the feelings of the virtuous, as far as is consistent with the moral -effect intended by Providence to be produced on the vicious. - -YORK LODGE, TRINITY, _September 1861_. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - FIRST APPEARANCE IN SURGEON'S SQUARE, 1 - - INTERCALARY, 8 - - THE YOUNG AMATEURS, 22 - - THE REGULAR STAFF, 42 - - SYMPATHISING SEXTONS, DOCTORS, AND RELATIVES, 53 - - PREYING ON EACH OTHER, 66 - - RESUMPTION OF THE GREAT DRAMA, 77 - - THE QUATERNION, 90 - - THE OPENING OF THE COURT--THE OLD WOMAN OF GILMERTON, 107 - - THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER, 119 - - THE GRANDMOTHER AND THE DUMB BOY, 132 - - THE STRAY WAIFS, 145 - - THE RELATIVE, 154 - - THE STUDY FOR THE ARTIST, 163 - - DAFT JAMIE, 179 - - THE BRISK LITTLE OLD WOMAN, 194 - - THE DISCOVERY, 202 - - THE COMPLICITY OF THE DOCTORS, 216 - - THE TRIAL, 230 - - THE JAIL, 251 - - VEJOVE, 259 - - THE EXHIBITION, 271 - - THE PROSECUTION AGAINST HARE, 283 - - THE HUNT OUT, 292 - - THE FINAL CAUSE, 306 - - - - -First Appearance in Surgeon's Square. - - -When the gloaming was setting in of an evening in the autumn of 1827, and -when the young students of Dr Knox's class had covered up those remains of -their own kind from which they had been trying to extract nature's -secrets, one was looking listlessly from the window into the Square. The -place was as quiet as usual, silent and sad enough to gratify a fancy that -there existed some connexion between the stillness and the work carried on -from day to day and night to night in these mysterious recesses; for, -strange enough, whatever curiosity might be felt by the inhabitants as to -what was done there, few were ever seen within that area except those in -some way connected with the rooms. So was it the more likely that our -young student's eye should have been attracted by the figure of a man -moving stealthily under the shade of the houses. Then he looked more -intently to ascertain whether he was not one of the regular staff of -body-snatchers who supplied "the thing," as they called it. But no; the -stranger, whoever he might be, was neither "Merryandrew," nor "the Spune," -nor "the Captain," nor any other of the gouls,--some half-dozen,--yet he -would have done no discredit to the fraternity either as to dress or -manner: little and thick-set, with a firm round face, small eyes, and -Irish nose, a down-looking sleazy dog, who, as he furtively turned his eye -up to the window, seemed to think he had no right to direct his vision -beyond the parallel of a man's pocket. - -The student, who could dissect living character no less than he could dead -tissue, immediately suspected that this meditative "worshipper of the -sweets of eve" was there upon business, but, being probably new to the -calling, he was timid, if not bashful. Yes, bashful; we do not retract the -word, comely as it is, for where, in all this wide world of sin and -shamelessness, could we suppose it possible to find a man who lives upon -it, and is shone on by its sun, and cheered by its flowers, capable of -selling the body of his fellow-creature for gold without having his face -suffused with blood, cast up by the indignant heart, at least for the -first time? And perhaps it was the first time to this new-comer. But in -whatever condition the strange man might be, the student had got over -_his_ weakness, that is, nature's strength, and, resolving to test the -lounger, he went down, and, shewing himself at the door, beckoned the -bashful one forward. - -"Were you looking for any one?" said he, as he peered into the -down-looking face, where there never had been a blush. - -"'Mph!--are you Dr Knox?" - -"No; but I am one of his students," was the reply of the young man, who -was now nearly satisfied of the intention of the stranger. - -"And, sure, I'm not far wrong thin, afther all." - -"And I may suit your purpose as well, perhaps." - -"Perhaps." - -"Well, speak out; don't be afraid. Have you got 'the thing?'" - -"Doun't know what you mean." - -"Ah! not an old hand, I perceive. You were never here before?" - -"No." - -"And don't know what to say?" - -"No." - -And the bashful man again turned his gloomy eyes to the ground, and didn't -know what to do with those hands of his, which were not made for -kid--perhaps for skin of another kind. And shouldn't this hardened student -have been sorry for a man in such confusion; but he wasn't--nay, he had no -sympathy with his refinement. - -"Why, man, don't you speak out?" he said impatiently. - -"There's some one coming through the Square there," was the reply, as the -man looked furtively to a side. - -"Come in here, then," said the student, as he pulled him into a large room -where there were three young men who acted as Knox's assistants. - -And there they were in the midst of a great number of coarse tables, with -one large one in the middle, whereon were deposited--each having its -portion--masses or lumps of some matter which could not be seen by reason -of all of them being covered with pieces of cloth--once white, but now -dirty gray, as if they had been soiled with clammy hands for weeks or -months. Nor were these signs, though unmistakeable to even the neophyte, -all that there spoke with a terrible eloquence of man's lowly destiny upon -earth; ay, and of man's pride too, even that pride of science which makes -such a fool of him in the very midst of the evidences of his corruption; -for although the windows were opened a little way, the choking air, thick -with gases which, in other circumstances, the free wind carries off to -dissipate and purify in the storm, pressed heavily upon the lungs, so that -even the uninitiated shrank with unfeigned feeling, as if he shuddered -under an awe that was perfectly foreign to his rough nature. - -"Sure, and I'm among the dead," said the man, whom the reader will have -discovered to be an Irishman; "and I have something ov that kind to----" - -"Sell," added one assistant sharply, as, in his scientific ardour, he -anticipated the merchant. - -"Yes." - -And now the bashful man was relieved of his burden of shame, light or -heavy as you please; but we verily say of _some_ weight, as we have him at -the beginning of a career which made the world ring till the echoes might -have disturbed the gods, and we know that he was not otherwise without -feelings pertaining to humanity; nay, we know, and shall tell, that on ONE -occasion pity suffused an eye that was destined to be oftener and longer -red with the fires of cruelty than was ever before in the world's history -the orb of a human being. - -"And what do you give for _wun_?" he whispered, as he sidled up to the ear -of the young anatomist who had been speaking to him. - -"Sometimes as high as £10." - -And for certain, if the student had been curious enough to estimate the -effect of such words upon such a man, to whom "ten pennies" would have -been words of inspiration, he would have seen in that eye, no longer dull -and muddy, the first access of that demon mammon, as by the touch upon the -heart it raised the first pulses of a fever which was to grow and grow, -till it dried up into a parched and senseless thing the fountain of pity; -for, however inoperative, we are bound to say it was still there, as if -abiding God's judgments--and transform one nature altogether into -another--_for a purpose_. - -"And wouldn't you give a pound more for a fresh wun?" said he, with that -intoxication of hope which sometimes makes a beggar play with a new-born -fortune. - -"Sometimes more and sometimes less," replied the other; "but 'the thing' -must always be seen." - -"And by my sowl it is a good thing, and worth the money any how." - -"Where is it?" - -"At home." - -"Then if you will bring it here about ten it will be examined, and you -will get your money; and since you are a beginner, I may tell you, you had -better bring it in a box." - -"And have we not a tea-chest all ready, which howlds it nate, and will not -my friend help me to bring it?" - -"Well, mind the hour, and be upon your guard that no one sees you." - -And so the man, however much an adult in the common immorality of the -world, in this singular crime as yet an infant, left to complete his sale -of merchandise. It would not be easy to figure his thoughts,--perhaps more -difficult to estimate his feelings,--yet it might be for good that we -could analyse these states of the mind, which are nought other than -diseases, that we might apply the cure which God has vouchsafed to our -keeping; even as that student strove to inquire into the secrets of the -body, that he might learn how to deal with the living frame when it is -out of order, or, perhaps, hastening to a premature dissolution. - -That man was William Burke, and we say this as a historian might have -said, that man was Alexander of Macedon, or that Julius Caesar, or that -Napoleon--all equally great, or at least great with the difference that -the first _as yet_ only desecrated the temple for money, and the others -took from it the deity for ambition. Ay, and with this difference also, -which time was to shew, that while there have been many slaughtering -kings, there never was but one William Burke. - - - - -Intercalary. - - -The ardour of the study of anatomy was in the youth, and it was there from -sympathy; yea, for years before, the Square and the College had been under -the fervour of competition. Nor was this fervour limited to the Scottish -metropolis, from which the fame of the successive Monroes had gone forth -over the world. There had arisen Barclay, who, as an extra-academical -lecturer, had the faculty of inspiring his students with all the zeal -which he himself possessed, and to his class in the Square there had come -students from England and Ireland, as well as foreign parts. Even in prior -times, when the teaching was almost limited to the college, the reputation -of the professors had so accumulated _élèves_ that Scotland groaned, and -groaned ineffectually, under the invasion of her sacred graveyards. The -country teemed with stories, in which there figured the midnight -adventures of those strange men who gained a living by supplying, at all -hazards, what was so peremptorily required in the scientific hall and its -adjacent rooms.[1] Anxious mourners visited by the light of the moon the -places where their dear relatives lay entombed, as if they could thereby -satisfy themselves that the beloved bodies still rested there in peace, -though it was certain that the artists became in a short time so -proficient in their work that they could leave a grave apparently as -entire as it was at the time when the mourners deposited their burden. -That these adventures should have taken strange and sometimes -grimly-ludicrous turns might have been expected, and yet it is more true -that they transcended belief. - -There was one long current in Leven in Fife of a character more like -fiction than truth. A middle-aged man of the name of Henderson had died -of an acute fever, and was buried in due time. He left a widow and -daughter, and we need not speak, even to those who have not experienced -such privation, of the deep valley of grief through which it takes so long -a time for the light of a living hope to penetrate, if, in some instances, -it ever penetrates at all. Yet people must live, and the widow was to keep -the small public-house in the skirts of the town which her husband had -conducted. Six days had passed since the funeral, when one night, at a -late hour, two men asked and got admittance for the purpose of -refreshment, one of them, according to their statement, having been taken -ill. They were introduced through a dark lobby into a room, where there -was one of those close beds so common in Scotland, and left there with the -drink they had ordered. By and by a loud knock came to the door, and the -voice of an officer demanded to know if some thieves who had broken into a -neighbouring house had there taken refuge. The noise and the impending -search had reached the ears of the two men who had entered shortly before, -and having had some good reason for being afraid of justice, they took -advantage of a window and got out, but they had made so much noise in -their flight, that the officers were directed to a pursuit, in which, -however, they ultimately failed. On their return they thought of examining -the room, with a view to ascertain whether the supposed thieves had left -in their hurry any of the booty; but all that they found was an empty bag, -which they took away with them for the purpose of an expected -identification. The confusion having ceased, the widow, in the depth of -her grief for her departed husband, went into the room to betake herself -to bed. She approached it for the purpose of folding it down, and in an -instant was transfixed; before her on the bed lay the dead body of her -husband in those very grave-clothes made by her own hands, and in which, -six days before, he had been buried. The explanation of the mystery was -not difficult. The two men belonged to the College staff of -body-snatchers; they had succeeded so far in their enterprise, and would -with their burden have avoided all houses, if one of them had not been -taken ill, and the other had not also wanted to participate in a -restorative after their night's work. It is supposed that, thinking -themselves secure in the quiet house, they had taken the body out of the -sack for some purpose only known to themselves, and thinking, when the -noise got up, that the pursuit was after them, they had flung it into the -close bed and flown. - -Once upon a track of such grim romance, so rich in specimens of a bypast -phase of society, it is not easy to get rid of it, nor is it any more -wrong to pursue it so far, to shew our social ameliorations, than it is to -search for underlying strata in the physical world, which tell us of a -rudeness in Nature's workings from which she progresses to more perfect -organisms. Another of these stories is scarcely less interesting. A young -student of the name of Burns saw one day on the big centre-table of the -College practical hall what he considered to be the body of his mother. -Rendered wild by the conviction, he flew out of the room, took a ticket -for Dumfries, and, on arriving there, told his father (who, half-dead in -grief, was confined to bed,) his terrible story. It was night, and the -snow had been falling during the day, so that the graveyard was covered -nearly a foot in depth, and one might have thought that the father would -have put off the execution of a resolution, to which he came on the -instant, of examining the grave, till the following day; but without -saying a word, he rose deliberately, as if some new energy had seized him -and restored him to the active duties of life, and betaking himself, -accompanied by his son, to the place of sepulture, roused the sexton to -the work of investigation. The lantern and the spade were put in -requisition, and with the father and son as mute spectators, the green sod -was removed and the mould shovelled out till the coffin was laid bare. -Then the lid was unscrewed and taken off, and there lay, exposed to the -eyes of the husband and the son, the body of the endeared one--the centre -once of so many loves, and the source of so many domestic joys--calm in -the stillness of death. - -We have even a little poetry in some of these almost innumerable stories -of a state of social polity that will never return again. One was a -favourite of the students about 1818. One, George Duncan, from Angus, -lodged in the Potterow with another of the name of Ferguson from a shire -further north. They were both in love with a Miss Wilson, who resided -somewhere about Bruntsfield Links; and so embittered were they by this -feeling of rivalship, that they slept together, and ate their meals -together, and walked and talked together, without ever the name of the -girl being mentioned by either. There seemed to be a tacit admission that -each knew that the other was in love with the same individual, and that -each supposed the other the favourite, and that each hated the other with -all the virulence of an unsuccessful competitor. In this strange state of -things between two who had once been loving friends, Ferguson died of a -disease the nature of which baffled the acuteness of the best surgeons, -and in the course of a few days Duncan's rival was consigned to a grave in -the Buccleuch burying-ground. And now comes a far more singular part of -the story. Duncan, in league with a noted snatcher at that time, called -the "Screw," from the adroit way in which he managed the extracting -instrument, repaired, on the second night after the funeral, to the -cemetery where poor Ferguson had been deposited, with a view to lifting -the body and carrying it to Dr Monro's room. It was late, and the moon -shed more abundantly than the adventurers wished her soft light over the -still graves, and especially that of him whose nineteenth summer sun had -shown in a succession, with small interval, the smile of beauty and the -grin of death. But if this poetry of nature did not affect the rival and -the anatomist, something else did; for as the two slouched behind one of -the grave-stones to conceal themselves till the glare of the moon should -be hidden in a welcome cloud, who should be seen there, wrapped in a -night-cloak, and hanging over the grave of Ferguson, but the object of -their mutual affection? Nay, so near were they, that they heard her sobs -and her ejaculations of "Henry, dear Henry," and many others of those soft -endearments with which the heart of grief is so eloquent. If the iron had -entered into Duncan's soul before, it now burned there in the red fire of -his hatred. The sobbing figure rose and vanished, as do the night-visions -of these places, so suggestive of flitting images, and within an hour the -body of Ferguson was extended on the table within the College. Nor does -the story end with this terrible satisfaction, for Duncan more than once -afterwards, in the moonlit nights, witnessed from the same hiding-place, -and with what satisfaction to his relentless soul may be guessed, the same -offerings of the poor girl's affection over an empty grave. - -And so forth, through all the number of such stories as used to be rife at -that time, but have now died away amidst narratives of a more living -interest. But towards the close of Barclay's labours, in his class the -materials for such were rather on the increase, for the reason that the -invasions on consecrated places kept a proportion to the requirements of -an increasing class of students. Nor, when Barclay ceased to lecture, and -was succeeded by Knox, did this Scotch shame undergo any diminution, if it -did not wax more brazen in its features. Knox was destined, as well by his -powers as a public lecturer as by his ambition and vindictive impatience -of an intruder on his peculiar walk, and independently altogether of the -dark suspicions which rose like thick exhalations out of the depths of the -great tragedy subsequently enacted, to become a marked man, and the centre -of attraction to ardent students. His ambition felt, too, the quickening -spur of Liston, who, as an extra-academical lecturer on surgery, offered -for even more than a national reputation. The professional emulation of -these men soon degenerated into professional, if not personal hatred, -scarcely alleviated by the collateral envy they both bore towards the -academical professor, who, himself a good anatomist of the old school, -with family honours not distinguished from a professional inheritance, -could afford to view the new men with an easy if not proud disregard. - -With these feelings among the lecturers, we may easily fancy the almost -natural effects among the students, always remarkable for devotion to -their teachers. The spirit of the latter went through them like an -inoculation, and, while working in them as a rancour, it took the form, -as in the elders, of a professional emulation. Nay, it seemed to become -almost a frenzy among them, that those of one class should excel those of -another in the knowledge of the human body. Questions came to be discussed -among them, often suggested by faults imputed by one lecturer to another, -and the quarrels of the masters thus became bones of contention among -their scholars. An unsuccessful operation would be seized on as a pretext -to run down the operator; and as the anatomical books could not always, or -often, settle the dispute, the area of controversy would be in the halls -of dissection. In this state of affairs, it behoved that the demand for -subjects, which ever since the advent of Barclay had been on the increase, -should become day by day more clamant, and the number of vagabonds who -betook themselves to the calling came soon to take on the form and -organisation of a regular staff. - -Unfortunately the characters of the leaders, with the exception of Monro, -were not calculated to temper this zeal with discretion, or throw a veil -of decency over the transactions of low men, which, however justified, as -many said, by the necessities of science, were hostile to the instincts of -nature, and fearfully resented by the feelings of relatives. Liston was -accused, whether justly or not, of wiling patients from the Infirmary, to -set off by his brilliant operations the imperfections of the regular -surgeons of that institution; and great as he was in his profession, it is -certain that he wanted that simplicity and dignity of character necessary -to secure to him respect in proportion to the admiration due to his -powers. But Knox was a man of a far more complex organisation, if it was -indeed possible to analyse him. A despair to the physiognomist who -contemplated his rough irregular countenance, with a blind eye resembling -a grape, he was not less a difficulty to the psychologist. There seemed to -be no principle whereby you could think of binding him down to a line of -duty, and a universal sneer, not limited to mundane powers, formed the -contrast to an imputed self-perfection, not without the evidence of very -great scientific accomplishments. Even before he took up Barclay's class -he was damaged by a story which went the round of the public, and was -brought up against him at the time of his great occultation. - -On returning from the Cape, where he had been attached as surgeon to a -regiment, he was one day met by his old teacher, Professor Jameson, who, -after a kindly recognition in his own simple way, inquired what had been -his pursuits when abroad. - -"Why," replied Knox, with one of these expressions of an almost unreadable -face--something between a leer and overdone sincerity--"why, I was busy in -your way,--keen in the study of natural history. No place in the world -excels the Cape for curious objects in that department; will you believe -it, Professor, I have made an extraordinary discovery?" - -"Discovery! ah, you interest me." - -"And well I may," he continued, as the light of the one orb expressed the -new-born zeal of the naturalist. "I have found a new species of animal. -Yes, sir, altogether new, and at a world's-wide distance from any -congeners with which you are acquainted--quite an irreproducible phoenix." - -"Then we must identify it with your name,--some adjective connected with -night, but not darkness." - -"And that I have done, too," continued the naturalist. - -"Why, then, the description will form an excellent article for our -journal. I could wish that you write it out and send it to me. It will be -something grand, to shew the Southerners we are _en avant_." - -"I will do it," was the reply; "and you shall have it for the next -number." - -Nor was Knox worse in this instance than his word, if he could be, for by -and by there came to the Professor a spirited, if not elaborate -description of the new species, which, having been approved of by the -simple Professor, flared brilliantly among the heavy articles of his -beloved work. But unhappily for the discoverer, no less than for the -editor, the article fell under the eye of Dr Buckland, who soon found out -the whole affair to be an excellent hoax. Often afterwards Jameson looked -for his contributor to administer a reproof in his gentle way, but this -opportunity never awaited him, for Knox, though with one eye, had a long -sight when there was danger ahead, and the Professor in the distance sent -him down the nearest close with even more than his usual celerity. - -Those who knew the man would have no hesitation in placing such an example -of his recklessness to the credit of his rampant egotism,[2] certainly not -to that of practical joking, a species of devil's humour not always -dissociated from a _bonhommie_ to which the earnest mind of the man was a -stranger. Even the bitterness of soul towards competitors was not -sufficiently gratified by the pouring forth of the toffana-spirit of his -sarcasm. He behoved to hold the phial with refined fingers, and rub the -liquid into the "raw" with the soft touch of love. The affected -attenuation of voice and forced _retinu_ of feeling, sometimes -degenerating into a puppy's simper, bore such a contrast to the acerbity -of the matter, that the effect, though often ludicrous, was increased -tenfold. We may now read such a passage as we subjoin,[3] serving merely -as a solitary example of the style; but it would be vain to try to -estimate the effect from the mere allocation of vocables disjoined from -the acrimony they collected in their passage through the ear and carried -to the brain. - - - - -The Young Amateurs - - -It would seem that conspiring circumstances at the time pointed to that -kind of denouement which is the issue of an evil too great for society to -bear. In Barclay's time, the increased demand for the physical material of -the dissecting halls was supplied by a most convenient arrangement of -places. There was the Infirmary a little to the west, where deaths were -occurring several times a week, and many bodies left unclaimed by their -friends. Then, at the back of Barclay's hall was a little "death's -mailing" set apart for those who had been relieved of life in that refuge -of the wretched, and, strangely enough, the windows looked out upon the -tempting field; so that a man or woman, dreaming of no such fate, might -die and be buried, and taken and dissected, all within the temporal space -of a few days, and the physical of a few yards. No great wonder that there -was there a rope-ladder of ominous intention, and a box with such -accommodating appurtenances as would permit of the insertion of hooks at -the end of lines, whereby it might be let down empty and light, and -brought up full and heavy. Nor was it inappropriate that young Cullen, the -grandson of _Celeberrimus_, should be the man who accomplished with -greatest spirit these easy appropriations. Some will yet recollect how -these young gouls grinned with a satanic pleasure, as they saw the -heavy-looking sextons busy with the work which they were so soon to undo, -if it was not also more than surmise that these grave men could smile in -return, even while they were beating down the green sod, as if it were to -remain till the greater resurrection, in place of the smaller. - -As connected with the continued spoliation of this unfortunate little -Golgotha, a story was current out of which was formed a mock heroic -imitation of the 17th book of the "Iliad." It seemed that an old beggar of -the name of Sandy M'Nab, who used to be known in Edinburgh as a cripple -ballad singer, had died of almost pure old age in the Infirmary, and was, -in due time, consigned to that rest of which, as a peripatetic minstrel, -he had enjoyed so small a portion in this world. Yet how little one knows -of the fate to which he may be destined! Who could have supposed that -Sandy M'Nab, about whom nobody cared more than to give him an occasional -penny, and who was left to die in an hospital, would become as famous, -within a limited space, as Patroclus. It seemed that Cullen and some -others had, according to their custom, appropriated the body of the -minstrel, so far as to have it safely deposited in the box, and that box -carefully placed below the window waiting for the application of the rope, -whereby it was to be drawn to the upper regions; but in the meantime, some -three or four of Monro's Trojans, jealous of the Greeks, had got over the -wall with the same intention that had fired their opponents. Though the -night was dark, with only an occasional glimpse of a shy moon, who got -herself veiled every now and then, as if ashamed of those deeds of man -enacted under her light, the collegians soon ascertained that their envied -minstrel had been exhumed, yea, that that body, which once contained a -spirit all but cosmopolitan, was cribbed and confined in Cullen's -insatiable box. The discovery inflamed an original intention of mere -body-snatching into an emprise of stratagetic war against their -professional foes; and straightway they commenced to remove the box to the -other side of the yard, with a view to getting it hoisted over the wall. -But the work had scarcely commenced, when the watchful enemy, who, in -fact, all the time were busily undoing the rope in the hall above, -observed the stratagem below; and issuing forth, some three or four of -them, under the influence of something more like chivalry than the -stealing of bodies, they commenced an attack upon the intruders, which was -met by a stout resistance. The box had been removed to nearly the middle -of the yard, and round the sacred centre where lay the dead Patroclus, -the battle raged with a fierceness not unworthy of the old and immortal -conflict. At one time Sandy was in possession of the Barclayens, at -another in that of the Monroites; so that the old quotation, which was -subsequently incorporated in heroics, was perhaps never, in all time, so -applicable,--"_Danai Trojanique cadaver manus commiserunt_." Taken and -retaken, and guarded with menaces, the inner contest was, meanwhile, -illustrated by hand-to-hand fights over the swelling tumuli, perhaps not -less glorious in their small way than many which have involved the fate of -a kingdom; and yet the object of the conflict was the body of a wandering -beggar. Nor is it known how long this affray might have lasted, if some -people in the neighbourhood, having heard the uproar, had not threatened, -by getting to the top of the wall, to bring the champions before the -authorities. The Monroites fled, and the object of all this contention was -left in the hands of those who, by possession, had at least the prior -right. The box was hoisted to the rooms amidst the acclamations of the -conquerors. "_Sic hi alacres cadaver extulerunt e bello._" - -The want of this fruitful field behoved afterwards, on the advent of Knox, -to be supplied by increased exactions over the country; and hence came a -more perfect organisation of a staff, composed of men who, without the -excuse of a stimulus for science, were attracted to the work by the bribe -of high payments. We have already seen to what extent that bribe reached; -and whatever otherwise may be thought of those grim minions of the moon, -they had more to stir the low passions of human nature than those older -minions on the borders, who, for the sake of living steers, often made -dead bodies. Science became the Nemesis of the dearest and most sacred -affections; and what may appear strange enough, the students themselves -engaged in the work with a feeling, as we have hinted, approaching to -chivalry. They were sworn knights of the fair damsel Science, though the -rites were those of Melpomene, with the grotesque shapes of those of -Thalia. The midnight enterprises had charms for them, but they were death -to those feelings of a Christian people, which require to be viewed as a -natural and necessary part of a social fabric, to be tampered with only to -the ruin of virtue. Among these knights at an earlier period stood Robert -Liston, whose hardihood and coolness in such midnight adventures could -only be equalled by his subsequent surgical handlings; and like all other -vigorous and enthusiastic men, he had the power of enlisting associates, -warmed by the fire he himself felt. - -A favourite theatre for these dark deeds was the banks of the Forth, along -which are to be seen many of those small unprotected graveyards which, -attached to villages, are as the shadow of the life that is within them. -Yes, grave or merry as the hamlet may be, that shadow is never -awanting--often within the sound of the marriage-dance, and refusing to be -illumined by the light of man's earthly happiness. Sometimes in poetics -called the gnome that points to eternity, no man can but for a few brief -moments of seducing joy keep his eye from the contemplation of it; and, -whether he can or not, he must be content to lie within its dark outline. -These are common thoughts, which are sometimes condemned as a species of -moralising; yet surprise will not the less pass even into vertigo when we -think of individuals of the same species reversing rites which even lower -instincts shudder to touch. We are always looking for seriousness in -nature, and it is long till we are forced to confess that she is -continually mocking us. - - "_Usque adeo, res humanas vis abdita quædam - Obterit et pulchros fasceis sævasque secureis - Proculcare ac_ LUDIBRIO SIBI HABERE _videtur_." - -On one occasion our anatomist, having got a companion up to the point of -courage, resolved to pay a night-visit to one of these outlying places, -where, from information he had gained, there had been deposited an object -which had a charm to him other than that of the mere "thing." The man had -died of a disease which the country practitioner had reported to Liston as -something which had stimulated his curiosity, but which he could not be -permitted by the friends to inquire into in the manner so much desired by -doctors. The two knights got themselves arrayed as sailors--with the -jacket, the sou'-wester, the unbraced trousers, striped shirt, and all the -rest--and getting on board a pinnace, made their way to Cures. They had on -arrival some time to pass before the coming of the eery hour when such -work as they had on hand could be performed with the least chance of -interruption. The night, as the principal performer described it, was as -dark as the narrow house whereof they were to deprive the still -inhabitant, so that even with the assistance of the doctor's apprentice, -who went along with them, they had the greatest difficulty to discover the -limited spot of their operations. But Liston had encountered such -difficulties before, and then "what mattered if they should take the wrong -one?" for with the exception of the pathological curiosity, as in this -case, these children of science had no more scruples of choice. In a trice -the game was bagged, as they sometimes described the work, and the boy, -getting alarmed, flew off with the necessary injunction of secrecy, which -only added to his alarm, as they could plainly perceive by the sounds of -his rapid receding steps heard in the stillness of the haunted spot. - -But the work there was generally the least difficult of such enterprises, -for as yet the people had not throughout the rural districts been roused -to the necessity of the night-watch, which afterwards became so common. -The danger lay in the conveyance, which in this, as in most other -instances, was by the means of a pair of strong shoulders. The burden was -accordingly hoisted on Liston's broad back, and the two, stumbling over -the green _tumuli_, got to the skirts, and away as far as they could from -habitations. The field side of a thick hedge was the selected place of -deposit until the morning gave them light for achieving the further -migrations of the unconscious charge; and then there was to be sought out -a place of rest for the two tars, wearied with travelling all day -homewards in the north after so long a cruise in the South Sea. Nor was it -long before a welcome light proclaimed to Liston, who knew the country, -the small wayside inn, in which they would repose during the night. And -there, to be sure, they got that easy entrance, if not jolly welcome, so -often accorded to this good-hearted set of men. They were soon in harmony -with the household, and especially with a "Mary the maid of the inn," who -saw peculiar charms in seamen in general, and in our friend Robert in -particular; nor was the admiration all on one side, though Mary's -predilection for his kind was, as matters turned out, to be anything but -auspicious to the concealed students. Then the coquetting was helped by a -little warm drink, if not a song from the companion about a certain "sheer -hulk," which lay somewhere else than behind the hedge. - -All this, be it observed, had taken place by the kitchen fire--an -appropriate place for benighted seamen; and it being now considerably -beyond twelve, they were about to be shewn their room, when they were -suddenly roused by a loud shout outside, the words, "Ship, ahoy!" being -more distinctly heard by our _quasi_ tars than they perhaps relished, for, -after all, neither of our students, however they might impose upon Mary, -felt very comfortable under the apprehension of being scanned by a true -son of Neptune. - -"That's my brother Bill," said the girl, as she ran to open the door; "I -fear he has been drinking." - -The door being opened, the "Ship, ahoy" entered; and what was the horror -of Liston and his friend when they saw a round, good-humoured sailor -staggering under the weight of that identical bag and its contents which -they had placed behind the hedge only a very short time before! - -"There," cried the blustering lad, who had clearly enough been drinking, -as he threw the heavy load on the kitchen-floor with the something between -a squash and thump which might have been expected from the nature of the -contents--"there, and if it aint something good, rot them chaps there who -stole it." - -"What is it?" said Mary. - -"And why should I know? Ask them. Didn't they put the hulk behind a hedge -when I was lying there trying to wear about upon t'other tack? What ho!" -he continued, "where did you heave from? But first let's see what's the -cargo." - -And before the petrified students could bring up a sufficient energy to -interfere, Bill's knife had severed the thick cord which bound the neck of -the bag. Then mumbling to himself, "What under the hatches?" he exposed, -by rolling down the mouth of the bag, the gray head of a man. - -The tar's speech was choked in a moment, and while the girl uttered a loud -scream, and rushed out into the darkness, there stood the brave seaman, -whose courage was equal to an indifference in a hurricane of wind or war, -with his mouth open, and his eyes fixed in his head, and his arms extended -as if waiting for the swing of a rope; all which culminated in a shout of -terror as he ran after his sister, and left the field to those who could -not by their own arts or exertions have got the command of it. So true is -it that man's extremity is also not only God's opportunity, but sometimes -his own, though against His will and His laws. Not a moment was to be -lost. Without binding again the bag, the burden was again upon the back of -the now resolute Liston, and without having time to pay for their warm -drink, or to remember Mary for her smiles, the adventurers were off on -their way to the beach. - -Of all the unfortunate places on the banks of the estuary resorted to for -these midnight prowlings, no one was more remarkable than that romantic -little death's croft, Rosyth, near to Limekilns. Close upon the seashore, -from which it is divided by a rough dike, and with one or two -melancholy-enough-looking trees at the back, it forms a prominent object -of interest to the pleasure parties in the Forth; nor is it possible for -even a very practical person to visit it, when the waves are dashing and -brattling against the shore, to be unimpressed with the solitude and the -stillness of the inhabitants, amidst the ceaseless sounds of what he might -term nature's threnody sung over the achievements of the grim king. Often -resorted to by strangers who love, because they require the stimulus of -the poetry of external things, the more, perhaps, because they want the -true well-spring of humanity within the heart, it is a favourite resort of -the inhabitants of the village, where bereaved ones, chiefly lovers of -course, sit and beguile their griefs by listening to these sounds, which -they can easily fancy have been heard for so many generations, even by -those who lie there, and who have themselves acted the same part. The few -old gray head-stones, occasionally dashed by the surf, have their story, -which is connected through centuries with the names of the villagers; and -such melancholy musers find themselves more easily associated with a line -of humble ancestors than can occur in the pedigrees of populous towns. -Surely it is impossible that these holy feelings can have a final cause so -indifferent to Him who, out of man's heart, however hardened, "brings the -issues of love," that it can be overlooked, defeated, and mocked by that -pride of science of which man makes an idol. The _ludibrium_ referred to -by Lucretius is in this instance, at least, of man's making; and if it is -conceded to be necessary that the bodily system should be known, that -necessity, which is so far of man's thought, must be restricted by that -other necessity, which is altogether of God's. - -It was not to be supposed that this romantic mailing should escape the -observation of our anatomist. Nor did it; and we are specially reminded of -the fact by an admission made by Liston himself, that, unpoetical and -rough as he was, an incident once occurred here which touched him more -than any operation he ever performed. On this occasion he and his friends -had made use of a boat specially hired for the purpose--a mode of -conveyance which subsequently passed into a custom, before the Limekilns -people were roused from their apathy, and became next to frantic under -circumstances which left it in doubt whether any one of them, husband, -wife, father, mother, or lover, could say that their relations had not -been stolen away from their cherished Rosyth. The adventurers studied -their time so well that their boat would get alongside of the dike under -the shade of night, and they could wile away an hour or two while they -watched the opportunity of a descent. They were favoured by that -inspissated moonlight, which was enough for their keen eyes, and not less -keen hands, and yet might suffice to enable them to escape observation. -But just as they were about to land they observed the figure of a young -woman sitting near one of the head-stones. The stillness all about enabled -them to hear deep sobs, as if the heart had been convulsed, and tried by -these efforts to throw off the weight of a deep grief. The story was -readable enough even by gouls, but so intent were they on their prey that -they felt no response to these offerings of the stricken heart to Him who, -for His own purposes, had struck it. The scene continued beyond the -endurance of their patience, and science, as usual, murmured against -Nature's decrees; but at length she who was thought an intruder rose, and -after some movement of the arms, which came afterwards to be understood, -slowly left the spot. - -The coast, as the saying goes, was now at last clear, and with a bound the -myrmidons overleaped the wall. They were presently on the spot where the -female had been seated, and even in their hurry observed that the -heart-broken creature had been occupied as her last act by throwing some -silly bits of flowers over the grave,--signs which as little physically as -morally interfered with their design of spoliation. In a few minutes the -object they sought was in their possession, and if there was any care more -than ordinary observed in putting all matters to right on the surface, it -was the selfish wish to keep so convenient a place free from those -suspicions which might bar another visit. Nay, so heartless were they, -that one of the party, whether Liston himself we cannot say, though it -would not have been unlike him, decorated his jacket by sticking one of -the slips of offering into the button-hole. They now hurried with their -burden to the boat and pushed off, but they had scarcely got beyond a few -yards when they saw the same figure hurrying to the dike. The light of the -moon was now brighter, and they could easily observe the figure as it -passed hurriedly, as if in great excitement, backwards and forwards, -occasionally holding out the arms, and uttering the most melancholy sounds -that ever came from the human heart. It might be that as yet she had hope -in mere adjuration, but as the boat moved further and further away, there -came a shrill wail, so piercing that it might have been heard even at the -distance of the village. But heedless of an appeal, which nature responded -to faithfully by an echo, they rowed away, still hearing, in spite of the -splash of the oars, the same wail as it gradually became faint in their -increasing distance. At length they could hear nothing but the sweltering -of the waters, and Rosyth with its solitary mourner bade fair to be -forgotten under the Lethe of the flask, which on such occasions was never -awanting. - -This story was very soon made readable to Liston and the others by the -concatenation of certain very simple circumstances. A newspaper report -which Liston had seen some days before, had announced the death, by -drowning, of a young sailor belonging to Limekilns. The account was -sufficiently lugubrious for any readers; but the editor, as usual, had -mixed up with it, whether truly or not, the old story of love and -impending marriage; the object too being, of course, young, brave, -virtuous, and comely. Then came the account of the funeral, also -touchingly given. But it seemed that all this poetry had been thrown away -upon the ardent anatomist; nor even when afterwards, in the hall, he -became satisfied that he had secured the right object, would he in his -heart admit that he had in this adventure done anything more than would be -justified by the use he could make of his knowledge in ameliorating -physical evils in his fellow-men, however dearly that advantage might have -been acquired in the agony of that figure he had left wailing at Rosyth. -Yet it is but fair to say that Liston himself admitted that the sound of -that cry, the sight of those wringing hands, and the rapid goings to and -fro of the shade on the shore, never passed from his memory. - -Robert Liston, beyond all the others, carried so much of the spirit of -chivalry into his adventures of body-snatching, that he thought it as -noble an act to carry off a corpse as an ancient knight-errant did to bear -off a prisoner; but his followers were more like mimallons than myrmidons, -and required more of the flask to keep up their spirits. Some of these -youths once made a mistake at Rosyth. Having run up their boat, they -proceeded to the little death's croft to take up the body of a woman who -had died in child-bed. The night was dark and gusty, and the wind whistled -through the long grass as if Nænia had been presiding there to hear her -own doleful music; but our youths cared little for these things, and, -after twenty minutes' work, they pulled up "the tall beauty," as they -called her after they got home. Away they hurried her to the dike, upon -which they laid her, till two got over to place her in the boat. All -seemed fair, but just at the moment, some ill-mannered tyke set up, -without the excuse of a moon,--for she was far enough away beyond the -shadows,--a deep howl, so prolonged and mournful, that even all the -potency of the flask could not save them from being struck with awe, as -well as a fear of detection. But they had more to be afraid of, for almost -immediately after, one of them called out, "There's a lantern among the -graves;" and thus flurried, yet determined not to lose their prize, they -rugged the body from the top of the rubble dike so roughly, if not -violently, that a great portion of the long hair, which had got entangled -among the stones, was, along with a piece of the scalp, torn away, and -left hanging on the other side. Safe on board, they lost no time in -pushing off, in spite of the surly breakers that threatened to detain -them; nor did they now care for either the dog or the lantern, the latter -of which they saw through the dark medium, dodging towards the very spot -they had left, and then remain stationary there, as if the bearer had been -stayed and petrified by the relic they had left. Up to not a very late -period, the story went in the neighbourhood that he who bore the lantern -was the husband of "the tall beauty," and that he discovered the hair, and -knew from the colour, which nearly approached flaxen, that it was that of -his wife, whose untimely death had rendered him frantic. - -There was no loss in that case; but another which was current among the -classes not long after was less fortunate, though not less true, as indeed -may be verified by the brother, still living, of the young student who -figured in it. Somewhere about Gilmerton or Liberton, we are uncertain -which, a small farmer who had lost his wife went out one morning very -early, probably because he could not rest in his bed for the dreary blank -that was there,--that negative so much more appalling to love than the -dead positive. On going along the Edinburgh road, he observed some white -figure lying close by the footpath, and making up to see what it was, he -came upon the corpse of a woman, dressed in her scolloped dead-clothes, -and lying extended upon her back, with the "starr eyes" open, glazed, and -fixed. On looking more narrowly, he discovered that it was his own wife, -and, all dismayed and wild as he became, he could still have the power to -think that she had come back to life after having been buried and lain in -the grave for three days, and had thus far struggled to get to her beloved -home. Frenzy knows nothing of logic, and was he to think how she could -have thrown off a ton of earth and got up again to the light of the sun? -The idea took him by force, and, throwing himself upon the body, he looked -into the dead orbs, and watched the cold stiff lips, and listened for a -breath. Vain heart, with all its hopes and tumults! no sign in return for -all this madness. Yet he persevered, and gave up, and resumed, and, as the -hope died to come back again, he writhed his strong body in an agony -tenfold more acute than his first grief; nor would he in all probability -have renounced the insane hope for a much longer time, if the Penicuik -carrier had not come up, and, hearing the wonderful tale, hinted the -explanation of an interrupted body-snatching. The light flashed upon him -in an instant, and, in pursuance of a desire to keep the occurrence secret -for the sake of her friends, he prevailed upon the man to take the body in -the cart and remove it to his house. It was buried again privately on the -following night, and few ever heard of the occurrence. And now comes the -explanation of a story which may seem altogether incredible. A young -student of the name of F----y, belonging to Monro's class, entered with -two others into an adventure of body-snatching, in imitation of those -whose exploits had produced in them an enthusiasm untempered by prudence, -and not directed by experience. They fixed upon their ground, and hired a -gig, and the hour was regulated by an obituary. Away accordingly they set, -with no more knowledge of the secrets of the art than what they could get -from the regular purveyors of the class, but provided with the necessary -instrument. They soon got to their destination, and, leaving the gig in -the charge of one of them, the two others got over the low wall, and, by -the aid of the moon, discovered the last laid turf. Going to work -vigorously, they succeeded in raising the body of a woman, but not having -brought from the gig the indispensable sack, and, being fluttered and -hurried, they bethought themselves of carrying the object to the side of -the road, just as it was with the dead-clothes, and then running along by -the side of the hedge to where their companion waited. F----y accordingly, -with the aid of his friend, got the white burden hoisted on his back, -holding it as firmly as he could by the linen. So far all was well, and -they were fortunate, moreover, in getting out by a gate which they could -open; but just as F----y got to the road, along which he had to go a -considerable space, the grasp he had of the shroud began to give way, -perhaps almost unknown to himself, the effect of which was that the body -slipped so far down that the feet touched the ground. The consequence was -altogether peculiar; as F----y bent and dodged in the hurry of getting -forward, the feet of the corpse, coming always to the ground, resiled -again with something like elasticity, so that it appeared to him as if it -trotted or leaped behind him. Fear is the mother of suspicion, and the -idea took hold of him that the body was alive. He uttered a roar,--threw -his burden off, and crying out to his friend, "By G----, she's alive!" -jumped into the gig. His friend was taken by the same terror, and away -they galloped, leaving the corpse in the place where it was found next -morning by the husband. - - - - -The Regular Staff. - - -It is, we think, laid down in that strange book of Robert Forsyth's on -morals, that the gratification of the desire of knowledge is, at least on -this earth of ours, the true end of man; and, no doubt, were we to judge -of the strength of this desire in forcing man down into the bowels of the -earth, and up into the heavens, across unknown seas, and over equally -unknown continents, we would not be slow to confess its great power. And -yet how many there are who assign the same place to the power of mammon, -while others stand up for love and the social affections! We will not -presume to decide where the range goes from the things of earth to those -of heaven; but it appears pretty certain that there have been a good many -Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpes, who have lauded, while in health, the -practice of leaving the body to the doctors, and who yet have shrunk from -the personal example when the shadow of the dark angel was over them. -There have been also, we suspect, fewer Jeremy Benthams, who actually have -left their carrion to the vultures of science, than of Merryleeses, who -have robbed churchyards, and sold the stolen article for money.[4] Nor, in -estimating the motives of the few scientific testators, can we say that we -have much belief in their professions, if it is not more true that they -are only seekers of notoriety, sometimes, as in the case of the author of -the Fallacies, so weak as to be bribed by the offer of having their skins -tanned and distributed in slips--the skin being, in such instances, the -most valuable part of their corporations. - -In pursuance of these notions, we may safely infer that if the wants of -the halls had been left to be supplied by the scientific zeal of the -amateurs, the state of anatomy would have been less perfect than we find -it under the auspices of such men as Schwann, or Bell, or Hall, in our -day. And we say this without being much satisfied that all the boasted -discoveries have led to much more than the conviction that we get deeper -and deeper into the dark, while--admitting many ameliorations--the people -recover from operations, or die of diseases, very much as they used to do. -What are called the high cases might very well be left alone, so that we -might be still bound to admit that Nature's purpose, in imposing the -sacred feeling for the dead, is consistent with her determination, that if -in this defeated by man, he shall earn nothing by trying to get at her -secrets. But there was no necessity that the matter of purveyance should -be left to the students. There have always been body-thieves; but the time -had come in Scotland, when not only their number behoved to be increased, -but their energies also, by the multiplied demands of the halls. - -How far this increase might have progressed, but for the great drama of -"The Scotch Court of Cacus," it is impossible to say; but for a time the -staff of Knox's artists were rather put upon their wits and exertions, -than increased by dangerous bunglers. The trade was perilous, and required -attributes not very often found united,--a total bluntness of feeling, a -certain amount of low courage, much ingenuity of device, clever personal -handling, and total disregard of public opinion--the love of money being -the governing stimulant. Few classes of men could have afforded a better -study in the lower and grosser parts of human nature. There was one called -Merrylees, or more often Merry-Andrew, a great favourite with the -students. Of gigantic height, he was thin and gaunt, even to -ridiculousness, with a long pale face, and the jaws of an ogre. His shabby -clothes, no doubt made for some tall person of proportionate girth, hung -upon his sharp joints, more as if they had been placed there to dry than -to clothe and keep warm. Nor less grotesque were the motions and gestures -of this strange being. It seemed as if he went upon springs, and even the -muscles of his face, as they passed from the grin of idiot pleasure to the -scowl of anger, seemed to obey a similar power. Every movement was a -spasm, as if the long lank muscles, unable to effect a contraction through -such a length, accomplished their object by the concentrated energy of -violent snatches. So, too, with the moral part: the normal but grotesque -gravity was only to be disturbed by some sudden access of passion, which -made him toss his arms and gesticulate. So completely was he the cause of -fun in others, that often on the street some larking student would cry -out, "Merry-Andrew," for no other purpose than to see him wheel about, -clench his hands, and throw his face into all manner of furious -contortions. All this only conspired to make him a butt, and the loud -laugh which always came when there was nothing to laugh at, or rather -something which would have produced gravity in another, helped the -consummation. - -Yet withal this same idiot was the king of Knox's artists. Nothing dared -him, and nothing shamed him, if he was not even proud of a profession -which was patronised by gentlemen and men of science, and paid at a rate -which might have put industrious and honest tradesmen to the blush. Like -many other half simpletons, too, he had a fertility of device in attaining -his object, which insured success, when others apparently more intelligent -despaired. So he was a leader upon whom often depended the hopes of the -students, when their material was scarce or awanting. When not engaged in -his rural exploits, he was always hanging about the Infirmary, where, no -doubt, he was in secret communication with the _élèves_ of that -institution connected with Knox's rooms. From these he got intelligence of -likely deaths, where there was a chance of the persons not being soon -claimed by their relatives. Now was the opportunity of this genius. He -kept a brown black suit for the occasion of a mourner, repaired to the -Infirmary, and acted the part of the relative to such perfection, that the -nurses at least--for the medical men could wink--were deceived. Nay, he -looked at all times so much the afflicted, that the personation even to -something like tears was as easy to him as to the weeper in the House of -Commons, who cried "like a crocodile with his hands in his breeches' -pockets." The moment the body was got outside in the white coffin, the -bearers actually _ran_ with it to the hall, under the inspiration of the, -to such glandered hacks in the shape of men, so enormous a reward. - -Another of the leaders, though far inferior to Merrylees, was the "Spune," -a name given to a man whose real one was scarcely known in the rooms, and -which was supposed to indicate some superior genius in lifting out the -contents of a coffin. He was a littleish man, with a clean-shaved face, -surmounting a dirty black suit, worn down to the cotton, which time had -glazed. One would have taken him not certainly for a remunerated Methodist -preacher, but one who would have given a great amount of doctrine for as -much as would have got him a dinner. Yet he was in reality a mute, being -one of those dumb worshippers of philosophy whose thoughts, going down -into the earth, if not up to heaven, are too deep and sacred for human -speech. Nay, so grave, precise, and wise did he look, that you would have -said he bore all the honours of the science to the advancement of which he -contributed so much; nor is it certain that he did not really feel--so -necessary if not indispensable they considered themselves to be to the -professors--that he was engaged in the holy cause of the advancement of -mankind and the amelioration of their natural ills,--a conviction this, on -the part of the "Spune," not modified by the reception of his fee, which -he considered to be the wages of virtue; for while Merry-Andrew clutched -his reward with a spasm and a spring, his compeer took his with the -dignity and nonchalance of one who laboured for the benefit of his -species. However ludicrous all this, one could scarcely say that it was -out of place, for without the "Spune" the indagators in the hall would -have had small chance of extracting anything from that deep well where it -is said truth can alone be found. - -Another was a man whose real name was Mowatt, but who was christened by -the professional appellation of "Moudewart," (_moldewarp_,) sufficiently -indicative of his calling in burrowing into the bowels of the earth. An -old plasterer, too lazy to work, he had betaken himself to this trade from -a mere love of the money, so that he behoved to rank in a much lower grade -than the "Spune." Then, so essentially insensible was he to the honour of -contributing to science, that he did not take on a particle of dignity, -even from the sympathy of his fellow-labourers. It might be in vain that -the "Spune" tried to impress him with the importance of his calling,--he -was a man of merely so many pounds for what is in the bag, and no more. -Without that principle of receptivity which enables a congenial soul to -take on the reflection of the beauty or honour of an act, he was equally -dead to the sublime inspiration of knowledge. Even Merry-Andrew had -collected some scientific terms--such as _caput_, or _cranium_, sometimes -even attempting _occiput_--all parts of the body with which alone he had -anything to do in the process of abstraction; and as for the "Spune," he -could even discourse of _tibias_ and _fibulas_, if he did not stagger -under _os coccygis_, in a manner which might have made his companion prick -up his ear at the wonder that any such head could carry such terms. But -what can be done with a man who has no symptoms of a human soul but that -which shews itself when the eye counts with something like pleasure the -price of a human body? Yet, strange enough, and perhaps unjustly enough, -the two others were not more prized by their patrons than this degraded -son of science, who served their purpose equally well--a fact which would -have brought down the learned dignity of his co-labourers if they had had -sense enough to notice it. - -The others of the staff (the names of some of whom we could give) were not -to be compared to these leaders--not even to the "Moudiewart," who, -however stupid in respect to the science, was really sufficiently up to -"the thing" to entitle him to rank as a successful if not respectable -merchant. They were so utterly insensate, that they could not even commit -the great mistake of supposing that their occupation degraded them, for -the good reason that they were unconscious of degradation. Not that they -were unhappy in consequence of not liking the work, for they were even -fond of it as a means of getting them drink and tobacco, without the hope -of which they might have been dull or sad, but not unhappy, a term which -implies something like intelligence, if not sentiment. Fitted only for the -humblest parts of the calling--the carrying, the watching, the calling out -when intruders loomed in the distance--they had no envy towards the higher -orders, and being thus free from all care, they could sing or whistle -beneath the burden of a poet without thinking that they desecrated the -profession of the Muses. We might thus liken them to those interlusive -gentry who play the punning parts of a terribly deep tragedy, and who, not -knowing where the pathos lies, as when Hamlet discourses on the skull, are -contented with the duty of shovelling out either soil or song. - -If we were inclined to moralise a little on the condition of such men as -these, if men they can be called, we would hesitate to subscribe to the -old Johnsonian notion that happiness has any relation to the number of -ideas that pass through the mind, if we would not go to the other extreme, -that for aught we know, there may be as much of that kind of thing between -the shells of an oyster as between the ribs of a human being--at least the -question must remain unsettled until we come again in the round of changes -to the doctrine of transmigration of souls. The world is full of the -examples of the meeting of extremes; and if you want one more, just take -that afforded by the fact that these men we have been describing could -carry on their shoulders in a canvas bag a Rothschild or a Byron, and -never think that they were to any degree honoured by the burden. All one -to them--the beautiful young creature who died of a scorned affection, the -shrivelled miser who expired in a clutch of his gold, or the old -gaberlunzie whose puckered lungs could no longer inflate themselves or the -bagpipes which once received so joyfully the superabundant wind. But -seriously, although these things have been, are we entitled to go with the -fatalist, who says that what is, is as it ought to be? Though the wily fox -contrived to get his neighbours to cut off their tails to make them like -himself in his misfortune of being excaudated, is that any reason why -nature should repeal her law and produce therefore tailless foxes? We hope -not. And so also, because science run mad decreed that she should be -served by such men and such acts, in opposition to the first and last -throbbings of the love of kindred, is that any reason why nature should -renounce her right of forming man in the image of God, and with affections -which are to endure through all eternity? But we have even now, when it is -whispered that subjects are again becoming scarce, men of the Christian -faith who speak lightly of the dead human frame as nothing when deprived -of the spirit. This may do for the logic of physics, but we have been led -to believe that the religion we profess is not that of Merry-Andrew or -the "Spune," but a divine intimation that the temple of the soul is not -limited to the time of the earth--yea, that it is something which, _only -changed_, shall rise again and endure for ever. Even this is not adverse -to the claims of science; but as a shade distinguishes homicide and -murder, so does a shade distinguish between science in reverence to God, -and science in desecration of His first and most universal laws. - - - - -Sympathising Sextons, Doctors, and Relatives. - - -All forces are measured by opposition, as, indeed, all the phenomena of -nature are known to us by comparison, and so, in all fairness, we must -estimate the turpitude of the professors and students the more lightly, in -proportion to their freedom from all endearing feelings of recognition or -friendship towards those whose remains came within their studies. The same -metre is due to the class of purveyors, and Heaven knows how much, after -all this abatement, remained at their debit, cognisant as they behoved to -be of the certainty that they were sowing the bitter seeds of misery -throughout the land. But what are we to say of others--doctors in the -country who were privy to the remunerated exhumation of their -patients--sextons who gave the pregnant hint, and then went to sleep in -the expectation of a fee in the morning--nay, of those, and such at that -time were counted among human beings, who bartered their friends and -relatives for a smile of mammon? - -Out of these materials how easy could it be to add so much, and so many -more darker shades to the picture. We have no great wish to lay them on -either thick or thin--the mind will paint for itself, as rises the -contemplation: the family doctor hanging over his patient with -professional sympathy, and perhaps something finer, dreaming the while of -a _post-obit_ fee, in addition to that paid for his skill to cure--the -sexton clapping down the sod over a companion who had often set the table -in a roar, in which the grave official had joined, and meditating a -resurrection through his means in the morning--the relative who had even -got the length of tears, dropping them on the pale face of an old friend, -all the while that he meditated a sale of the body. But it is true that -the annals of the period justified all these grim pictures. Many will -still recollect the young Irish doctor who went in the Square under the -name of the "Captain"--a man of such infinite spirits, always in a flow of -his country's humour, that you could not suppose that there was time or -room in his mind for a little smooth pool to reflect a passing cloud of -sadness. In his native town he drove a great trade for the Edinburgh -halls--his largest contribution being laid on the graveyard of his native -town. And surely, in his case, we would have thought the Chinese system of -paying a doctor, only in the case of recovery, would have been an example -of Irish prudence. Nay, so many were the barrels, with a peculiar species -of _contenu_, he sent by Leith, that it was difficult to avoid the -suspicion that the rollicking son of Erin had a faith in his medicines -stronger than the hope which illumined the faces of his patients. These -barrels of the "Captain" were quite well known, not only to the skippers, -but the porters about the pier, ay, even the carters who made the final -transport; and here, again, mammon was the seducing spirit. It was only -when he came over for his large accumulated payments that he was seen in -the hall, where his jokes and immeasurable laughter might have made those -quiet heads on the tables rise to get a look of their once sympathising -surgeon. Nor, in the consideration of the students, was his laughter -unjustified by his jokes; as once where, pointing to a certain table, he -apostrophised the burden it carried--"Ah, Misthress O'Neil! did I spare -the whisky on you, which you loved so well,--and didn't you lave me a -purty little sum to keep the resurrectionists away from you,--and didn't I -take care of you myself? and by J----s you are there, and don't thank me -for coming over to see you;" or when, in the same brogue, he told them -that, not long before his coming over, he had, for lack of "the thing" in -his own town, taken a car and rode to a neighbouring village, where he -got precisely what he wanted; that, on returning at a rapid rate with his -charge, he met the mother of it with the words in her mouth-- - -"Well, docther, is it all right wid the grave ov poor Pat?" - -"All right, misthress. Didn't I tell you afore there were no -resurrectionists in that quarter?" - -"And you are sure you eximined it complately?" - -"No doubt in the wide earth." - -"Then I may go back, and you'll give me a ride?" - -"Surely, and plaisant," said he; "just get up." - -"And," continued the Captain to the delighted students, "I dhrove the good -lady home agin without breaking a bone of her body, and Pat never said a -word." - -"But," he went on, "if I were to tell you all my Irish work, I would never -get back to my ould country agin." - -"Just another adventure, Captain." - -"Well, then, didn't a purty young girl--and I have hopes of her yet for -myself, for she has money galore--come to me one day in a mighty fit of -grief?" - -"'My poor mother has been rizzt,' said she, as she burst out in the way of -these gentle craturs. - -"'And she has not,' said I--(the more by token that I had the ould lady in -the house.) - -"'I have been at the grave,' said she, 'and I see it has been disturbed.' - -"'And it has not,' said I; 'for wasn't I there this morning before ever a -soul in all the town was stirring? and didn't I leave it all right with my -ould friend?' - -"'But I have seen marks,' said she again; for she was so determined. - -"'And do you think I don't know you have?' said I; 'and didn't I see them, -after I got a spade from the sexton and put on a nate sod or two more to -make the grave dacent and respectable?' - -"'Oh, I'm so glad,' replied she, all of a content. - -"'And you'll be gladder yet, my darling,' said I, as I gave her a kiss. -'Go home and contint yourself, and perhaps, when your mournings are off, -you may consent to make a poor docther happy.' - -"And so she went away, blushing as no one ever saw except in a raal rose." - -And the laugh again sounded through the hall among the dead. - -Whether these stories were true, or merely got up by the extravagant love -of fun in the Captain, it would not be easy to say; but certain it is, -that their being told and responded to in the manner thus described, from -the lips of an ear-witness, shews us the atmosphere of moral feeling that -then obtained in places proudly designated as being dedicated to the -interests of humanity, and from which, too, we could draw the conclusion -that what was gained in the amelioration of physical disease was required -to be debited so largely with the deterioration of morals and a -wide-spread infliction of pain. But even darker deeds were done in -Scotland than those for which the Captain took so gasconading a credit. -From a certain village called S----e, the myrmidons of the Square, and -particularly the "Spune," got more material for the Hall than could have -been expected without a resident sympathiser and participator in the -profits. That zealous correspondent was not the sexton--no, nor the -minister; but he was the minister's brother, and, so far as we can learn, -a member of the profession. Need it be remarked how convenient the -relation between the messenger of heaven and the benefactor of earth--the -physician of souls and the curer of bodies--the man of prayers and the man -of pills--the distributor of the great catholicon and the dispenser of the -small! We can fancy the godly man, we believe all unconscious of the -intentions of his brother, pouring the holy unction of his prayers over -the struggling spirit of the dying Christian, and the doctor counting the -pulses as they died away into that stillness which was to be the prelude -to the payment--five pounds--for the deserted temple. One recording angel -would fly to heaven with a name to be inscribed in the roll of eternal -salvation, and the other to Edinburgh to announce that another body was to -be inserted in the black list of Surgeon's Square. - -Even this was not the culmination of the evil. The head of the -scorpion--society--was to swallow its tail, so that the virtue and the -poison would meet and traverse together the circle. Mammon, through the -medium of the leaders of the purveyors of science, extended his charm to -the hearts of relations and friends, changing the soft glance of love and -pity into the fiery glare of sordid rapacity. Throughout the High Street -and Canongate, and down through the squalid wynds and closes, where, -though crime and misery shake hands over the bottle of whisky, the -death-bed still retains some claims over the affections, and where -religion is sometimes able to extort from the demons of passion the -unwilling tribute of compunction, these strange men prowled in the hope of -finding or making a monster. And in this it is certain that they succeeded -more often than was then suspected, or is even yet known. Their first -inquiry was for death-beds, and the next for evidence of squalid poverty -combined with vice. The subject was approached cautiously where the ground -had all the appearance of being dangerous. If they were met by -deliberation or hesitation, between which and blows there was no space, -their object was secured, as the devil's is, by exposing to the haggard -eye of penury the very form and substance of the bribe. In one case, -reported by Merrylees himself, the bargain was struck in a whisper by the -bed-side of the dying friend. How far the relationship extended in any of -these cases we never could ascertain; and it is only fair to assume, for -the sake of human nature, that in the majority of instances the success -was only over the keepers of stray lodgers, and mere friends, as -distinguished from relatives; but that there were, some where there -behoved to be the yearnings of affection, and a consequent struggle -between love and mammon, there can be no doubt. - -Thus, however difficult or delicate the moral impediments that required to -be overcome, the physical parts of the contract were of easy management. -The coffining was made a little ceremony, performed in presence of some of -the neighbours. There would be tears, no doubt, if not an Irish howl, and -the louder perhaps the greater the bribe; and in the evening a bag of -tanners' bark supplied the place of the friend of the many virtues -discoursed of at the wake. Nor was there less care taken in carrying this -box of bark to the Canongate burying-ground than was displayed by -"Merry-Andrew" in conveying the _surrogatum_ to Surgeon's Square; but, of -course, there would be a difference in the speed of the respective -bearers. Taking all these details into account, we can scarcely deny that -these men wrought harder for their money than if they had pursued a -regular calling. But, then, they liked it. Even after the bargain for the -living invalid was struck, how many anxious watchings at a wynd-end were -to exhaust the weary hours before the spirit took wing from the sold body! -The gaunt figure of Merrylees, as he jerked his lank muscles and threw -his face into the old contortions, might be seen there, but none would -know what this meant. - -One night, a student who saw him standing at a close-end, and suspected -that his friend was watching his prey, whispered in his ear, "She's dead," -and, aided by the darkness, escaped. In a moment after, "Merry-Andrew" -shot down the wynd, and, opening the door, pushed his lugubrious face into -a house. - -"It's a' owre I hear," said he, in a loud whisper; "and when will we come -for the body?" - -"Whisht, ye mongrel," replied the old harridan who acted as nurse; "she's -as lively as a cricket." - -A statement which, though whispered in the unction of secresy, and with -most evident sincerity, Merrylees doubted, under a suspicion that the -woman's conscience had come between her and the love of money; and, -jerking himself forward to the bed, he threw the shadow of his revolting -countenance over the face of the terrified invalid, enough of itself to -have sent the hovering spirit to its destination, whether above or below. -Not a word was spoken by the victim. She had heard enough to rouse terror -sufficient to deprive her of speech, if not of breath; and all that the -ogre witnessed was the pair of eyes lighted up with the parting rays of -the fluttering spirit, and peering mysteriously as if into his very soul. - -But then, as it happened, "Merry-Andrew" had only a body, and this look, -more like as it was to a phosphoric gleam than the light of the living -spirit, fell blank. Enough for him that she was not yet dead; and, taking -one of his springing steps, he was out of the room, forcing his way up the -wynd, to seek, and, if possible, to wreak a most imprudent vengeance on -the larking prig who had put his long muscles to such unfruitful exercise. -Meanwhile, the young rogue had waited for the butt, to see some more of -his picturesque spasms; nor was he disappointed, for the moment Merrylees -cast his eye on him, he tossed up his hands, and, with a shout which might -have been taken by one who did not know him, or even by one who did, as an -indication either of intense fun or fiery anger, made after him at the -rate of his long strides. The student, of course, escaped, and Merrylees, -convinced that the invalid was not so near her end as he wished, went -growling home to bed. - -But this tragedy, with its ephialtic forms reflecting these coruscations -of grim comedy, did not end here. The old invalid, no doubt hastened by -what she had witnessed, died on the following night; and on that after the -next succeeding, when he had reason to expect that she would be -conveniently placed in that white fir receptacle that has a shape so -peculiarly its own, and not deemed by him so artistic as that of a bag or -a box, Merrylees, accompanied by the "Spune," entered the dead room with -the sackful of bark. To their astonishment, and what Merrylees even called -disgusting to an honourable mind, the old wretch had scruples. - -"A light has come doon upon me frae heaven," she said, "and I canna." - -"Light frae heaven!" said Merrylees indignantly. "Will that shew the -doctors how to cut a cancer out o' ye, ye auld fule? But we'll sune put -out that light," he whispered to his companion. "Awa' and bring in a -half-mutchkin." - -"Ay," replied the "Spune," as he got hold of a bottle, "we are only -obeying the will o' God. 'Man's infirmities shall verily be cured by the -light o' His wisdom.' I forget the text." - -And the "Spune," proud of his biblical learning, went upon his mission. He -was back in a few minutes; for where in Scotland is whisky not easily got? - -Then Merrylees, (as he used to tell the story to some of the students, to -which we cannot be expected to be strictly true as regards every act or -word,) filling out a glass, handed it to the wavering witch. - -"Tak' ye that," he said, "and it will drive the deevil out o' ye." - -And finding that she easily complied, he filled out another, which went in -the same direction with no less relish. - -"And noo," said he, as he saw her scruples melting in the liquid fire, -and took out a pound-note, which he held between her face and the candle, -"look through that, ye auld deevil, and ye'll see some o' the real light -o' heaven that will mak' your cats' een reel." - -"But that's only ane," said the now-wavering merchant, "and ye ken ye -promised three." - -"And here they are," replied he, as he held before her the money to the -amount of which she had only had an experience in her dreams, and which -reduced her staggering reason to a vestige. - -"Weel," she at length said, "ye may tak' her." - -And all things thus bade fair for the completion of the barter, when the -men, and scarcely less the woman, were startled by a knock at the door, -which having been opened, to the dismay of the purchasers there entered a -person, dressed in a loose great-coat, with a broad bonnet on his head, -and a thick cravat round his throat, so broad as to conceal a part of his -face. - -"Mrs Wilson is dead?" said the stranger, as he approached the bed. - -"Ay," replied the woman, from whom even the whisky could not keep off an -ague of fear. - -"I am her nephew," continued the stranger, "and I am come to pay the last -duties of affection to one who was kind to me when I was a boy. Can I see -her?" - -"Ay," said the woman; "she's no screwed doon yet." - -Enough for "Merry-Andrew" and the "Spune." They were off, and up the wynd -in a moment, followed by the stranger, who, for some reason that has not -in the story yet appeared, gave them chase, only so much as to terrify -them into a flight, but without being carried so far as to insure a -seizure, which he did not seem inclined to achieve. Nor did he return to -bury Mrs Wilson--a strange mystery to the unnatural nurse, who, however, -did not lose all, for the three pounds had been left on the table, and -were quickly appropriated without the least consideration. - -The story next day went the round of the hall; and it was not until the -woman was buried, that Merrylees and his friend were made aware that the -same student who had played the principal performer at the head of the -wynd was the stranger in a very well-assorted disguise. - - - - -Preying on each other - - -We are surprised when we find a man turn wicked all of a sudden, and -seldom think that we are simply drawing a false conclusion, insomuch as -the suddenness of the supposed change is a mere jump of development,--the -consequence of a long train, dating perhaps from infancy. So true is it, -that the increase of depravity is the progression of degrees, all -according to that law of nature whereby God wills to act by the regular -process of cause and effect, each change helping another, till matters -come to a burst, when the often-split powers take new directions, to begin -in new courses, and go on increasing as before. We have already seen the -demon mammon obeying the law of increased power, spreading from a centre -in Surgeon's Square among the people, and trying heart after heart, even -to that core where he battled successfully with affections which God seems -to have consecrated to Himself. Yes; and the demon was to go farther and -farther,--even beyond the stage where we are sure to find him,--contesting -even the breasts of the regular traders, the very centres of their -natural affinities. - -We have already noticed the use to which "Merry-Andrew" put that -brown-black suit of his, the white neckcloth, the haggard cheeks, and the -tears,--all so often the stage property in the melodrama of life, and as -easily put off as the personation of the character, unless kept on by the -adhesive effect of a good legacy. But as every man is once or twice in his -life doomed to experience in reality that which he falsifies in theory, so -our mourner over those he had never seen before was on one occasion, at -least, placed in a position where it might have been expected he would -experience something like a qualm about the thing which was in form, if -not in consistency, a heart. It seems that Merrylees had a sister in -Penicuik, with whom he had been brought up, and towards whom, before he -had experienced the hardening process of mammon's manipulations, he had -entertained something like affection. That sister happened to die; and, on -a certain day, Merrylees appeared in the Square once more in the old suit -which had so faithfully repaid its original cost twenty times over. He had -sense enough--and the reason thereof may appear, on a little consideration -of the character of his compeers--to keep the circumstance of the death to -himself; and, accordingly, when the apparition appeared in the ominous -suit, they anticipated another descent of grief upon the Infirmary. - -This suspicion very soon passed away, for not only was there no sign of -that puckering up of the lank muscles, not deserving the name of a look of -vivacity, which preceded his lugubrious personation in the hospital, but -the day passed without any aid being asked from the others to help to -carry, or rather run, with the white coffin. The methodist "Spune" was the -first to divine the real cause of the chief's melancholy; and whether it -was, as was said,--for we are not certain of the fact,--that the two had -had a quarrel some time before about the division of spoil, it was certain -that the worsted competitor began to entertain some very dark thoughts -about a visit to Penicuik church-yard, whereby he could not only -remunerate himself in the shape of money, but achieve one of the most -curious revenges that ever were enjoyed since Nemesis began to have her -fiery eyes. So, taking Mowat to a side of the Square, the "Spune" began to -look mysteriously into his face--a most unnecessary process, where there -never was any change of expression since first nature squeezed the clay -into solidity. - -"I suspect Merrylees' sister's dead at last," said he; "isn't she as good -as another?" - -"Nae difference," was the answer, without any surprise. - -"Yes, ye fule, some; and you're so stupid you don't see it." - -"I can see nane,--a' is alike to me; ae worm's as gude's anither to the -'Moudiewart.'" - -"Ay, but if a worm had bitten ye, man, wouldn't you squeeze it the -harder?" - -"Maybe." - -"And have you forgotten the ten shillings in Blackfriars' Wynd?" - -"I'll tak it oot o' his blude," was the surly reply. - -"And why not out of his sister's?" said the "Spune," with another dark -look as unnecessary as the former. - -"Just as sune,--a' ane." - -"And," continued the tempter, where no temptation was necessary, "I know -where she lies, just in the southeast angle, where he told me his father -was laid." - -"Why no him?" replied Mowat; "a' ane." - -"Rotten ten years ago, you idiot," said the other, getting impatient. - -"Weel, the fresh ane then." - -"Now you are sensible," continued the friendly counsellor; "we might have -her here in the morning, with five pounds each in our pockets, and a laugh -in our sleeves at Merrylees." - -"I never saw you laugh," said Mowat, in perfect innocence. - -"No more you did, nor any other person, 'cause its always in the sleeve. -Doesn't do to laugh about these things--they're scientific." - -"Umph! dinna understand that; but I'm ready when you like." - -"That's right," replied the gratified "Spune." "Have Cameron's donkey and -cart at the south end of Newington by ten o'clock. It's moonlight, I -think." - -"Dinna ken, but it's a' ane. I'll be there; but, mind, you stand the -whisky this time." - -And so (having indulged, perhaps, in our own way of putting this -conversation--the _contenu_ being the same) the important enterprise was -arranged with that zest on the part of the grave and precise principal -which results from secrecy; for it was impossible to suppose that -Merrylees could suspect that even they were capable of preying on their -fellow-labourer, and robbing the nest of any affections that might hang -about it. - -At the appointed time the "Moudiewart" was at his post with the little -cuddy and the cart, where he was soon joined by his friend. Away they -went,--Mowat driving, and the "Spune" lying extended in the vehicle, in -utter disregard of the poor animal, not much larger than himself. With -such an object before them, comprehending within the success of its -acquisition the gratification of two of the strongest passions of degraded -man, and no sensibility to admit of the feeling of a reaction in the -quietness of the road and the increasing stillness of the hour, with, in -addition, an auspicious moon, in whose face they could look only as a -light-giving thing that makes gnomes out of head-stones, they might have -been supposed to be merry. But no, there were no salient points in their -natures from which could spring even that mirth which rides on the back of -horrors. Mutely they drove along, with no sounds to break the silence, -save the patter of the donkey's feet and the turns of the wheels. Very -different this silent progress from those expeditions in which Merrylees -formed a part, and where, if there was necessarily absent everything like -the rational discourse of human beings, there was yet something to relieve -the monotony in the shout after draining off a glass, the muscular -contortions, and the _bizarres étourderies_ of their strange friend. It -was the caravan without the fool, and even he, as a son of Momus and -Angerona, or some such mongrels, was a droll against his will. Sad fate to -him who, even in his efforts not to be the cause of mirth in others, could -himself become the butt of those whom, not more stupid, he could, in his -self-protection, afford to despise. But Merrylees had at length fallen -among his enemies, and must abide the issue of a terrible revenge. - -By about the hour of half-past twelve they had reached a part of the road -where, by the convenience of a slap, they could leave their equipage, with -the donkey's neck fixed to a post, and his head within reach of some -tempting provender. All this arranged to their satisfaction, they searched -about for stray loungers, none of whom could be espied,--so straight they -went to their destined work. As familiar with the burying-ground as they -were with their own squalid dwellings, they were soon among the green -hillocks, few of which, as they saw by the light of the moon, which came -upon them in fitful gleams, making all these sombre things more like the -productions of _feerie_ than of honest nature, held out any temptations to -these lovers of new sod. But at length the "Spune" stopped at an elevation -more recent than any around it. - -"This is the grave of Merrylees' father anyhow," said the superior. - -"Then out with him," said the stolid Mowat. - -"Still the idiot," said the other. "Did I not tell you last night he's -gone into powder ten years ago, and that it's the sister we're after?" - -"Then out wi' her," was the sulky reply. - -Nor did the "Spune" need the stimulus of the stolid. He began straight the -work,--difficult and arduous to all but such adepts,--puffing, and drawing -wind to puff again. - -"Hush!" said Mowat. "I heard a noise." - -And the "Spune," who after all was a great coward, stood motionless to -listen, but all was so still, even as the dead that lay around, that even -the breathing of the men sounded like strong whispers. Then away wrought -the reassured again, and anon the screwing, the jerking, the pulling, till -at last came the final pull, shewing, in the passing beam, the long white -shroud, with what it enveloped, extended on the green turf. At that moment -the whole area rang with a shout, something between a roar and a yelp, and -looking round they saw, behind a low head-stone, a tall figure in white -(of course), with its long arms tossed up as with a sudden fling. The -apparition was appalling even to men who had no more faith in ghosts than -they had in souls; and just as another toss announced the coming shout, -they took to flight, staggering as they flew over the numerous -inequalities, but making more speed under the spur of terror than ever -they had done under that of mammon. They were gone. - -And now the apparition, after making some more strange movements, -proceeded to take off a white sheet, which he deliberately stuck into the -bottom of a coarse bag. Two or three giant steps brought him to the -spoiled place of rest. - -"And you're there, Sarah Merrylees?" he said, in a voice sufficiently -hollow for the part he had so recently assumed. "The 'Spune' is without -its porridge this time; and shall not man live on the fruit of the earth?" - -And one might have fancied there was a chuckle, as if the creature had -been satisfied with its own fun. But now came the part of this tragedy -which will for certain be scouted as the work of fiction, but which as -certainly made a part of the story. Merrylees,--for it was he, who, -having met David Cameron of the West Port on the previous night, had -learned the intention of his friends to visit Penicuik, and thereby came -to the conclusion that his presence there would be useful,--then took out -a rope, and, having gone through a process at which he was very expert, he -was soon standing by the side of the wall under his burden of Sarah -Merrylees. Nor was it long till he reached the high road, where, keeping -by the dark side of the hedge, he intended to proceed to a convenient spot -where he might leave his load till he could contrive to bring a -conveyance. He had not proceeded far when he heard the roll of the cart, -and saw his two friends alongside of it. There was no time to throw away -over the head of such an opportunity. So, depositing his burden at the -foot of the hedge, close by his side, he ran forward as far as was safe, -crying out, "Stop the robbers!"--_Nestor Graecos objurgavit_; whereupon -the terrified "Spune," with the white apparition still in his mind's eye, -fled with renewed precipitation, closely followed by Mowat, and leaving -David Cameron's cart with the donkey to whatever fate might overtake it. -The coast being thus once more clear, and being well satisfied that his -friends were too cowardly to return, he ran forward and stopped the -donkey; then returning for his burden, he carried it to the cart, wherein -he deposited it. A long sauntering journey brought him to town, where, -after going through many manoeuvres, he at last contrived to lodge his -capture in the hall of the Square. - -This terrible story--which, we may add, was a favourite among the -students--was told by Merrylees, so far as pertained to him, as altogether -applicable to another body, whereby he afforded proof that there is no -hardness of heart to which man can attain that is utterly exclusive of a -spot where some permeating feeling still supplies the issues of shame. -About his part of it the "Spune" had small compunction; but, to confess -the truth, it was not till we knew what occurred afterwards that we could -bring ourselves to believe that it was possible for it to be true. - -To those who know human nature, in the only proper way in which it can be -known, it is scarcely necessary to say that we are always under the -influence of that error which induces us to estimate the feelings of -others by our own. But there is something about these judgments of others -even more fallacious, in so far as it almost amounts to an impossibility -that we can, through a feeling present, fancy the total absence of it in -others. Unable to attain to a negative except in relation to the positive, -through which it is thought to be seen, we must either project in some way -the matter of our thoughts and feeling into the supposed non-existent, or -not think at all. If we could suppose a total death of the affections in -a brother as easily as the overwhelming domination of money, we would not -deny credit to this most wonderful story; but there lies the difficulty, -and you must get out of it the best way you can. Even if you don't succumb -in despair, you are far still from the Court of Cacus, so soon to be -opened to you by a pen, even as hell was opened to Virgil by the golden -_ramus_. - - - - -Resumption of the Great Drama. - - -The man whom, in our first chapter, we described as a neophyte, left the -students with his bashfulness, if we can so call it, supplied by -confidence. The power which we have already seen making such havoc among -feelings and affections deemed all but ineradicable, had produced the -first thrill in a heart long since dead to the pulses of pity. We may say -so much, that his life, prior to this day--when there opened to him a -vista through which he could see, amidst moving furies, the illuminated -figure of mammon, with the means of getting money without hard labour--had -been little else all through than a wrestle with poverty, often -degenerating into squalid misery; and we may thus estimate the state of -his mind, under the new-born hope of what, to such a man, might have the -appearance of a small fortune. - -But even with the view which the information given him by the students -opened up of a new means of making money, we are not entitled to suppose -that, as he that night directed his steps to the Cowgate with the -intention of reaching the lodgings which he occupied in the West Port, he -had any prevision of the extent to which this new pursuit would lead him. -His expectations could only, as yet, be limited to the acquisition _in -some way_ of those objects required in the halls of the Square, and the -value of which had previously come to his ears through the medium of that -under-current of whispers to which the exploits of Merrylees, and the -others then in the full progress of their career, had given impulse and -meaning. Sure it was, at any rate, that he was utterly unconscious that he -was permitted to be an agent, selected after due care by the devil, to -push and force those passions by which a Christian country, with a name -renowned throughout the world for virtue, had been scourged and scathed to -a climax. Far less could he foresee the means--to our obscure vision of -the ways of Providence--so out of proportion to the evils (already set -forth by us) which they remedied, if not put an end to. So it has been -said. But by what right do we make out that want of proportion? We know -pretty nearly the amount of evil subsequently perpetrated by William -Burke,--name of fear, and which even yet only passes in a whisper,--but we -do not know (for all we have said is only an inkling,) and never will -know, the amount of that other evil which his deeds were to be the means -of bringing to an end. The cry had for years gone up to the great white -throne of the outraged feelings of a Christian nation. There was only the -exception of those who appealed to the pride of science, and man's natural -love of life and a sound living body. Meanwhile, those in power, to whom -Heaven had accorded the means of reconciliation, looked on with apathy, at -least without interest,--an observation which may lead us to the thought -that there was less of profanity than is generally supposed in the -suggestion which some have ventured, and some have approved, that this man -had a mission, yea, that the devil was permitted to tempt him to commit -deeds which would rouse the country to seek a remedy sufficient to stop -the violation of natural feelings, and at the same time provide for the -claims of science. - -So, with the sordid thoughts suited to his mission, he trudged along, -looking about for some one he expected to see; and by and by there came -from behind, and joined him, an individual, in the shape of a spare -wretch, gruesome and goulish, of moderate height, with a cadaverous face, -in which were set, in the most whimsical manner, two gray eyes, so far -apart that it did not seem possible for him to look at you with both at -the same time. There was in these oblique orbs, too, a leer which seemed -to be the normal and unchangeable expression of a mind which not only -disregarded the humanities and rights of his species, but mocked and -laughed at them. Most creatures, even the wickedest, are at times -surprised into moments of _bonhommie_. Nature seems to demand this as a -kind of rest to the spirit, as if evil were a disturbance, which, to be -sure, it generally is; but the malignity of this wonderful being was so -thorough-going, smooth, and natural, that even what he might intend for a -bastard kind of love or friendship was only a modification of his -diabolism, so that his smile was merely a relaxation of his congenital -enmity towards all that was good and beautiful in nature. This man was -William Hare,--a name which, not less than that of William Burke, will -ever be as an apparition to the retina of the ear of mankind. - -The forgathering of these men was followed instantly, but secretly, as if -they feared the chances of a whisper having a collateral fall, by the -reciprocation of confidences, in which, as a matter of course, was -included the success of the visitor to the Square, and over the face of -the listener there came merely a stronger phase of the ordinary expression -of the malign pleasure which less or more always played in those divergent -eyes. But these conferences cannot be understood without a knowledge of -what had taken place in the latter's house in Tanners' Close, to which -they were loungingly directing their steps, and where the former lodged. -And many others lodged there too, for it was one of those low -caravanseries or lodging-houses which are as well the refuge of trampers, -who would pass there a night, as of more permanent residenters, who, -deprived of a home by vagabondism, earned a desultory livelihood as -chance carriers or troggan-mongers, fish-hawkers, or peripatetic dealers -in small wares. Sometimes a lodger a little above these classes would find -his account in the cheap refuge, and three days before that night a tall -man, a pensioner, who ordinarily went by the name of Donald, had died, a -short time only before his pension became due. To that pension the master -of the establishment had looked forward as the means of being reimbursed -for several months' rent and advances, amounting to somewhere about £4. -This loss rankled in the mind of Hare, for though Donald was not without -some poor friends who would see him decently buried, they were without the -means, as well perhaps the will, to pay a debt for the justice of which -the bad character of the creditor could be no guarantee. - -And here we have the best evidence, that even on that day when Donald -died, and up to the morning of the funeral, and eight or ten hours -previous to this forgathering in the Cowgate, no thought had crossed the -mind of either of these men of taking the debt out of the body of the -pensioner. Allowing for all discrepancies as to the time when the tongue -of one of them gave expression to the dark purpose, it is clear that the -communication would not, on the supposition of the thought having been -slumbering in the mind, have been delayed till the morning of the funeral, -nor even to the hour of bringing in the coffin. No doubt they had been -both aware that such things had been done, and were being done, in -Edinburgh at that time, and the temptation had crossed them, not without -being accepted by their sordidness. The intention and the thought sprang -up together, and, by all accounts, it was the mind of Hare that produced -the birth; but the exclusiveness of the _credit_ was just so much the less -in proportion to the readiness by which it was on the instant adopted and -cherished by his friend. You may here mark an analogy, which it might be -of pregnant interest for all men, and women too, to ponder, as a _little_ -sermon, and not the less that this entire history is a _big_ one:--The -tiny seed will lie in the ground for years, and though the soil may be -known to be congenial in the wealth of rottenness, it will not spring to -the expectation of the gardener. It may be tossed over and over, and -hither and thither for years, and appear above ground, shooting resolutely -its stem, when not only not looked for, but against all expectation. So it -is with the mind and its germs. The small shoot of an invention takes its -start from an agreement of circumstances unknown to us, and grows and -grows into branching horrors; nay, every branch, and leaflet, and -poisonous calyx has its secondary origin in a germ as mysteriously -stimulated as the one that lay so long perhaps in the earth. And what -then? Why, just this--that our practical philosophy is ever vexing itself -by tugging at the cords of Calvinism. Why and how did this thought arise -in the mind of Hare? Because he was a wicked man. And why was he a wicked -man? The old story of the scroll, whereon were marked in fire the names of -the reprobates. But reject it, and say that he made himself a wicked man. -Try that process upon yourself, if you happen to be a good one, or the -opposite, if you happen to be bad, and see how you will succeed by such -decree of your own. - -The proposition was thus made that the body of the stalwart Donald should -be sold to the doctors, and at once agreed to by the listener, only with -the scruple that there was no time between the period of their -conversation and the funeral to get all matters arranged--a sorry -objection from such a man, and so accordingly made small account of by -either. And so they straightway set about getting the bag of tanner's -bark--a circumstance which shews us that the practices of Merry-Andrew and -his brethren had reached their ears. Nor are we to have the smallest -hesitation in assuming that Helen M'Dougal, with whom Burke lived in -concubinage, and Hare's wife--the two females in the house--joined to form -that quatern destined to the orgies of the Court of Cacus. The bag of bark -was speedily procured, the body of Donald hauled out of the coffin and -deposited on a bed, the bark was put in, the lid screwed down, and all -made decent and fair for the bearers. When the vice has fructified into an -act, how easy is the tribute paid to virtue! And so these men, according -to the normal course, joined with long faces the train of the mourners, -among whom--though some of them who loved the jolly old pensioner had -tears in their eyes--they could hold up, or rather down, their faces as -mournfully as the best. - -The interlude of this play of the forenoon, and the melodrama of the -night, consisted in the appearance of Burke in the hall in Surgeons' -Square, and having forgathered in the Cowgate in the manner we have set -forth, the two friends, bound together by prior confidences, of which no -man ever knew the extent or nature, pursued their way to Tanners' Close, -where they were welcomed by the women with the remainder of the whisky got -for the funeral. The offering was to nerve them for the work in which they -were merely apprentices; nor was the offering given and participated in -less cheerfully by the women themselves, that they had both applied the -soft hand of feminine attentions to the gallant pensioner,--even hung over -his squalid couch tenderly, and wet his dry lips, and all the more, -surely, that he had been a soldier, had seen and mixed in battles in his -day, and therefore deserved something better than a bag for a winding -sheet, and the knife of the anatomist coming after, at so long a distance, -the bayonet of the enemy. Such gilt, which shews itself everywhere as -society gets more civilised, is easily rubbed off; and with the knowledge -of these tender nurses, the two men proceeded to their work, which, -coarse as it was, was easily executed. The bag was filled and hoisted on -the shoulders of Burke, who carried it in the dark as far as Bristo Port, -where Hare, as a relay, took up the burden. So well known along the -Grassmarket and Cowgate, where their figures might have excited attention, -they took then the round-about way of College Street, and, getting to the -Square, they felt some of that hesitation--shall we call it -bashfulness?--which Burke had betrayed at his prior visit. They -accordingly placed their load at the door of a cellar in the lower part of -the buildings, and mounting to the room where one of them had been before, -encountered the same three young assistants still engaged in their ardent -work. - -"Bring it up," was the reply of more than one, when they had heard the -words of the merchants, as they hung fire in their mouths and tongues. Up -soon _it_ was, and drawn out and laid upon the table in the winding-sheet. -Yes, a piece of delicacy that which was soon to be dispensed with as -extravagant and unnecessary. And the covering partially drawn off, there -is that rapid and curious, yet never perfectly composed, scanning of the -eyes of even old students, but with no recoil on the part of the sellers, -who had sat and drank with the old soldier, and heard his stories of -Peninsular battles, and laughed at his jokes. Not the less racy these, -that he thought his companions kind and jolly souls--how far away from -the intention of selling his body for gold he never imagined, for the idea -could not have entered the mind of Suspicion herself, if there be any such -goddess in the mythology of poets. But all such reminiscences, if they -threatened to force an entry into the minds of these men, were quickly -sent back to the limbo of obliviousness by the obdurate mammon. - -By and by, and after the exit of one of the students, there came in the -monoculus himself, Knox, and the covering was altogether withdrawn. It -seemed to him a fair mercantable commodity. That is, it was not too old -for any of the valuable tissues,--in the midst of which lay the secrets -these students were so anxious to reveal, not for the purpose of filling -their pockets in after-times, but for the benefit of mankind,--to have -been dissolved or injured. Seven pounds ten shillings is pronounced as the -price of the body of the veteran. A shadow passed over the faces of the -sellers; the sum did not come up to the hopes inspired by the reports -which had oozed out of the earnings of the Merry-Andrews and the "Spunes." -Yet the sum, to these wretched earners of pennies for vagrants' beds and -cobbled shoes, was a _coup_ of mammon sufficient to have made their -hardened hearts clatter upon their ribs, and scare away the last trace of -humanity inspired by the lips of a mother, kept otherwise, and up to this -time, unscathed by the temptations of the devil. But they could not refuse -the sum,--that is, they had not yet hardihood to chaffer; and, the money -being paid, they were on the eve of departing, when they were told that -they would be made welcome again, if they came with an equally good -recommendation. And as they went, they did not forget the shirt. - -So, with the first spoil in his pocket--for Burke was the foremost man, -and got the money--he and his friend betook themselves to Tanners' Close, -keeping, no doubt, in remembrance, the words of the students, that they -would be welcome again. Nor can we have any doubt that when they arrived -at home, after a day of such novel and ingenious, and, we may surely add, -triumphant performance, they would celebrate, with the women, in an orgie -debauch of hours, this great event of a new birth of hope, the realisation -of which would elevate them even to an upper caste among the humble -inhabitants of Portsburgh. But even they themselves did not know what -progeny would come of this cockatrice's egg, laid in the dark corner of -the habitation of sin. Our story would not have carried that moral, which -is the eternal burden of all histories of crime, if the thought of murder -had come to them without that prelusive conciliation, under the condition -of which the devil is permitted to arrive at his greatest achievements. - -Much, even at this early stage, was made of the conduct of Knox and his -assistants, but, we think, with little justice to these men. Why did they -not ask those dark and suspicious-looking ruffians, who did not belong to -their regular staff, where they got the object thus brought to them? The -answer appears to be satisfactory, whatever might be thought of their -subsequent defence and explanations. There was nothing here to excite -suspicion, except, as it was said, the absence of certain marks often made -by resurrectionists in their process of working, but the exception went -for nothing in the face of an assertion that such marks are seldom to be -seen; and then, as for the asserted naturalness--if we may use the -expression of an inquiry of such a kind--it was said, and may be repeated, -that that which appears to be natural is not always expedient. We are here -to keep in view that the medical men were aware that they were dealing in -smuggled goods, the participation on their part being, as they conceived, -justified by the necessities of their profession; and when was it ever -known that the dealer with a smuggler questioned him as to the whereabouts -and the manner of his contravention of the laws? It does not need even to -be remarked, that to discourage is not the best way to lay the foundation -of a new bargain; nay, there was weight in the observation, that the -prudent avoidance of such interrogation had become a habit, and though -they were perfectly aware that bodies had been brought to them which had -never been in graves, and, consequently, that there existed a practice of -sale and purchase between the men devoted to this profession, and the -friends or distant relatives of the dead, they still considered that all -such cases were covered by the claims of science, whereby society got -returned to it, in the shape of an increased knowledge and skill of cure, -that which had been taken from it against the sanction of human -affections. Then it was admitted, even by the "howlers," that never, up to -this time, had there been offered a body which could be said to have borne -marks of violence; and if the minds of at least these generous and -well-bred youths never entertained a suspicion of murder, the fact might -more properly have been adduced as honourable to their estimate of -mankind, than as an objection to their want of guard against an evil which -had not yet appeared in the world, and which was to become, unhappily, in -good old Scotland, a new species of crime. - - - - -The Quaternion. - - -We suspect there is scarcely a life of a great man, whether he has been -great for good or for evil, in which you will not find passages that are -analogous to some things in your own. As with the physical monsters, -described by such men as Dr Denham, in which there is always a natural -foundation out of which grow the amorphous excrescences which we call -monstrosities, so in the moral there is always something that pertains to -the natural, insomuch that we may say, that the abnormal beings who go by -the name of monsters are, as respects their unenvied peculiarity, the -result of a twist in the development of what was intended to be according -to the ordinary rule. The observation may serve as a _cave diabolum_ even -to those who think they are for certain out of the reprobatory decrees. - -William Burke was born in the parish of Orrey, county of Tyrone, Ireland, -in the spring of 1792. When at school, he was distinguished as an apt -scholar, and was, besides, cleanly and active in his habits. Though bred a -Catholic, he was taken when very young into the service of a Presbyterian -minister, a circumstance which may explain the religious tendencies he -subsequently exhibited; but even at this early period, he began to shew -signs of that versatility of purpose which, leading sometimes to success, -more often ends in vagabondism. Having left the minister to try the trade -of a baker, he renounced that for the occupation of a weaver; and from -that he enlisted in the Donegal militia. Yet in the midst of these changes -he observed so much moral regularity that he was selected by one of the -officers as his servant. While thus employed he married a young woman in -Ballinha; and after seven years he returned to live with her, on the -disbanding of the regiment. Still with a fair character, he then became -the servant to a neighbouring gentleman, with whom he lived three years. -Meanwhile he had a family by his wife; and having taken it into his head -that he would be able to maintain them by getting a sub-lease of a piece -of ground from his father-in-law, who was himself a tenant, he insisted -for this right, which was refused, and the quarrel which ensued sent him -to Scotland. Still, however, even in his advanced manhood, without any -other stain than an imputed infidelity to his wife, we are assured, at -least, that as yet he had shewn no indications of what may be termed -cruelty even by the fastidious, if it was not that he bore the reputation -of mildness approaching to softness. - -Yet he came to Scotland with this blot on his soul, and it was soon -deepened, when, having gone to work as a labourer on the Union Canal, he -fell in, at Meddiston, with Helen M'Dougal, a comely, if not good-looking, -young widow, then residing there after the death of her husband. It has -been always said that this was an affair of love, at least it ended in a -connexion so close that they resolved to live together. - -It would appear that the connexion thus formed having been communicated to -his priest, he was admonished, and recommended to return to his wife; and -a consequence of his refusal was the ordinary excommunication. Yet he -continued to have religious fits, during the continuance of which he -avoided the chapel, from the terrors of the anathema. We trace him -afterwards, as he returned with his paramour to Edinburgh, where he fell, -as the consequence of his continued versatility, into peripatetic pedlery, -buying and vending old clothes, skins of animals, human hair, and other -small articles and wares. Nor did he stick by this, soon betaking himself -to cobbling, for which, in a rude way, he discovered that he had a turn, -though he had never been taught the craft; and by purchasing old shoes and -boots, to which he applied his art, and getting M'Dougal to hawk them, he -contrived to realise fifteen or twenty shillings a-week. At this time he -was a lodger in "_The Beggars' Hotel_," kept by the well-known Mikey -Culzean,--an establishment which had a famous termination, when, being -one day burned to the ground, there came forth, driven by the flames, such -a swarm of beggars, halt and blind, that their congregation seemed as -difficult to account for as the assemblage of a colony of rats. Among them -appeared Burke and M'Dougal; but there were left behind in the fire the -library of the cobbler, consisting of Ambrose's "Looking unto Jesus," -Boston's "Fourfold State," "The Pilgrim's Progress," and Booth's "Reign of -Grace." Once more he became a lodger with Mikey, who took up a new hotel -in Brown's Close, Grassmarket. - -That the man, originally neither cruel nor profane, was not yet, like -Balaam, left to his idol, would appear from his continued religious -exercises. The grace of the Lord tracks the devil in his darkest caves. In -the next house the candle of salvation burned, and even cast its light -into the thick atmosphere of the surrounding dens. Thither Burke repaired, -and joined, with apparent seriousness, in the exercise of devotion; nor -did he fail to tax the incurable Mikey with profanity, when that notorious -lover of a joke, even at the expense of divine things, thrust his head -through the papered partition, and cried out, to the dismay of the -devotees, "The performance is just going to begin." In all this there -seemed to be no hypocrisy, because there was no use to which he tried to -turn it; and then his conversations on the subject of the service, which, -after the company dispersed, he had with the man in whose house the -meetings were held, seemed to be too secret for the displays of the mere -dissembler. - -Other traits conspired to shew the nature of the man, before the -temptations of the idol changed it. Kind and serviceable, inoffensive and -playful, he was industrious as well, and seldom inclined for drink. Fond -of singing and playing on the flute, he sought, in his melancholy moods, -the solace of plaintive airs. All which qualities were combined with a -jocular and quizzical turn, which, displaying a fund of low humour, made -him a favourite. Some anecdotes are given in illustration,--as where, one -day, when he heard a salt-wife bawling out, "Wha'll buy salt?" he replied, -"Upon my word, I doun't know; but if you ask that woman gaping at the door -opposite, perhaps she may inform you;" or where, on another, when, having -been abused by a painted Jezebel on the High Street, he tried to shame her -by an accusation: "I might have passed over the painting," said he, "if it -had been properly done, but it's shameful to come to the street bedaubed -in that unskilful way,"--an objurgation which was applauded by the -bystanders. - -Yet, withal, there were deductions to be made from such favourable -accounts, inducing the conviction that there is small faith due to drawn -characters, where, perhaps, the potentialities may have been asleep, only -awaiting the touch of the demon. But is not this less or more the case -with all of us? if it be not metaphysically true that every unregenerated -man has his price,--that is, every such man has a sacrifice of moral -principle to sell, if a price and a purchaser can be found to his liking. -What a million of money will not purchase, may be bought by the smile or -tear of a woman. The paradox cannot be disproved, because the -eventualities of temptation cannot be exhausted in any one man's life. -This man, though appearing to have kindly feelings, could be cruel to the -woman who, whatever her faults, had followed him in all his wanderings and -misery; but then, of course, there was _the occasion_, as where, having -roused her jealousy by attentions to a young woman who was related to her, -he, in return for her complaints, almost murdered her. The story current -at the time was, that the three having slept in the same bed, the quarrel -began between the two women, who, betaking themselves to the floor, -entered into a battle. So long as the conflict was maintained on nearly -equal terms, the man contented himself with witnessing it; but when the -elder virago was likely to master the young one, he rose out of bed, and -interfered in behalf of the latter. His interference soon turned the -scale; and he inflicted an unmerciful punishment upon his partner. Then -came the neighbours, who found M'Dougal extended upon the floor apparently -lifeless, with the man standing by, and contemplating. After some time she -exhibited signs of life, when again seizing her by the hair, he cried, -"There is life in her yet!" and dashed her head violently on the floor. -By this time the police were attracted by the noise, who, upon asking -Burke whether the woman was his wife, got the reply in a mild, if not -insinuating tone, "Yes, gentlemen, she is my wife." - -We thus get to one of the secrets of this man's character. The passions -are said to occur in opposite phases--strong loves, and strong hatreds, -and so forth; but there is one which nature, in love, has reserved, pure, -solitary, and unchangeable, without counterpart to dim its lustre, or -antagonist to neutralise its effect, and that is _pity_. This man wanted -pity. If we were fanciful, we might here go with the gentle poets, who -tell us, in their way, that, like the dew-drop which falls in the evening, -and shines equally clear on the deadly nightshade and the rose, it solaces -virtue in adversity, without scorning sin in the pains of retribution. If, -in our analysis of man's character, we find not his heart, as the -fire-opal, enclosing one of nature's tears, we may throw the crucible -aside, extinguish the fire, and cast the _caput mortuum_ to the dogs; and -yet dogs have pity. We have found, even already, enough to lead us to -another clue. He possessed radical cunning, the greatest and most -insuperable of all the obstacles to moral and religious emendation. Other -evils only hang about the heart, but this, the true gift of the devil, is -the very blood of the organ. We are, then, led to suspect him of religious -hypocrisy. If we were not told there is hope for all, we might surely say -that the advent of the Spirit of grace is possible in every case but that -of hypocrisy veiled by religion; yea, the creature cursed with this vice, -Faith views in the distance as an impossibility, and flies past in -despair, to try her persuasions on the _honest_ sinner. - -The subsequent notices of this man's life, up to the commencement of the -deeds which have rendered him famous, only tend to confirm these -observations. Renouncing once more his cobbling, he went, still followed -by his partner, to Peebles, where he was employed in road-making. Though -still maintaining some pretensions to religion, he now began to shew a -gradual deterioration of character, keeping suspicious hours, and making -his house the resort of profligate characters, where scenes of drunkenness -and riot were of common occurrence, especially on Saturday nights and -Sundays. Retaining the same vagrant habits, he next betook himself to -Penicuik, and after the harvest of 1827, still accompanied by M'Dougal, he -came once more to reside in Edinburgh, where the occasion offered of -getting acquainted with Hare, and becoming a lodger with him in his house -in Tanner's Close, called Log's lodgings. This house, which afforded room -for seven beds, was kept under the name of Mrs Hare's first husband, Log, -and being the resort of all kinds of loose wanderers, washed off from the -lowest bed of the conglomerates, was the scene of still greater riots -than the lodger had ever patronized in his own. That the intimacy between -him and his landlord had soon ripened into such friendship as these people -are capable of, was proved by an occurrence mentioned by a person who -called on Burke with the intention of giving him a job. He found Hare -beating without mercy his friend's paramour, who was extended on the -floor, while Burke was sitting unconcernedly at the window. When asked why -he allowed another man to beat his wife, "Oh, she deserves all she is -getting," was the reply. Yet the man still preserved more of a respectable -character than those with whom he here associated--retaining even yet much -of his disposition to serve, his quiet humour, if not a species of -politeness, all of which was perfectly reconcilable with the presence of -that potentiality of crime which lay slumbering in the heart, under the -thin veil of religion, and not to be crossed or checked, when roused to -action, by pity, no trace of which appeared to be in him. He was set aside -for his idol, and only waited the temptation to become what he became. - -William Hare, the second of our quaternion, was also a native of Ireland, -having been born in the neighbourhood of Londonderry. Like so many of the -poor children of that country, he was never trained to any trade whereby -he might have been saved from that gradual descent into desultory modes of -earning a livelihood, which leading, as we have already said, to -vagabondism, is the introduction to so many temptations. After working at -country work for some time near his native place, he came over to -Scotland, where he engaged as a common labourer upon the Union Canal, and -assisted for some time in the work of unloading Mr Dawson's boats at -Port-Hopetoun. It was here that he became acquainted with Log or Logue, to -whose widow he was subsequently married, and with whom he came to lodge. -After the canal was finished, he betook himself to the occupation of a -travelling huckster, going about the country with an old horse and cart, -selling at one time fish, at another crockery, or exchanging the latter -for old iron, which he disposed of to the dealers. From the cart and the -horse he went down to the hurley, using that vehicle for much the same -purposes. Some quarrel with Log, before the latter's death, drove him to -new quarters; but not long after, and when Log had been dead and buried, -he returned to Tanner's Close, where he assumed all the rights of the -landlord of seven beds, as well as the privileges of the husband, though -Mrs Log was never called by his name. - -It was now that, having tasted power in becoming a landlord with such -drawings as twopence or threepence a night, he shewed more of his -character than had previously been known. Always inclined to take drink, -wherever and whenever he could get it, he now, as a consequence of -idleness and opportunity, became drunken and dissolute--the effect of -liquor being to render him quarrelsome and always ready to fight. Nay, so -strong was this propensity in him, that he appeared always to be on the -outlook for a contest, picking a quarrel upon any opportunity, and even -trying to make one out of the simple act of looking at him. Though a sorry -pugilist, he had no fear of an opponent twice his size, and never gave in -until fairly disabled--even then endeavouring to wreak, in so far as oaths -could, a vengeance on the head of his enemy. On the failure of an opponent -without, he had no difficulty, so long as Mrs Log was there, of finding -one within; nor was she, also a drunkard, loath to encounter him upon -equal terms, so that the house was seldom free from brawls, if it did not -often exhibit a regularly-contested battle between the master and -mistress. Even vice has its traits of ludicrousness. Those of the -neighbours who were fond of sights were often enough gratified by some wag -going and reporting to the landlady that Willie Hare, as he was usually -called, was upon the street drunk, whereupon the wife, herself probably in -the same state, would issue forth in search of him, when a battle was the -issue of the rencontre. Such was the kind of life led by this couple up to -the time of Burke's entry. - -The passion of violence produced by inebriation will not always, or indeed -often, afford any clue to character. It may be hardly necessary to say -that Hare was naturally cruel, yet we have seen that Burke could scarcely -be said to present that feature unless when roused by some strong motive, -so that we have no difficulty in finding at the first glance an essential -difference in the two men;--the one being, in his very nature and -constitution, vindictive and malign--the other ready to suffocate the -humanity that was in him at the beck of an impulse strong enough to move -him. Only one of them could probably have been guilty of such an action as -this: On one occasion, when a person of the name of M'Lean (the narrator) -was returning from shearing at Carnwath, he got into company with Hare, -Burke, and his wife, and the party went into a public-house at Balerno, -near Currie, to get some refreshment. When the reckoning was, as they call -it, clubbed, Hare snatched up the money from the table and pocketed it, -whereupon Burke, in the fear of a disturbance, advanced the sum. On -leaving the inn, M'Lean taxed the offender with his trick, who, in place -of being ashamed or even pocketing the affront, knocked the feet from his -companion, laid him on the ground, and kicked him with his shoe pointed -with iron plates. If we add to this inborn malignity which, in feeling, -whether expressed by words or acts, arrayed him against mankind, and -scarcely ever alleviated by those emotions of friendship which are to be -found in the most hardened breasts, that scorn of human nature, not -unaccompanied with satirical laughter, to which we have alluded, we have -that foundation of character in the man upon which was so easily reared -the towering edifice of his crimes. - -Yet after all this information, which was so industriously gleaned, the -psychologist was not satisfied. He wanted to vindicate human nature from -even a possible diverging incidence of a law which could account for such -crimes, by tracing them to malignity and mammon. We would fain look with -favour on such scepticism; and it is to be admitted that all who had the -curiosity to see and converse with this man discovered a want. With a low -animal brow, he justified the phrenologist by discovering no power of -ratiocination, if, indeed, what is termed reasoning was not an -impossibility to him. His mind was entirely under the government of -external objects, among which selfishness made its selection, irrespective -of the humanities, of which he had none. We might thus term him, as he has -been called, a fool or semi-idiot, only within the limits of that -responsibility which the law is bound, for the preservation of mankind, to -push far beyond the verge where nature draws her distinctions between the -morally sane and the insane. We thus get quit of the heavy imputation -which the doings of such a man cast upon our kind; and if we are met by -the reflection, that Burke had both thought and sense to an extent which -was rather a surprise to those who conversed with him with a view to -ascertain the structure of his mind, we have the advantage of the reply, -that, naturally indolent, if not soft, he allowed himself to be ruled by -another, who, with all his defects, possessed resolution and a dominating -will. The history of mankind is full of the phenomena of "imposed -will"--the source of more divergence from the normal line than we ever -dream of. - -We come now to the third of our quaternion, Helen M'Dougal, a native, as -we have said, of the small village of Meddiston, in the parish of -Muiravonside, and county of Stirling, where her early years were spent. -Her maiden name was Dougal. At no time, however early, did her character -exhibit any such diversity of oscillation between the good and the evil, -as, giving play to contending passions, creates an interest in the -inquirer into human nature. All seemed to be straight, on and down from -the beginning. At an early period she formed a connexion with a man, -M'Dougal, who resided in the same village, to whom she bore a child during -the lifetime of his wife. After the latter's death, the intercourse which -continued led to cohabitation, passing for marriage, and she bearing his -name. Afterwards coming together to Leith, where he followed his -occupation of a sawyer, she was left alone, poor and friendless, by his -death, which took place from typhus while he was confined in Queensberry -House. She now returned to her native village, where she met with Burke, -then, as we have seen, a labourer on the canal, when that intercourse -commenced, the evil auspices of which were to be so terribly verified. -Thereafter, wherever they resided, there seems never to have been much -change in the character of this woman. In Edinburgh, Leith, Peebles, or -Penicuik, she was always distinguished for loose and drunken habits; nor -were these ever relieved by any geniality of nature, the uniform -expression of her mind and countenance being a stern moroseness which -concentrated upon her universal dislike, so that it was often said that -she was unworthy even of Burke. From all this it may easily be induced -that she was not, in the crimes of which she was cognisant, or in which -she took a part, under any influence of an imposed will on the part of -Burke; the contrary being rather to be presumed, that she ruled him, and -that it was only when he was roused by her fierceness of temper or -jealousy that he repaid her domination by a cruel punishment. - -The last of the four, Margaret Laird or Hare, was, like her husband, a -native of Ireland, and accompanied her first husband, Log, to Scotland. -The latter bore the character of a decent, hard-working man, who had not -only the world out of doors to contend with, but within, the temper of a -masculine wife. Some success enabled him to become a small contractor on -the Union Canal, and for some time he worked his contract, with a -detachment of his countrymen, in the neighbourhood of Winchburgh; but we -may estimate the extent of his contract, and not less the Irish -peculiarity of both the man and his wife, when we know that the -contractor's lady worked along with the men in the character of a -labourer, with a man's coat on her back, wheeling a barrowful of rubbish -as stoutly as any of her men. At that time, they inhabited a temporary hut -on the banks of the canal, and, whatever her faults may have been, she -exhibited here nothing but economy and industry. The work being finished, -Log settled in Edinburgh, where, though honest enough, the contractor -became sunk in the huckster, and the keeper of a beggars' hotel, which was -soon to rival even Mickey Culzean's. Upon his death, the lodging and -furniture, such as it was, with any small earnings he had saved, devolved -upon the widow, and thereafter she conducted the establishment; but she -soon shewed the smallness of her gratitude and the strength of her passion -by cohabiting with one of her lodgers, described as young and -good-looking, and, thereafter, the depravity of her taste in accepting -Hare after the young lover forsook her. Yet her choice was only that which -is made by those who seek their kind. The drunkard and semi idiot had -charms for one who was herself destitute not less of virtue than of -prudence, and we are soon to see her descending into unparalleled crime, -not by the imposed will of Hare, but the ready suggestion of her own -heart. - -Such are the characters of our wonderful story; and we make no apology to -sensible men for disentombing such specimens of our kind from the -dust-covered chronicles of their deeds. A salutary horror, not only of -their great crimes, but also of those lesser ones which led to these, -pervaded the people of Scotland long after the tragedy of so many acts and -scenes was performed; and thus it is, in the providence of God, that -virtue becomes brighter by the contrast with vice. It is only, as some one -has observed, when the tempest tosses the waves of the ocean into -mountains that we see into its depths. It was by the light of burning Troy -that Æneas saw the faces of the gods; and so it is through the light of -human passions that we discover the nature of the heart of man. - - - - -The Opening of the Court--The Old Woman of Gilmerton.[5] - - -The house which went by the name of Log's lodging-house, and which was -occupied by William Hare, as raised by the favour of the widow to the -elevation of landlord, was, as already said, situated in Tanner's -Close,--one of those narrow passages that wind from the north side of the -West Port. The entry from the street begins with a descent of a few steps, -and is dark from the superincumbent land. On proceeding downwards, you -came--for the house, which was rased for shame, is no longer to be -seen--to a smallish self-contained dwelling of one flat, and consisting of -three apartments. One passing down the close might, with an observant eye, -have seen into the front room; but this disadvantage was compensated by -the house being disjoined from other dwellings, and a ticket, "Beds to -let," as an invitation to vagrants, so many of whom were destined never to -come out alive, distinguished it still more. The outer apartment was -large, occupied all round by these structures called beds, composed of -knocked-up fir stumps, and covered with a few gray sheets and brown -blankets, among which the squalid wanderer sought rest, and the profligate -snored out his debauch under the weight of nightmare. Another room opening -from this was also comparatively large, and furnished much in the same -manner. In place of any concealment being practised, so far impossible, -indeed, in the case of a public lodging-house, the door stood generally -open, and, as we have said, the windows were overlooked by the passengers -up and down; but as the spider's net is spread open while his small keep -is a secret hole, so here there was a small apartment, or rather closet, -the window of which looked upon a pig-sty and a dead wall, and into which, -as we know, were introduced those unhappy beings destined to death. The -very character of the house, the continued scene of roused passions, saved -it from that observation which is directed towards temporary tumults, so -that no surprise could have been excited by cries of suffering issuing -from such a place, even if they could have been heard from the interior -den; and that was still more impossible, from the extraordinary mode of -extinguishing life adopted by the wary and yet unwary colleagues. In this -inner apartment Burke used to work when he did work, which, always -seldom, soon came to be rare, and eventually relinquished for other wages. - -It will thus be seen that this small dark room was the appropriate place -where the words of secrecy would pass to the ear, or be blurted forth, -coarse and broken, under the fevered brain of drunkenness. Since ever that -night when the £7, 10s. flared its magnetic influence over their eyes, and -was communicated, by confidence and sympathy, to the two females, the -little world of this quaternity was changed. The women saw that other -lodgers would die, and the inspiring hope, not so demoniac as to curdle -the remaining drops of human kindness that refused to leave the female -breast, pointed in the inevitable direction of gaudy finery, which they -might flaunt in the wondering eyes of the poor people of Portsburgh; but -so slow a process did not suit the inflamed passions of the men. Hare had -been revolving in his mind a scheme to set up his own will as the arbiter -of the occasion, which would secure more money, even as he wished it; and -the secret of this talisman behoved to be communicated to his friend, now -poor and miserable, and dissolved in habits of sloth and inebriety. It was -in that small room, and while the two women were engaged in the front -apartments, that this mystic rite was performed between the solitary -inmates, over, as might be expected, the caldron fires of drink. Yes, the -mouth found power to utter the words which came as the dictates of a mere -desire for money, that they should seize the opportunity so often -presented to them of people lying drunk and senseless, and deprive them, -by suffocation, of life. The proposition was accepted under the same -approving auspices of mammon, who had already made both his own; and under -the force of that temptation involved in the words which had been uttered -in Surgeon's Square, offering a welcome to a return with a similar burden -to that of the pensioner. You may cease to indulge here in those visions -of the fancy which would represent human nature in convulsions, panting -under the impression of a thought which, at first, produced a revolt, and -then became conciliated. The "make" of each of these men was perfect under -its own conditions, and if there was any seriousness, it was only a -passing fear that they might bring their necks into jeopardy. Pity, which -never lived in them, could not be said to be dead; the impress of the -first money had burned into their souls; the welcome of the doctors rung -in their ears; and Grace, studying them in the distance, had flown past -them as an impossibility. - -There is reason to believe that this resolution come to by these men, -sitting together in this dark room, passed as an element into an orgy, -different from all those in which they had so often indulged, if not from -any that the world ever witnessed; nor was it modified, if it was not -inflamed, by those visions of struggling nature expiring among their -hands, which, rising as mere spectral forms, disappeared as soon before -the images they pictured of a life of sensual indulgence and enervating -sloth. If the project had sprung out of the ebullitions of intoxicated -passions, it might have died away on the morrow, but, the result of -calculation, it only received strength from the hopes which it roused, and -which again were inflamed by the celebration. Nay, time, as day by day -passed without a likely lodger coming in, increased the desire to begin, -and chafed them into impatience. Hare accordingly resolved to commence -prowling about the streets for some promising individual whom he might -seduce into the house, and for some days he followed this occupation, but -his efforts failed, and the report at night only again inflamed the desire -of the morning. One afternoon, it was in December 1827, he again betook -himself to the street, and for hours dodged about searching among the poor -and miserable for some one who, already intoxicated, might offer those -facilities to a beginner which were afterwards held of small account when -practice gave proficiency and success confidence. At last he observed in -the Grassmarket a decent-looking elderly woman (Abigail Simpson, as -afterwards ascertained) whose wandering eye and irregular step shewed that -she had got more of the publican's drug than her perhaps weak head could -carry. His eye was immediately fixed upon her, and the old smile, which -always obeyed the bidding of an evil thought, played over his face, nor -did he let her out of his sight as he dogged her irregular movements from -place to place. He could see that she was poor, that she was probably -friendless, and, above all, that she was tipsy, and he knew enough of -degraded nature to tell him what the proverb has settled, _Qui a bu -boira_,--he who has drunk will drink more. Making up to her, he introduced -himself as one who had met her before, and to his delight, discovered that -she was inclined to be communicative, if not garrulous. It was not a -difficult matter to advise her to accompany him to his house, where he -would treat her with the old bribe of "a dram." So away they trudged -together, the dissembler taking special care as he went to keep her on her -course, from which she was every moment inclined to stray, by professions -of interest and friendship. - -Arrived at the lodging-house, the woman was introduced to Burke, with what -looks between the two may easily be imagined, as an old friend, and drink -was immediately procured. There was now a party which was joined by the -two women, who, when they saw the men plying the stranger with whisky--the -full value of which their difficulty in getting it to the extent they -desired was sufficiently known to them--must have been aware that there -was at the bottom of this generosity more than the friendship professed by -men dead to the feeling, even as regards those who might have had a claim -to it. The time passed, and the party became merry, nor was the stranger -the least joyous of them, for had she not fallen among friends by sheer -accident? and should she not prove her gratitude by being happy, ay, and -communicating to them all her secrets? Was she not fortunate in being able -to tell them that she was a pensioner of a gentleman in the New Town, who -paid her regularly one shilling and sixpence a-week, besides little -gratuities, such as the can of kitchen-fee she carried with her, and put -aside till she should depart? Yes, and more, that she was blessed with a -fine young daughter she had left at home, and who would be anxiously -waiting her return. And then that daughter was not only good, she was -_beautiful_, and the very pride of her soul. All this Hare heard; and he -could carry out the play she had begun, even amidst the intentions he -entertained, by expressing an interest in the mother's paragon, so deeply -felt, that, being unmarried, he would put in for her hand, provided the -mother would consent. And consent she did, so far as her condition would -allow, and here, newly forged, was another bond of friendship. Nay, when -he and the daughter should have become man and wife, it behoved that they -could not live without the good old mother--who, accordingly, would take -up her residence with them, with no more cares of poverty, and no -dependence upon the pensioning gentleman of the New Town. - -Could any human creature be more happy? Nor were the actors less so, -though for a reason so very different. But the drink went done, even with -the forbearance of the men, that she who would pay so dearly for it should -have enough for their purpose. Mrs Hare had money, and there was the can -of kitchen-fee, which the stranger could sell, and take home with -her--_when the time came_--the price, one and sixpence, to help her little -pension, and get a dram at another time, when they would not be there to -give it to her. Then, to make the play even more merry and ingenious, this -small sum was, very soon after, again, taken from the now almost -unconscious woman's pocket, and laid out on more spirits, that the -expected opportunity might be made more propitious. The scene progressed -with even increased symptoms of noisy merriment. The old woman revived, -and, under so many influences bearing on a kindly heart, did her best to -sing some of her old songs--household words to her, no doubt, and feelings -as well, with which she often at home wiled back the days of her youth, -and charmed the ear of that daughter of whom she was so proud and so fond. -Nay, we have the hearsay of the day for saying, that Burke contributed his -part, singing, as he was so much in the habit of doing, some of those -airs, generally, according to the account of those who knew him, -sentimental, if not melancholy. - -And here we are obliged absolutely to stop for a moment, not that we wish -to intrude upon the reader a moralising spirit, where every word suggests -a sermon out of more hardened things than stones, but that we are -mystified, and are inclined to ask counsel. Could that man have had any -sense of the beautiful in the sentiments of these lyrics which, it was -said, he sang with feeling, if not pathos? Can it be possible that such a -sense can be consistent with a demoralisation such as his? We suspect that -it is. We are led to expect its impossibility by a reference to opposite, -if not antagonistic, feelings: we cannot love and hate the same object. -This is true, and would seem to disprove our proposition _à priori_. We -can reconcile the contradiction only by having recourse to the different -faculties of the imagination and the sense. The poet who has ravished his -readers by a description of the beauty of female virtue and innocence has -been found in a brothel. One of the most touching religious poems in the -world has been sung by one who, among brawling revellers, maligned -religion and its votaries. The praises of temperance have been -enchantingly poured forth by a bacchanal. The oppressor of the poor has -wept at a representation of affecting generosity. Any one may fill up the -list without perhaps including a hypocrite. The imagination has its -emotions, and the sense its feelings, or, perhaps, no feelings. The why -and the wherefore touch the ultimate, and we are lost; but the fact -remains, as proved by evidence, that William Burke could, in song, be -pathetic. - -Recurring to our real tragedy, the effect of the drink soon again sent the -creature from her lyrics into a condition which might have suited the -purpose of the men; but whether it was that, as beginners, they lost -courage, or that lodgers came in and defeated their intentions, they -failed that night in effecting their object. The unconscious woman was -lifted into a bed, where she lay till the morning. A severe sickness was -the consequence of the importunities of her new-made friends; and the -colleagues, exasperated by their defeat of the previous night, were -alongside of the bed, with offerings of sympathy, and more drink. In the -midst of all this, she cried that she wished to get home to her beloved -daughter, at the very time that she weakly accepted that which -incapacitated her. By and by, the lodgers for the night began to leave the -house; and the victim being once more reduced to unconsciousness, they -fell to their work in the precise manner they had planned. Hare laid hold -of the apertures of breathing, and Burke throwing himself on her body to -repress struggles and keep down the ribs, maintained his position till the -last sob escaped from the oppressed lungs; and the woman, after a struggle -of fully a quarter of an hour, was a corpse. In the evening the body was -conveyed to Surgeon's Square, and ten pounds procured for it. - -All this tragedy was being acted while the daughter, at Gilmerton, was -waiting anxiously for the return of her mother. The evening had passed -without exciting in her much alarm; but when the morning came, with no -mother, and no intelligence, she became oppressed with fears. Without -having tasted breakfast, she sallied forth. The village was gone through, -and afforded no trace. She next directed her steps to Edinburgh, inquiring -at every one she met if they had seen a woman of the appearance she -described. At length she resorted to the house of the gentleman who paid -the pension, but beyond the information that she had been there on the -previous day, she could get no satisfaction. She then wandered through all -parts of the city, calling on every one she knew, and putting the same -question--if they had seen her mother?--but always receiving the same -answer. No weariness oppressed her in this vain search. The night set in -only as a prelude to the revival of her hopes in the morning; and search -followed search, and day followed day, every hour diminishing hope. The -time was now counted by weeks, and as these sped, by months, yet ever as -the time flew, and the hope decayed, the love increased with every -accession of her grief. At length even hope was relinquished, and all -speculations were lost in mystery. The only conclusion that could -rationally be come to was, that the missing one had wandered by the canal -and been drowned; for that a human being could disappear and be for ever -lost in the city of Edinburgh, with its humane inhabitants ready to render -succour, and its vigilant police ever on the watch, was what no one could -conceive. The explanation was to come at a time which, to grief, might be -thought long in the future; and such an explanation to a daughter! ay, and -a daughter of whom the mother was so proud and so fond. - - - - -The Mother and Daughter. - - -If we were to estimate the benefits derived from sacrificing to mammon, -according to the material uses to which they are devoted, we would be apt -to form a very humble estimate of his godship; but these, we suspect, -constitute, even with the lowest of his worshippers, only a small part of -the charm of his gifts. Seventeen pounds ten shillings, the price of one -dead body, and that of the life and the corpse of another, produced a -change in the economy of Log's house and in the minds of its ruling -inhabitants. This appeared first in the dresses of the women, who, from -being little better than trulls, with clothes bought in pawnshops, and -often not far removed from ragged tanterwallops, began to be equipped like -respectable people. Bonnets were got from the milliner direct; and it is -even said that fine prints appeared in gaudy colours on the two women of -Log's house. It was observed, too, that they held their heads higher, and -walked more circumspectly, as if some species of pride--the kind we leave -to the moral analyst--had asserted its universal power, undismayed by the -scowl of vice. Lodgers began to be less cared for, as mere lodgers, though -the most squalid of them had recommendations of another kind, of which -they themselves were not aware; and as for the men, the producers of this -wonderful change, they were now gentlemen at large--the huckster's cart, -the hurley, the old horse, the stool, and the awl-box, having been -discharged and despised as unworthy of those who held in their hands a -charm invested with even greater power than the ring of Giges or Mongogul, -even that of turning, by a touch, the mortal part of human nature into -gold. - -Hitherto even the philosophers had been wrong in their estimate of man and -the world on which he lives. The ill-natured cynics represented that, in -his earthly aspect, man is a parasite on the great animal the world; -preying on his fellow-creatures, he is, in return, preyed upon by -parasites. There are those that prey upon his body, others that, in the -form of pains, ride upon the back of his vicious pleasures. There are -those that fawn upon him, and feed upon his fortunes, and when he dies he -is eaten by parasites. But there was in reserve, and unknown to these -detractors, a chapter on human nature only laid open to our time and -country, for though the Easterns had their fable of the gouls, it was -received only as a fairy tale by the Westerns, till they were surprised -into a belief even transcending the images of Arabian fancy. Yet the more -hopeful philosophers, who draw their inspirations from Calvary, where was -seen the consideration for the shekels of silver, are not dismayed. Yea, -in this lowly thing we call our body, which preys on garbage, and is -preyed upon in return, is a microcosm, which represents, in extension, -that which has no limit--in perfection, that which is without end--in -beauty, that which the poet cannot, with all his inspiration, describe. - -We would not be true to human nature if we limited the effects of this -change in the fortunes of Log's house to what we have already described. -The vicious heart pants for pleasures to worry it. _La lampe inextinguible -du plaisir_ must burn, though fed with rancid oil extracted from decayed -organisms; and so there was a growing increase, not only in the number, -but in the intensity of the "enjoyments" of the bacchanalian nights. If -the neighbours had noticed the external changes, they were not the less -observant--though destined to be long ignorant of the cause--of what was -nightly acted within. The brawls and fights were louder and more frequent, -and the dithyrambics which mixed with them in grotesque inconsistency had -more of the _ménad_ of the priests of Cybele. Yet all this, by God's law, -was sternly a necessity: we need no moral here. Secrecy and publicity are -separate instruments of divine retribution, working strangely and -mysteriously to the same end. Even the ordinary secret sin corrodes the -heart by its immurement, and the sin of Log's house was not an ordinary -one. The more it is suppressed, the greater the elasticity of the torment. -When freed from the prison of the heart it produces that recoil of the -good which isolates the criminal from the smiles of fellowship and the -help of society. Yes, this is the point with the diverging paths of ruin -or redemption, and Heaven still vindicates the old economy. If the sinner -will be saved by penitence, he must give signs of his suffering, and the -world will profit by it as well as himself. If he hurries to ruin, he will -still give evidence of his agony. In either case, that Providence which -watches over us will still serve its purpose. - -Only one of these paths was here open, and the quaternity even rushed into -it. The progress of the ruin must keep apace. The excitement, in the -shape, to them, of pleasure, must be sustained; and above all, the men had -tasted the _power_ of money--not to be estimated by what it produced--in -what simply pleased such strange natures. They had got their heads into -the dagon temple, and though all the rest of the body was exposed, they -felt, however much they were in danger of justice, that they had some -security against a continuance of the misery and contempt of their prior -lives. They must, accordingly, go on, for they were dipsomaniacs in blood. -The £17, 10s. must, if it had not already, come to an end, under the -expense of these nightly orgies, and, behold the prowler again out to look -for a new victim. - -There had been known to both of the men, and not less to the women, an -unfortunate creature of the name of Mary Haldane, whose vagrant beat was -the old scene of the Grassmarket. Her life had not been all through a -succession of those scenes in which her class figure; for, previous to the -birth of a natural child, the fruit of seduction, she had been not only -respected for a fair reputation, but looked on favourably for those -personal qualities so often the means of ruin. Then the demon drink had -met her at that turn of the fortunes of so many of her kind, when decayed -beauty is not compensated by the consolations of penitence. The road down -was easy, even to that stage where flapping rags could scarcely cover the -body. Need we say that this creature was likely, when the prowler knew -from his own experience that she would drink _to the point_. One day he -accordingly issued forth to seek for Mary, but Mary had been in the drink -fever for days, and he could only regret that so favourable a condition -had not ensued in Log's house, where the termination would not have been -the recovery which this time once more awaited her. Exasperated by his -disappointment, he was only the more determined to overlook other tempting -objects in that fruitful field of human weeds, fit enough for death's -scythe. Nor had he to wait long. Two days afterwards Mary was standing at -the mouth of the narrow close up which she lived.[6] The moment he saw -her, the old smile and eloquent twinkle again illuminated or darkened his -face, for he was as sure of his prey as the fox is of its spoil when it -sits in the roost with its head under its wing. Nor was the smile less -expressive that Mary presented to him. The red and swollen eyes, the -quivering cheeks, and all the other signs of that unhappiness through -which the rebel spirit will still shoot its buoyance in spite of depressed -nature. Misery is easily approached. The dram is again the bribe, and the -kindliness of the offer a recommendation, which was as much a surprise as -a pleasure to one from whom all kindliness had been long barred by the -magnetic repulsion of poverty and degradation. Poor Mary was once more -happy; and, accompanying her "friend," she trudged along to the place -where the _envied_ stimulant awaited her. - -As they were slowly wending their way along the West Port, the people, as -some of them afterwards stated, looked earnestly at the couple, without -being able to explain the sympathy which brought them together; for -already Hare was upon the rise in society, with a new coat and hat, and -even a tie; but the presence of the _gentleman_ did not prevent the -children from pursuing their old game of teazing Mary, nor could the -threatenings of her protector keep them off. At this juncture, who should -approach from the opposite direction but the colleague. The mutual -smile--yea, more. Would Burke, who had the character of being serviceable -to the unfortunate, permit Mary Haldane to be abused while he was present? -He would protect the friendless; and so the boys got a drubbing, and -injured misfortune was vindicated. Having accomplished this act of -justice, Burke, who had now so little to do, and was so far above -cobbling, proceeded on what had been intended as a pleasant stroll, while -his friend and Mary held their way to Log's lodgings. In a short time he -was seen to return with a quicker step; and by and by they are all -assembled in the little dark room "with the window looking out on the dead -wall"--where the women, who knew that the money was getting exhausted, -received them with their peculiar welcome. - -Well, you expect something, and already the heart throbs,--and do not stop -it; for pity does not close her eye upon the unfortunate, even where sin -has contributed to the misery of the sufferer. But here you cannot help -yourself: the inevitable recoil from cruelty will open the issues of -compassion whether you will or no; and so strangely formed are we, that -here you may be the more willing to acknowledge the soft emotion, that -Mary's eyes reeled with delight when she saw Helen M'Dougal place upon the -table a supply of whisky, which to her share would transcend even the -necessities of "the want" after the fever. There was on this occasion no -necessity for the siren song to charm into confidence where the bottle -was, a band more hallowed, in the estimation of the guest, than the -pledges of love. Neither Hare's sardonic jollity nor Burke's pathos was -needed where the work was apparently so easy; and they were no longer -neophytes, but adepts, not only in confidence, but manipulation. Yea, it -was the work of apprentices, and they were journeymen; nor was it -necessary that they should concern themselves with more than filling the -glass and contemplating the imbodied value--ten pounds--as, by her fading -energies and impending unconsciousness, it assumed its full proportions. -All is ready--the drooping head--the closing eye--the languid, helpless -body. The women get the hint. They knew the unseemliness of being -spectators--nay, they were delicate. A repetition of the former scene, -only with even less resistance. Hare holds again the lips, and Burke -presses his twelve stone weight. Scarcely a sigh; but on a trial if dead, -a long gurgling indraught. More required--and all is still in that dark -room "with the window looking out on the dead wall." - -After a preliminary visit to the College, where arrangement was made for -the reception, the colleagues carried their burden, at an hour approaching -to twelve, to its destination. As usual, it was examined before -payment,--the amount of which, in this instance, we do not know; but, -whether from some want of success, consequent on the increased -watchfulness over cemeteries, attending the midnight adventures of our -friends Merrylees and the "Spune," or from a greater avidity for science -on the part of the surgeons, it is certain that, as the supply from Log's -lodgings increased, the value given for a burden became greater, -amounting, in some instances, to £12 or £14. - -The band was thus again supplied with resources, and the consequence was -an increase of extravagance and riot--the former exhibiting itself in a -still more inconsistent style of dress on the part of the females, and the -latter in more frequent disturbances of the neighbours. Even questions -began to be put to Helen M'Dougal, which were parried by the intelligence -that she communicated,--that she had fallen heir to some house property -about her place of birth, and that it was only right that decent people -should rise in the world, and take the use of their own. Nor was Mary Hare -less adroit in her fences. But the explanations thus given of what -appeared to be a mystery were not deemed satisfactory, though no theory -could be formed by the remonstrants. - -On the part of the _fortunate_ crew, the sums they received seemed only to -stimulate their avidity. Not now waiting for the dispersion of the -earnings, they aimed at a store, perhaps apprised by some looming -suspicion that their fortune was too good to last, and a strange -circumstance soon threw another temptation in their way. Young Mary -Haldane, the daughter of her whom we have seen so easily and suddenly -removed from the world and life, with all those sins on her head which had -accumulated from the day of her seduction, had been brought up by the -mother to ways as shameless as her own. As yet, however, it was the -morning of life to the girl, and it is not always or often that wayward -affections spent upon men more profligate than themselves, diminish the -love of such creatures to their parents, even if the latter ought, by -their neglect, to have earned nothing but hatred. We have seen one -daughter cast into inconsolable grief, another was to be a wanderer and -inquirer for her parent, with another and even more terrible issue. Having -ascertained, on the morning subsequent to that evening when the burden was -conveyed to Surgeon's Square, that her mother had not been seen on the -previous night, Mary occupied the day in searching. The woman was a -ken-speckle, the familiar object of all in the neighbourhood, as well as -the game of the urchins; and much curiosity was added to the sympathy for -the orphan, who, unfortunately, was scarcely less notorious. Many aided in -the inquiry, but with no more success, of course, than that which attended -the efforts of the daughter. It is still remembered how she went about in -her decayed finery, with swollen eyes, and the tears on her cheeks, -sobbing out her grief, amidst the fruitless question, "Had any one seen -Mary Haldane?" At length, one of the neighbours was told by a grocer in -Portsburgh, that the woman had been seen going towards Log's lodgings in -the company of William Hare--a trace which, as no suspicions as yet -attached to the man, held out some hope of success. - -The information was immediately conveyed to the young woman, who thereupon -hastened to the West Port, where she got the story confirmed, with all the -minutiæ of Burke's gallant rescue of Hare's _protégée_ from the assaults -of the urchins. Nor did she stop till she got to Log's lodgings. Mrs Hare -denied that the woman had ever been in her house--a statement corroborated -by Helen M'Dougal, who, in her new-born pride, resented the imputation -that it could be possible for the beggar to have the impudence to approach -the residence of respectable people; but Hare, who in the back room had -heard the rencontre, came forth, and taking the part of the girl--with -what expression of countenance to his companions, it would be difficult -for a mere pen to give the symbols of an idea--sympathised with her, and -even more, asked her to come into the room with the window opening to the -dead wall, and get a dram to dry up her tears. The girl, also given to -drink, was tempted, and complied with the kind invitation. It was not long -till the colleague made his appearance, having, it is supposed, seen Mary -enter when he was lounging idly about the top of the close. They were no -sooner seated, and the whisky put upon the table by Helen M'Dougal, than -Hare began his explanation. He told her that her mother had spoken to him -on that day when she disappeared; that she told him she was going to -Midcalder, (where he knew she had some friends;) and that he had no doubt -she would be found there, to the great joy of the despairing girl. - -And no doubt the poor girl's heart jumped to the valediction. She began to -get cheerful under the new-lighted lamp of hope; and if there was any -deficiency in the oil, it was supplied by the cognate combustible which, -like all other agents of the same kind, consumes by its latent fires those -who consume it. Glass succeeded glass, and with hope getting brighter and -brighter before her eyes, now dry enough, and sympathy sounding louder and -louder in her ears, what marvel that Mary Haldane should be as happy as -those who had preceded her in those jubilations. She talked of her lovers -and her youthful escapades--not forgetting those whisky-born fortunes, -embracing equipages and servants, which are the continual destiny of the -wretched, as if nature, in some mood of pity, made an imaginary -compensation for real privations and as real misery. How little conscious -was she that the two men, who responded so exuberantly to her wild -aspirations, were watching when they would exhaust and bring her "to the -point." Nor was the issue long delayed. Mary was one of those who, once -fairly begun, never stopped, if the means were in her power, till she had -run the full course. The symptoms of the artificial narcosis began to shew -themselves,--the thick speech, the heavy eye, the bent head, and only a -little longer and she was extended on the floor. Let us not speak of this -girl's youth, the interest of her peculiar fortunes, with no chance ever -given her of putting even the first step in the path of virtue. Why, there -was, even in the estimation of those who stood over, ready for the work of -their calling, a curious if not stimulating aptitude in sending her after -her mother. Did she not call there to see her, and find her? and why -should they defeat so laudable a purpose? The quarter of an hour's -suspension between life and death, with those mysterious agonies of which -the organism is capable, even in the absence of manifestations, or at -least in their suppression by external force, and Mary Haldane experienced -the fate of her mother. And with her mother, too, she lay that night in -the hall of Surgeon's Square. - - - - -The Grandmother and the Dumb Boy. - - -It has been said, that in the course of one man's life there occurs -usually only one springtide on which he may direct his barque to fortune, -and, so far as we have seen, this chance was not denied to the governors -of Log's lodgings; but nature has not equally decreed that the voyagers -shall see beyond that fortune, or to what it may lead. Nay, is there not -something in the circumference of the objects of a day, if not an hour, if -not a minute, which, like that which surrounds the scorpion, keeps all -inside inviolate from the anathemas beyond? But then the circumference is -ever changing, and ever enclosing new objects, till the last, with an -opening in the side, looks out upon the dark or light theatre of -retribution or salvation. We sometimes see this solitary springtide -surmounted by the shattered barque of age, from which the waters of life -are fast receding, and yet the voyager moves on. His fortune is a -_hysteria_, through the ecstatic delirium of which he cannot see the gulf -before his nose. These two men and two women whose history we record were -on their springtide, and we are not to wonder that, beyond the -circumference of rock and cloud, they were prevented from looking; not -that there were not openings through which they could see ruin, but that -the insanity of a fruitful wickedness made them revel blindly in the -buoyancy of their progress, heedless of all rocks and gulfs of -retribution. - -Poor moralising this, we suspect, as regards men whose pleasures, bought -at such a price of a revolt against nature, could be termed only "painted -pain." But even they could not be exempted from the laws of human nature. -The circle behoved to contain its objects, and to change from day to day -till the last came, with the lateral opening looking into perdition; -perhaps any other mode ever devised by man of bringing sacrifices to -mammon might not have been utterly exclusive of an attempt to get into a -caste above. Bankrupts, thieves, adulterers, and even ordinary murderers, -sometimes in our day try their hands at this, and make wonderful -successes, for even these crimes which make men what they are, are not -absolutely incompatible with a modern conventional status; but the crime -of the men of our history involved in its very nature the impossibility of -ever holding up the head in any other way than a swagger of desperation, -or directing the eyes to an honest face, except as a look of dogged -defiance. So, in addition to those evidences of change at Log's lodgings, -we have only to mention the restlessness of the moneyed vagabonds driving -them out to the streets to pull companions of their grade into -drinking-houses, and treating them with the money which, however they -might love it, burnt their hands that dispensed it. The delirium of -intoxication amidst living objects that carried the mind out, was the -refuge from, not the spectre of conscience, for conscience they had none, -but that of justice, which no averting of the eyes could enable them to -avoid, only the reeling of them could make it a changing phantasmagoria. - -And why, when we have so much deeper tragedies to recount, ought we to -stop our narrative to record--unless, indeed, for the mere sake of the -arithmetic of murders--a mere interlude resorted to as a relief from -dithyrambism? Childermas day came round again! Poor Joe the miller could -bring his price of eleven pounds as well as the rest of them. No doubt, -when he offered himself, in the heyday of his life, to Jenny the farmer's -daughter, he thought himself of greater account than merely eleven pounds; -but men undergo deterioration. Even when rejected, he would have spurned -the valuation when he sung that jolly song of independence so often sung -by his craft, and which declares the determination that neither lawyer nor -doctor would "e'er get a fee from him,"--true enough, yet, alas! not false -in the reverse, that doctors would give a fee _for_ him. Joe's -miscalculations were due to his ignorance of the effects of intemperance, -for it will not do to say that these are known when every day brings up -new developments of consequences resulting from this most dangerous of all -the voluntary evils of man. Say that the drunkard dares the advent of -poverty, crime, the horrors of _delirium tremens_--death,--could he say -that this last is a greater violence to nature than that produced by the -grip and the pressure which, in all these cases, were only consequent upon -the inebriation, which, again, was the act of his own will? It was while -in a state of inebriety that the prowler met Joe. He was already made and -prepared, and the subsequent decoyment, the additional drink, the final -onset of the grim actors, their success, were only the development of a -drama wrought out by actors who took an advantage accorded by himself. Our -authority for treating this case as a mere interlude is derived from the -admission of Burke himself, who, as a great judge could estimate the -importance of what by others cannot be estimated at all, for the simple -reason that the smallest of these tragedies so far transcends all power of -comprehension that comparison becomes a farce; yet though this once jolly -son of a jolly craft might have earned the contempt attributed to a -facility of dying, he was, we are assured, mourned in the hamlet of his -birth, where his frailties, if condemned, were placed, as is too often the -case, to the account of a good heart. Nay, for aught we know,--and we say -it the more readily that no one can trace or enumerate the threads which -the poorest of God's creatures leaves ramifying from heart to heart, all -to respond, as by electric sympathy, to the shock of his death,--the -farmer's daughter might even be concussed to tears--how much too -late--when the terrible tragedy was divulged. We may be at least certain -that Joe never dreamed that a man's character in the world depends upon -his manner of leaving it, or he would have saved his reputation by a -greater resistance when the enemies were upon him, but he was also then -too late: the devil, whom he might have fought with and defeated if sober, -had taken on a strange form, and was unknown to the victim, for the reason -that the victim did not know himself. - -However unimportant he might be in these annals, the price which the -miller brought was sufficient to stimulate the now, and long before, -irredeemable actors to a deed which, in the estimation of Burke himself, -as it must ever be in that of a blushing nation, stood unparalleled among -his own atrocities, as by all experiences else it was unparalleled in the -world. Before entering upon the detail, we feel inclined to philosophise a -little. We have been obliged to speak of these men as men, because they -possessed all the physical characters of the species. In a natural view it -has been said that, by the presence of the lower animals in the world, man -is more injured in his ideas of a high nature and destiny than he is -benefited in the temporal advantages of being fed and clothed by them. -The Roman felt the inconveniences of the presence of apes in the same -world with him, when he cried out, in rage or satire or pity, _Simia, quam -similis, turpissima bestia, nobis_! Then what is the use of these beings -always putting us in mind of our resemblance to them? If we are to believe -Pythagoras, Mr Tweddel, or Mr Smith, or any one of the vegetarians, we -could, in their absence, live on herbs and fruits, and be clothed with -cotton and linen. Their presence in the same world, and with so much in -common with us, is a continual satire on man's psychological privilege or -peculium, and to get quit of this many early nations accorded a soul and a -hereafter to them. The satire was inverted when men made gods of them. We -of a modern age shew our respect by an act of parliament against being -cruel to them; and secondly, by eating them. In the midst of such curious -speculations we are always apt to forget that within the moralities of our -species we have gorillas far fiercer than any brother or sister of that -"splendid specimen" described by Du Chaillu, and yet the strength and -savagery of this animal have been called in doubt. - -One day, about a month after the disposal of Joe the miller, Hare was -again on the track of the unfortunate, and this time, as it was said, sent -out by his colleague, as if the latter had wished to seek in repetition -the assuagement of familiarity. Alas! the old search. You cry me mercy, -and I would forbear did I not know that truth must bear her crown amidst -the lying conventionalities of refinement; and virtue, who is her -companion, looks to her for strength, while she shines the brighter for -the proximity of vice. Yes, the old threading through the mazes of human -beings,--now passing between the ripe and the raw, the full-blooded youth -and the tottering beggar, the rich and the poor--apportioning the meed of -his approbation according to the selective affinities of the possible. -Polypheme had no tastes; this man was refined. Yea, even like the good -philanthropist who passes by those who do not require his help, and turns -kindly to the maimed and the blind and the miserable, his were claimed by -those on whom the hard and heavy hand of calamity had pressed. The goddess -pitied Iphigenia, and made her a priestess, not because she was beautiful -and the daughter of a great king, but because she was unfortunate. - -But on this occasion the searcher was _sought_. While standing on the High -Street holding the button of the ragged coat of an old man who pleased -him, and whose escape, seeing he was a dipsomaniac, would be nothing short -of miracle, there came up to him an Irishwoman, also advanced in years, -apparently a weary tramp, her shoes covered with dust, and her poor -clothes looking as if she had slept in them all night among straw. She was -a stranger in a strange city, and by her side was a little boy whom she -held by the hand, for he was one of God's stricken--deaf and dumb--with -that wistful peering of the eyes which is as often the effect of the -infirmity as of the habit of solicitation. She told him that she was from -Ireland, that she was on the search for some one of her countrymen or -countrywomen whom she knew, and from whom she intended to claim that -privilege of friendship and assistance which the people of that country, -with all their faults, are so liberal in according. Was there need for a -bond of confidence? He himself was of the ould country, and would he not -assist a country-woman with a charge so helpless, so pitiful, so -burdensome, except for the love which bore it? Nay, did he not know the -very person she sought? and did she not reside in Log's lodgings, whereto -he would be so delighted to lead her? Happy escape for the button-held, -and yet strange freak of the mind as it works awry often for an opposite; -for he seemed, as he departed, to envy the new comer, who had thus secured -the friendship of one now possessed of money, and not backward in shewing -it. - -So along they went, up between the high houses of Edinburgh's principal -thoroughfare and down by the then Old Bow, with its strange old fronts and -leering storm windows, as if they were curious about the modern people, so -unlike their ancient inhabitants, all which sights raised a wonderment in -the western Celt, which could only be satisfied by questions, and which, -again, were answered with as much particularity as if she was not only to -see them all again, but to seek them out for a purpose. Then how the boy -watched the face of the man, as if some instinct had told him he would -befriend his grandmother, and be in the room of a father to him. And what -had this boy ever learned yet through his eyes alone, to be able to read -backwards the looks of love. Do we not get dreary? The road has no -windings, and there are no trees to conceal the cave of skulls on the -Aventinian mount. Once again with his victim,--for surely we cannot count -the deaf and dumb boy with the wistful eyes as being destined to have his -name--if it could be known in the strange country--recorded in the list, -within the little back room. The colleague was there, lying drowsy from -the prior night's potations, but not unexpectant of the return of his -friend. His eye brightened as the quickened orb threw off the drowsy -vapours; and could he be otherwise than polite--the word is not -misapplied--to the strangers? But where was the Irish friend? Oh, she -would come in good time; and though it were long, did not Helen M'Dougal -place upon the table, in a goodly bottle, that which qualified the ardour -of impatience? The boy must be cared for too till the friend came, and -Mary Hare would do that duty in the front room--yea, might there not have -been sweetmeats in Log's lodgings when the Logs had now waxed wealthy? In -two hours that woman was lying a corpse in the bed of the small room "with -the window looking out on the dead wall." The boy was dumb, but he had -wistful eyes, and begged imploringly with these to see his grandmother. -The women could not even lie to him, and tell him he would see her in the -morning. - -In the evening the two men sat over the fire in that same room, with the -body of the woman stretched out on the bed which was at the back of the -wall behind them. The boy was still under the charge of Mary Hare in the -front room. Every moment that had separated him from his grandmother--to -him all the world of his knowledge and affections--rendered the duty of -the governess more difficult, and even strange sounds, between a groan and -a scream, made their way out of his speechless mouth, as if nature in an -agony struggled against her own decrees. The sounds found their way to the -back room, and it came to be a question with the men, as they still sat -looking into the fire, what was to be done with him. It was proposed by -one, we know not which, that he should be taken out in the dark to the -Canongate and there left. The policy had two reasons to support it. In the -first place, he could not peach, and was therefore safe; in the second, -they could hardly venture the offer of two burdens, however welcome at -Surgeon's Square, for fear of awakening suspicions, a reason, this latter, -which was rejected by the other, supposed to be Burke, for the other -reason, that the boy, when dead, could be kept in the house for a few days -without great depreciation in value; and even if they should get for him -a pound or two less, they could make it up upon a fresher one next time. - -There was thus some little disagreement between the faithful friends, -which must await a settlement; and, in the meantime, Hare went out to get -a tea-chest for the conveyance of the inhabitant of the bed against the -wall. On his departure, his friend sat ruminating. At one time, when -alone, and amidst the sombre yet sometimes _soft_ influences of -melancholy, with her throng of shades of the past and gone, he used to -sing to himself plaintive airs. Perhaps his melancholy at these times was -poetical. These shades point to the ghosts of our friends, that seem to -stand on yonder shore of the land of shadows, and beckon us to them. We -resist the appeal from day to day for the sake of those that remain. These -die too, and the crowd of beckoners increases, till all that formed our -world seem to have flitted away, and then we make the sign of resignation -to the hermit shadow (in his case the hangman) that is to lead us to them. -If he ever did indulge in these plaintive airs, now was the propitious -time, but his mind was engaged on something more practical--the -resolution, turned and turned again, and examined and laid aside to come -back--yes, the resolution to send the boy after his grandmother. - -The night passed, the boy having by some means been made to understand -that his protectress was in bed unwell, but the mutterings of the mute -might have indicated that he had fears which, perhaps, he could not -comprehend. The morning found the resolution of the prior night unshaken; -and, in that same back room where the grandmother lay, Burke took the boy -on his knee, and, as he himself expressed it, broke his back. No wonder -that he described this scene as the one that lay most heavily upon his -heart, and said that he was haunted by the recollection of the piteous -expression of the wistful eyes as the victim looked in his face. The lad -was laid on the bed along with his grandmother; and in the evening an old -herring barrel held the couple who in life were each to each the one thing -loved--and love is the same in the high and the low--had the same fate, -enclosed in the same receptacle, and dealt with in the same way in -Surgeon's Square. - -It was recorded that a curious incident happened in connexion with this -affair which had wellnigh put a stop to the career of these wonderful men, -and we cannot help thinking, in looking back upon it, that it should not -have led to a complete discovery. The herring barrel, containing the two -bodies, was placed in a cart. An old horse, which Hare had used in his -traffic in fish and crockery-ware, was yoked to it, and the two set out in -the darkening to Surgeon's Square with their cargo. They proceeded along -the West Port without anything remarkable happening, but when they reached -the marketplace, at the entrance to the Grassmarket, the horse stopped, -and, notwithstanding all their efforts, would not move a leg. They were in -confusion. Exposure was imminent. As Burke afterwards said, they thought -"the poor old horse had risen up in judgment against them." A crowd -collected, but, strangely enough, the people were so much occupied with -the horse that they never thought of inquiring what was in the cart; and -when it was found that neither entreaties nor blows would induce the -animal to move forward, two porters were allowed to bear off the burden -without any particular notice. Nay, these men so much less squeamish than -the horse, took the barrel to the dissecting rooms without ever asking -what they were carrying. The horse, which it is probable age and hard -usage had arrested in its progress, was, in revenge for the fright it had -caused its masters, led to a neighbouring tannery and slaughtered. It was -of no value in Surgeon's Square.[7] - - - - -The Stray Waifs - - -There is no great wonder that thinking people, while admitting ruling -motives of action, should be chary about the question of their origin; how -one rises out of another, and that out of one further removed, and so -forth, as deep down as you please. The harlequin jackets may be removed -one after another, till you come to the skin, which, being white, is said -to be of no colour, only a negative, as also has been said of black. In -another view, the subject appears still more unfruitful; for, as you may -bring a tune, combining the grave and the gay, out of one length of -catgut, so the human mind will give you off all sorts of feelings, some -good and some bad, in the course of the same hour. In truth, as our doings -are made up of passions and restraints, which latter may be passions as -well, we will never understand thoroughly a human action. When we admit -that these great criminals took away lives, right and left, for the sake -of money, how much do we achieve? We just accuse them of what the Greeks -called _chrysomania_, or madness for gold. Strange that in our country, -where the passion is pretty strong, we have no such name, avarice being -entirely different; but this passion may have been a rider on the love of -drink, and then we cannot estimate either the one or the other, till we -know the force of the countervailing restraints. If these--and there are -many--are weak or _nil_, the passion may be a very weak affair, so that -such beings as our principal actors might--seeing they wanted pity and -religion and fear--have thought less of suffocating a fellow-creature than -Bellarmine did of removing a fly from his face. With no pretension to be -teachers, we offer these hints merely as explanatory of our manner of -treating a subject much discussed at the time. - -Of one thing, however, we may be certain, and that is, the effect of -familiarity in removing those inconvenient asperities called scruples, -which nature is continually casting up to preserve the triumph of the good -over the evil; and so we may well be satisfied that every succeeding -success operated with the double effect of confirming the prior purpose -and stimulating to a repetition. This is merely the confidence inspired by -habit, with which we are all daily cognisant; and therefore the subsequent -atrocities ought really to excite less curiosity, though not less -revulsion, than those that went before. Yet this is not found to be the -case, and the reason is, that even great men in the murdering way are -generally content with one trial, as being sufficient for all their power -to carry before the judgment-seat of God. - -It is always to be remembered that all these moral wonders took place in -very quick succession, and only a few weeks pass until we arrive at the -waifs. The actors had come to see that they had a great stage to perform -on, and supplied as well with innumerable objects. They had only to look a -few yards to the west, up Portsburgh, or to the east, up the Grassmarket -and Cowgate, to be certain that "a ten pounds," all prepared, was walking -or staggering as if every roll to a side offered to be one into their -arms. They had thus reason, if they had been of a philosophical -habit,--and one had the poetry of sentiment--to thank the great genius -Society for his injustice to his own members. And what an extraordinary -injustice it appears, when we consider that the high head of Wealth is -upheld by the tax of respect imposed upon the poor and the humble! If -there were no inferiors to witness a man's greatness, he would be great no -more; and yet those who are the soil from which this moral grandness -springs are left to rot, as if the more it approached to compost the -ranker would be the tribute to his mightiness: so, without abating our -horror of these men, we cannot altogether forget that the sufferers in -most instances were cast away by Mammon to be in turn immolated to Mammon. - -They had in short a bank--Heaven knows, not of "elegance"--upon which -they could pass a draft when they chose; nor was it forged--they were -themselves the drawers, and the money seemed to belong to no one; so -careless at that time--it is, we hope, different now--was society of those -whom it was bound to look after and protect. So money was again needed, -and Burke was to pass the draft, because perhaps his companion thought -that as there is (of course) honour among thieves, so fair play must be -esteemed a jewel among manslayers. And here the strange circumstance -occurred, in the midst of all these strange things, that his draft was to -be endorsed _by a constable_. He had been among his dear friends in the -Canongate,--and a man or a woman had now a value for him which a short -time before he never dreamt of,--thinking of how he could make some of -them more dear to him than they seemed to be to themselves, when his -attention was directed to a poor unfortunate, steeped in poverty and -drink, in the hands of a police officer. Mixing with the crowd, he went up -to the officer, and, with much apparent sympathy, interfered for one who -had no home and no friends to care for her. He would furnish that home, at -least for a time, and be that friend. The poor woman, like some of the -others who had wondered that they should become objects of interest, -looked at him as one may be supposed to do who has considered herself past -the hope of man's charity. Some of the crowd, struck with the offer, -backed the sympathiser, and the policeman, considering for a little, at -last consented, giving her up to the kind friend,--no other than a -philanthropist of the humbler order, but perhaps not the less -sincere,--and enjoining upon him the due performance of his promise. - -Having got his charge, the crowd--whose curiosity was served not less than -its benevolence, for these poor people feel intensely for each other's -sorrows, the more by reason that no one else does--separated. Then, alas! -the old story. The tempter and the victim pace the streets towards the -block-altar of the sacrifice; and as they go, we may consider how many -have achieved a world-wide notoriety for having concocted one of these -acts, with the attending circumstances of having watched their opportunity -and been defeated, and still kept to their purpose, and, veiling all in -romantic mystery, at length effected their object. Such men, and their -solitary performance, with which they were contented, or to which they -were limited by the gallows, are only qualified to form a meagre episode -to the terrible drama we are with so much imperfection evolving; even as -Faust's vision rose in curling smoke, and took on the gigantic form of a -being out of nature and belonging to another world. We have heard of -hardened men who gave those they intended to sacrifice time to pray. There -was allowed only short shrift in Log's lodgings. Before nightfall this -woman lay doubled up in a tea-chest. We will not disturb you in your -pause as your mind, led by her who dropped pity's tear on the written -words of the recording angel, goes away back to the youth or the -maidenhood of this woman. The "perhaps" has a weakness in it, but who -shall gainsay, with the doctrine of chances against him, that she was, as -you may be, beautiful and good, yea, at one time looking forward to years -of happiness, a redeemed's death, and a Christian's funeral, even with -that confidence which--blessings on your pitiful heart!--will be -sanctified and verified to you, because it is in God? - -We are not done with the waifs even so far as known, and their number has -never been recorded. It was a practice of Burke to wander out in the early -mornings. He would have been seen pacing the solitude of the deserted -streets even before cock-crow. Nor could any man tell the reason: it was -not asked, not even speculated upon. Like the traces of sympathetic ink, -the notice lay unverified, till the great disclosure, when it came up -fresh into many minds. And it came up all at once, with the suspicion that -he did not go those solitary rounds for contemplation, far less from -remorse; a feeling which, so far as can be ascertained--for the pang of -the wistful look of the dumb boy was suspected to be a mere trick of the -prison confessional--never ruffled his pillow. The night-hawk goes to bed -in the early morning, before the choir offer their song to the rising sun, -and these catch no flies till he is far up in the heavens. The first -surmise of the discovery of what had been doing in Log's lodgings sprang -the suspicion with elastic rapidity, that these early walks were -undertaken in prosecution of the old purpose, and specially stimulated by -an interest in that institution--to be found, we believe, nowhere -else--the cinder-women;[8] not singing-birds these, if he was not a -night-hawk; but the osprey is as early on the long sands, when there is -not to be seen there a living thing, except the gulls, as they pace so -securely the edge of the sea. - -A very early riser in Edinburgh is impressed with the sight of these thin, -haggard figures flitting from backet to backet in the great solitude. The -only moving creatures in the long streets,--if you did not know they had -any other object in view,--you would think that, being immured in the dark -dens of the Old Town, and ashamed to shew their faces during the day, they -crawl out to get a _glimpse_ of their old haunts, where, as unfortunates, -(the greater number,) they once flaunted their charms, till they faded to -the point of recoil. You would say, too, that they belonged neither to -this world nor any other--mere pendencies, with no solidity to keep them -on the earth, and no wings to take them from it--hopeless, too, and -fearless, not from despair or passion, but from sheer inanity--glimmers, -not lights, flickering at the end of wicks, with no oil except what they -have imbibed long before. It was this prey that brought the prowler out so -early in the morning; and he might have revelled in a field so fruitful -long enough, without that risk of discovery which attended his other -assaults. Friendless as they are, with years intervening since they were -cast off, not only from society, but from those who once knew them,--some -worshippers of beauty, perhaps,--there were none to inquire after them, -scarcely any to miss them, except a sister straggler, who might wonder for -a moment why a shadow had disappeared. - -That more of these creatures fell into his hands than the culprit -confessed, was the general opinion of the time. One, at least, was -certain, as a waif scarcely worthy of mention among so many cases, and -these so much more _éclatants_. On that eventful morning he was more early -than usual; the gray mists only as yet disappearing, and the figures he -sought for looming as shadows here and there at long intervals. It was -supposed to be in the New Town where he encountered the hopeless, soulless -creature, scraping as usual in a dust-box, picking up the bits of cinders, -and peering in the dim light for the chance turn-up of the sign of some -servant's _lâcheté_. A more easy approach than ever, with the charmed -"dram" on his lips, sufficient to bring the light of hope once more to the -cinder eyes. Even the long distance from the New Town, by the Mound and -the Bow, to Log's lodgings, as they paced and paced, would only increase -the hope, to be gratified at the end. And of course it was gratified; so -cheap a purchase, too, where the oil was all in the wick, and the blue -glimmer, rendered for a short time white by a glass only once repeated, -would recede into unconsciousness almost before the energy to take -advantage of it was up in arms. While this work was doing, in which the -accomplice rose from his sleep to join, the women were in bed--saved in -this instance from the trouble of their delicacy in going into another -room, or the passage, as they sometimes did. Nay, the cock had not crowed -before all was over. The gurgling sound would be weak. It has been said -that the death-scream of the surprised sinner, and the dying prayer of the -Christian, are the extremes which terminate two courses of life. They may -be the last signs in this world and the first in the next, as they are the -farewell to time or the salutation to eternity. Who was there to care? - - - - -The Relative. - - -So far we have had details through the medium of confessions uttered when -the only _terriculumentum_ to be feared by those who had no belief in a -hereafter--the law--had given forth her decree of death, supplemented as -these were by collateral testimony, or, rather, desultory remarks of -others who had seen portions of the drama; but in some instances there -were thrown across the light which at last illuminated the mystery, -certain shadows with no defined forms, and through which the light shone -only to make them lurid. - -Of this kind of partially-revealed secrets was the story of the young -cousin. No name or personal marks or place of origin ever came to the -public ear, far less the form or features of the sacrificed; only, -and no more, that a cousin of Helen M'Dougal's,--by uncle or aunt -uncertain,--left her mother and sister,--from whence, also under the -gnome,--to visit her relative in Edinburgh. It was known that she entered -under the door-lintel of Log's lodgings, and was never seen again. If the -world, as a spasmodic poet tells us, were destroyed, a few atoms left of -the wreck, with their internal forces of attraction and repulsion, would -enable a philosopher to tell how it was made. We smile at the -extravagance, while we acknowledge some kind of truth, which we cannot -understand. These small traces of the little world of crime within the -back room "with the window looking out on the dead wall," long since -destroyed and erased from the bigger world of which it formed a part and -the shame, may be brought together and filled up by the imagination, with -a certainty so far removed from the feeling of fiction, that we might -scarcely regret the want of particulars. We have had small need of that -faculty in our history; yet, comparatively, of that little world we know -next to nothing. We might as well deny to the welcomed cousin a name and a -place of birth, as refuse to believe that she went into that house with -the expectation of meeting friendship, if not love, to a greater degree -than what was held out to the hope of others. They would shake hands with -her--(what love and hypocrisy don't?)--and there would be inquiries after -the mother, and the sister too;--just what takes place at all such -meetings. Nor are we to forget the welcome in the still more common shape, -not the fatted calf, but the bottle of whisky, so useful an auxiliary -there. If the paramour or husband of her cousin ever sung his sentimental -airs, he would surely not refuse on the occasion of a visit of one allied -to him in the bonds of affinity. There could not help being joy, for it -was through the light of the feeling of mirth that these eight eyes looked -on the guest they were making happy. Those who have read the German tale -of the two eyes which followed everywhere Hans Kauffmann, and never glared -upon him but when he was alone in the dark, and which at an after-period -he saw shining in the face of his enemy, as that enemy, the wreaker of -vengeance, stood over him with the thirsty sword, may trace a resemblance; -but as for these eyes of the four hosts looking anger on the poor -relative, we may safely place that among the impossibilities--and surely -we do that more easily than we can fancy the expression of that peculiar -welcome. - -We wonder how nature so often leaves us in the dark. We cannot understand -that she has so much to do that she is for ever in a hurry, so that we -only see at times the skirt of her cloak. Then we are ourselves so -restless and impatient for knowledge, that we snuff the candle of our -inquiry so often that we can see nothing. Perhaps all this is intended for -the purpose of giving us a wider world of imagination, and more ardour in -peopling it with all its strange beings, spectral images, protean forms, -wild movements--for what further end we know not, but we work our -privilege in these days of fiction very well. The veil is often an -exaggerator, but in this act of our drama it seems hard to fill up the -unknown recesses with possibilities equal to the realities. Just try to -supply the required minutiæ to the few words said to have been uttered by -Helen M'Dougal. After many months of fruitless inquiry, met with a denial -that any one in Log's lodgings had seen the young cousin, the mother and -sister, probably under suspicion of some foul play, went to the house of -Constantine Burke, the brother of our man. Helen M'Dougal happened to be -present, and to the request again made to know what had become of the -girl, the woman, who must have been under the influence of drink, for at -this time the explosion had not taken place, answered, "Oh, you need not -trouble yourselves about Jessy. She was murdered, and sold long ago." - -Among the cases of mere outline and shadowy traces, suspected to have been -more in number, as including more waifs than admitted, we may place -another. It seems to have been a bargain between the two principal actors -that their work should be conjunct in action as well as in payment. On one -occasion, Burke, having now plenty of money, went to the country on a -pleasure jaunt. Yes; pleasure. Amidst all our philosophy and inquiry into -causes and motives, would we not save ourselves a deal of trouble by -attributing nine-tenths of the actions of men, not excepting murder, to a -desire for pleasure? All swallow the love-apple bait presented by some -wicked genius of the devil, who sports with the affections of mankind. -The beguiler laughs as he angles. Some victims afford him fine "rises," -and look shy, only to come again to bite in earnest. Some swallow and -enjoy the sweet morsel, until the hook approaches the pylorus of their -reason. Some disgorge it, to seek it again; others break the line and run -away with the hook, to die in secret places under a crag. Some are caught -by a fin, and carry the mark of the forbidden pleasure only to excite them -to another trial; others are held on till they reach the bank, where they -writhe in agony amidst sunbeams, wild thyme, and gaudy flowers, with the -laugh of the tempter sounding in their ears. And some, on being swung -ashore, get entangled _in a tree_, and hang there by the neck. How few can -nibble off cunningly the _cibum præfixum ære_, and avoid the snare! Burke -had gone on a pleasure jaunt--not to be hooked yet. On his return he found -Log's lodgings as he left them; nor did he suspect that any of the unholy -work had been performed in his absence. If the old orgies had been -continued,--and how could they now be renounced when the increasing weight -of all those deeds must have been pressing more and more on their hearts, -however they might try to conceal it, and required the old art of buoyancy -as a counter-agent?--there had been plenty of money to supply the means, -so that Burke thought that no march had been stolen upon him by his -cunning colleague. It happened, however, that he had occasion soon after -his return to call at the hall in Surgeon's Square--perhaps to get the -price, or part of it, of the last burden. He was there told by one of the -assistants that his friend had been there shortly before with a box, not -empty, and had been paid for it. He even got the day of the month and the -hour of the evening, from which he saw that his co-actor had been -secretly, as he said, working during his absence "on his own hook." -Enraged at this want of honour, he repaired to the house, where he found -his friend, and taxed him with the fraud. Hare stoutly denied the charge. -The women were appealed to, but neither of them would admit anything; for -we are to remember that both of them were not only in fear of their -respective lords, but of those of each other. Nay, we have seen Hare using -as much liberty of punishing M'Dougal when his friend was present, as -Burke had of thrashing Mrs Hare, which it is certain he often did. Nay, -the women even had their battles royal, and the men were, as well, often -engaged in fierce conflict. The present subject was a _delicate_ one. It -touched the honour of contractors, the purse of sordidness, and the faith -of friendship. Well, we verily believe that even Burke was fit for these -heroics, and he was fit for something else. He fell upon his friend with -fury, and Hare, ever ready for battle with all and sundry, not excepting -his wife, retaliated. They fought long and desperately, the women looking -on with only that concern which might find its account in so being -revenged for some prior cruelty exercised toward them by one or the other, -perhaps both. This was one of those riots which so much disturbed the -neighbours. A crowd, as usual, collected at the door, but even the -exasperation of the parties could not force out the secret of their -quarrel. It would have been strange indeed if it had! and we say this even -in the midst of daily examples of anger roused to a pitch of opening the -floodgates of very dark things, even to the confusion and ruin of the -angry, and so far involuntary, confessor. How little did that crowd of -spectators know what these men were fighting about! - -But if the subject was the price of a human body, whose spirit was it that -enlivened it--man or woman, young or old, good or evil? The creature -passed away in the middle of a large city renowned for civilisation, and -even with the tread of passers-by reaching the scene, more secretly than -one who perishes at sea; for, in that case, though there is none to see, -there are always some to draw a conclusion. Yet, withal, we cannot say -that Providence does not vindicate the importance of its creatures. That -victim would, for certain, be mourned somewhere. There are even notes of -woe in the grove, when the missing mate is snared by the fowler, though no -one may be there to hear. It was remarked at the time when the great -secret burst, and the news flew on the back of broadsheets throughout the -land, that there were scarcely any direct declarations of claims. Even -when conviction was heavy on the heart that a missing relative could in a -certain way be accounted for, the issues were spasmed, and people only -looked their thoughts. If the whisper passed, it was only among close -relatives, and they kept the secret to themselves, even to the exclusion -of friends. It was from this cause that the papers could not, with all -their efforts, pander to the curiosity of the public by giving names. Nay, -so awe-struck was that public itself, that, after the first excitement and -wonder, and after Burke had paid the penalty, there seemed a wish to hurry -away from both the subject and its details. They wanted back to their -natural feelings and sympathies; and the hurriedness with which the crimes -were laid past, with the resolution that they should not be mentioned, -seemed to hold some ratio to their gigantic proportions. But the reasons -which actuated the people of the time are not these by which posterity is -to be influenced; for vice, whatever may be its degree, must ever be the -foil of goodness, and the punishment of the wicked the sanction of virtue. -It was even said by one of the newspapers of the day, that these records -would at some future time form the materials out of which some Sir Walter -would weave a romance. The prophecy is not justified in us. The -romance-writer will come; at present, we are content with the office of -chronicler. - -How much we could wish that these things had never been left to us to -chronicle, and how much too that what we have already said were the worst -we have to say! But thus begun, it behoved that the obstinacy of these men -should harden more and more; that the recklessness increased by success -should, according to rule, get more and more regardless of danger, till -the delirium of wickedness should throw them into the hands of justice. -Already "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the -ground." - - - - -The Study for the Artist. - - -If these conspirators against society had limited their operations to the -waifs,--a wide enough field surely in a city like Edinburgh, renowned at -the time for the extent of the wide tattered fringe of the social -web,--they might have remained undetected for a lengthened period;--ay, -even until they had cut off hundreds; and why they left this secure area -can only be accounted for by that universal law whereby the doers of evil -acquire a confidence which blinds them to all sense of danger. The bold -and reckless case of the young cousin was the first indication of the -coming change, and we will see with what rapidity the progress was pursued -in terms of that inevitable decree of Providence. - -It has been mentioned that Burke had a brother of the name of Constantine, -who, having driven a desultory trade something of the nature of that -followed by his brother and his associate, had become a street-sweeper or -scavenger, and lived in Gibb's Close in the Canongate. It never was -satisfactorily established that this man was acquainted with the -conspiracy, although many suspicions, especially arising out of the case -of Mary Paterson, which is now to form the burden of our chapter, appeared -to hang heavy upon him. For once the scene of death was changed from the -old shambles to Gibb's Close. Mary Paterson, a young girl of eighteen or -nineteen years of age, of remarkably handsome form, as to which we will -hear more by and by, and who turned her attractions to no other use than -that of _the old abuse_, had been, along with a companion named Janet -Brown, lodged in the Canongate Police-office, on Tuesday the 8th of April -1828. They were kept till four or five o'clock next morning, when they -repaired to the house of a person called Mrs Laurie, where they had -formerly lodged together. They had been for some time constant friends, -and had more of affection for each other than is generally found among -individuals of their class. The woman, who felt for them, expressed a wish -that they should remain, but, for some reason unknown, they preferred -another course, and went to the house of one Swanston, who sold drink. -They got there a gill of whisky, and when they were drinking the spirits, -their eye fell upon Burke, who was there even at that hour, busy drinking -rum and bitters with the landlord. They had never seen Burke before, and -made no sign of a wish to enter into conversation with him; but he, who -appeared to have been watching them, came forward, and, affecting to be -much taken with them, ordered an additional supply of the rum and -bitters; nor did this drinking bout finish till three gills were consumed -in addition to what they had drunk before. Of this drink Burke -participated largely; and, indeed, it was supposed that he often wrought -himself designedly up to his required point of courage by the means of -liquor when he had any special work to accomplish. - -In the course of the debauch, and when he discovered that the girls were -of that kind who, when begun to drink, are regardless of limits, he -proposed that they should accompany him to his lodgings, which he said -were close by. Mary was willing enough, but her companion, Brown, shewed -signs of reluctance, not probably being much enamoured of their new -friend. Whereupon he roused himself to remove her scruples, by shewing -money, and stating that he was a pensioner, and could keep her, Brown, -handsomely, even make her comfortable for life; and that if she had any -fears of the people in the house, he would stand by her against any -insolence or abuse. All this attention, as Brown subsequently stated, was, -as she thought, directed to her in preference to Mary--with whom, as for -personal recommendations, she could not compete--in consequence of her shy -and backward nature wherein she was a contrast to her friend, who was of a -disposition fearless and forward. Besides, he knew from their apparent -affection for each other that the one would not accompany him without the -other. At length Brown gave up her scruples, and all the more readily that -he made the additional offer to provide a good breakfast for them, as an -earnest of all that which he had promised to do for them. Matters being -now arranged, he bought from Swanston two bottles of whisky, one of which -he gave to each of the two girls to carry. He then conducted them to the -house of Constantine Burke, where they found that man and his wife already -up, but with the fire as yet unlighted. Whereupon Burke got into a great -fury, abusing the woman for negligence in not paying more attention--a -feint with a meaning of which some supposed she was not altogether -ignorant. - -Straightway the gloomy aspect of the miserable house, the residence of so -rich a pensioner, was removed by the new-lighted fire, and the woman with -all activity set to work, in which she was joined by her handy -brother-in-law, to produce a hearty breakfast for her lodger and guests. -Tea, bread and butter, eggs and finnan haddocks, covered the table. They -were now merry: the effects of the previous drink had not yet died away, -while the breakfast before them, and the promises of the new friend, all -tended towards a state of happiness to which the poor girls were total -strangers. Meanwhile the brother, who joined in the breakfast, left -shortly to proceed to his work; and the meal having been finished, with -the cups and other things left remaining on the table, the two bottles of -whisky were produced. The drinking again commenced, Burke still -participating to a large extent, at the same time that he pressed glass -after glass profusely upon the girls. The impulsive and reckless Mary, -still true to her character, shewed no scruples. One glass followed -another, till by and by the drug began to shew signs of a speedy triumph; -but Brown was more chary, often refusing the proffered poison; not that -she had any suspicions of evil design on the part of the generous -pensioner, but simply because she did not wish to get drunk--a -consummation so clearly impending, with two bottles on the table, and only -three participants. - -Burke now saw that Mary, who had fallen back on the chair all but -unconscious, was safe. The next step to be taken in his scheme, which, -notwithstanding the enormous quantity of drink he had swallowed, he -prosecuted deliberately, was to get Brown, still comparatively sober, out -of the house; and he cunningly proposed to go along with her for a walk, -to revive them after their potations. The girl at once agreed, and, -leaving Mary in her narcotised condition, they sallied forth; but the -purpose of a walk was changed, and, inconsistently enough, Brown soon -found herself in another public-house with her generous and most -persevering friend. Here two bottles of London stout were ordered, along -with a pie, and the girl, whose natural caution and shyness were not proof -against so much seduction, drank a large share of the porter, Burke -himself shewing no reluctance to participate as well, knowing not only -that he could stand a great amount of drink, but that the more he took, -within the limits of consciousness, if not coolness, the better able he -would be for the execution of his purpose--in this instance, as it -appeared, a double one, involving both the girls at the same time, or, at -least, with a short intervening interval. The porter having had its due -effect upon Brown, who was yet, however, far from "the point," he then -induced her to accompany him again to the house they had left. Here the -remainder of the two bottles of whisky was produced, Mary all the time -lying almost unconscious, and only raising her head at times, and looking -with stupid earnestness on the proceedings. - -Now there comes up a new incident in the play, which has never been well -explained. All of a sudden Helen M'Dougal, whom we might have supposed to -be in Log's lodgings, who had not appeared at breakfast, and had not -hitherto been seen by the girls, starts violently out of a bed. There is a -whisper by Constantine's wife in the ear of Brown, that the apparition is -no other than Burke's wife; and the latter immediately commenced, with all -appearance of a jealous fury, to accuse the girls of having the intention -of corrupting her husband. The part was so well acted, that Brown, getting -alarmed, entreated forgiveness, on the plea that neither she nor Mary had -known that he was married, otherwise they would not have remained in his -company. The play proceeds. Helen M'Dougal breaks down: she was, she said, -not angry with them, only with her husband, who was continually deserting -her, spending his money on loose women, and leading a life of dissipation. -She then asked them to remain, and with such apparent sincerity that Brown -was satisfied, but as for Mary she was incapable of understanding a much -less complicated plot. M'Dougal next turned against Burke, upbraiding him -for his infidelity, taking up the things that were upon the table, dashing -them into the fire, and otherwise exhibiting the height of a woman's -passion. Nor was Burke indolent or regardless of this fierce onset; he -retaliated, and taking up a dram-glass hurled it against her face, hitting -her above the eye, and cutting, even to profuse bleeding, her forehead. At -this time, or a few minutes before, Constantine's wife rushed out of the -house, with the intention, as Brown subsequently supposed, of bringing -Hare, but it is more probable, on the supposition of an art-and-partship, -to the extent at least of knowledge, that she found some good reason for -being merely absent. Immediately after her departure, Burke succeeded, -with an apparent effort, in turning Helen M'Dougal to the door, and -locking it after her. - -Pausing a little in the midst of our narrative, we may remark, that -although it was generally supposed that this quarrel between Burke and -Helen M'Dougal was got up for the purpose of confusion, yet it is not -easy to see how any end could have been served by it; while the cutting of -the woman's face had too much seriousness about it, even as a part of the -terrible drama, to admit of the theory of an entire feint. The discrepancy -may be reconciled by the introduction of another passion, jealousy, but -this we cannot recognise, however true, except upon the assumption that -M'Dougal had some reason in her own mind to lead her to the suspicion that -Burke could be unfaithful to her with the very women he intended to slay. -Nor, however aggravating this may be, where aggravation seemed impossible, -it cannot be held as transcending the potentialities of a nature -altogether alienated from God, especially when we keep in remembrance the -true character of the passion thus imputed to Burke, as being so often -utterly independent of the emotion of love, in which a moral sentiment -forms a necessary element. This collision, as it were, between the desire -that Burke should _kill_, and another, that he should not _possess_, would -produce that irregularity, as we term it, in the plot which imparts to the -acting the incongruity so difficult to the analyses of the time. But while -it in some measure interferes with the unity so congenial to the -romancist, and which we unreasonably look for in nature, because it is -more consistent with art, it presents us with a picture of human nature -never before witnessed out of the domain of extravagant fiction. - -At the time that Burke returned, after the locking out, Mary was lying -across the bed, not having been able, even during the heat and noise of -battle, to lift her head to satisfy the natural curiosity of her sex, if -the curiosity itself was not altogether sopited. Burke knew the prolonged -continuance of these states, proportioned as they were to the quantity of -poison he had seen swallowed. So Mary is laid up as a reserve, ready for -his assault at any time within the period of hours. He therefore turned -his attention to the less easy subject, her companion, expressing still -greater kindness to her, and pressing her by all manner of solicitation to -lie down along with him in the bed from which, shortly before, his wife -had so unexpectedly sprung, and who, even yet, with continued -inconsistency, persisted in knocking at the door. So strong were these -solicitations, and so affected was Brown with the drink she had taken, -that, according to her own statement afterwards, she would have complied -with his request if it had not been that she was terrified by the noise -made by M'Dougal. Either supposition is possible, that he wished to -gratify a purpose upon the one, and then execute his final intention upon -her companion; or that he intended to immolate first the more difficult -victim, and then take his own time with the other. - -Fortunately the poor girl was able to resist his entreaties, as much -probably through some instinctive feeling as from prudence. Anxious to -get away, she expressed a wish to depart, to which Burke at first shewed -no inclination, but at length, and probably under the pressure of an -apprehension that, inebriated as she was, she might call for assistance, -and thus deprive him of Mary, whom, as she lay still senseless, he already -calculated upon as his own, he agreed to her request. He even conducted -her past Helen M'Dougal, who was still upon the stair, either under the -influence of her jealousy or of the old delicacy which so often took her -out of the view of the final catastrophes. In all this Brown made a narrow -escape, for whether Mrs Constantine Burke had really gone for the other, -and perhaps greater, arch-conspirator, Hare, or not, it is certain that -that fearful man arrived at Gibb's Close not long after the departure of -Brown. The moment Hare arrived, and there being now no one in the house -except themselves, and the unconscious Mary still lying in bed, they fell -straight upon their victim. The old story again. The process was familiar -to them--the energy at ready call--the execution easy. Burke springs upon -the senseless victim--Hare is at his post--the heavy body pressing with -the knees upon the soft bosom--the closing up of the mouth and nose--the -gurgling--the long inspirations--the watchings to listen, and listen -again, and examine if all was finished--the make-sure--the finish. So -quickly had the process been gone through that, on Brown's return, not -more than twenty minutes afterwards, Mary Paterson was lying dead, but -concealed from her observation by having been flung into a corner and -covered up. - -It may be of interest now to trace Brown. After getting past Helen -M'Dougal, who was on the stair, about, no doubt, to watch the process -inside, she went straight to Mrs Laurie's, and told her, with a laugh, -that she would not remain with her, as she had got fine lodgings -elsewhere; but after informing the landlady more seriously of the -circumstances, she was advised to go back, along with Mrs Laurie's -servant, and endeavour to get Mary removed; not, however, that either the -one or the other had any fears of her ultimate safety. The accompaniment -of the servant was probably another of the apparently accidental means by -which the life of this girl was preserved. Half stupified as she still -was, she did not recollect the name of the close in which the house was -situated, and being at a loss, but still anxious about her comrade, whom -she loved, she applied to Swanston for a direction to the residence of the -man whom she had seen there in the morning, and with whom she and her -friend had gone. The man replied, that they ought not to have gone with -him, because he was a married man, and did not keep company with women of -their kind, but that she would probably find him in his brother's house, -in Gibb's Close. Still, so stupified was she that, after getting into the -close, she went into the wrong house, where she was told that the people -there kept no company with such characters, but that she would probably -feel herself in the right direction by going up-stairs. They accordingly -ascended, entered, and found there Helen M'Dougal, Hare, and Hare's wife. -The dead prey had collected the ravens even within so short a time. Burke -was absent--no doubt in Surgeon's Square; but those present, with the -corpse within a few feet of them, were as unconcerned as if one among them -had been engaged in throttling a chicken for dinner. - -Upon inquiry for her friend, Mrs Hare rushed forward and attempted to -strike Brown,--a movement not easily accounted for, except upon the -supposition of a feminine way of repelling an intruder upon their secrecy, -who might be dangerous; but this burst gave way to a quieter demeanour, -the result of greater prudence, for the recklessness of passion is not -exclusive of minor means of self-preservation. They told her that Mary had -gone out with Burke, and invited her to sit down and take a glass with -them, upon which the servant left. Brown now saw Hare's eye fixed upon -her, and no doubt her partial inebriation was a temptation which was -touching; and Helen M'Dougal continued her part of the play, by railing -against her husband for going away with the girl whose dead body was -actually in the room. Brown, surrounded by the three fiends, was again in -danger; but, fortunately, Mrs Laurie, who had got alarmed at the report -of the servant, upon what precise grounds is not known, sent back the girl -to bring away Brown. No attempt was made to retain her in the presence of -the servant, but she was invited to return,--a circumstance so adverse to -the policy of keeping away so interested an inquirer as to be almost proof -of their intention to send her after her friend, the double object of the -price of her body and the seal of secrecy being the motive. - -Meanwhile, changes had been going on in the house; and when Brown, in the -afternoon, again called, Hare was gone--having given up his hope of the -further prey, as he would calculate upon Brown's gradual return to -sobriety. She was now told that Burke and Mary had never returned. Further -inquiries were made, not only by Brown, but by a Mrs Worthington, with -whom the two girls lived, and then another story was trumped up, to the -effect that Mary had gone on the tramp with a packman to Glasgow. This -story pleased Brown less than the other, which carried the inconsistency -of a recovery from drunken unconsciousness in so short a time; while the -tramp to Glasgow, and no intimation from that quarter, were equally unlike -the habits of the girl, who could write an intelligent letter, and would -certainly have done so if for no other object than to inform Brown of her -departure and to claim her clothes, which still lay in Mrs Worthington's. -No further intelligence was ever obtained till the great break up. The -fate of Mary Paterson was meanwhile a mystery. But when we take into -account the vagrant habits of these restless and changeful beings, we need -make no reproach on the want of affection of friends or relatives. - -We may state here that Brown believed firmly that Constantine Burke and -his wife were cognisant of this affair, both from their manner at the time -and the conduct of the man afterwards when she questioned him about Mary. -Often, when he was at his work in the morning, she inquired if he had -heard any further intelligence of her companion, but the answers were -surly and snatchy,--"How the h--ll can I tell about you sort of people, -here to-day and away to-morrow?" or, again, "I am often out upon my lawful -business, and how can I answer for all that takes place in my house in my -absence?" And so the inquiries for Mary Paterson died away for lack of -satisfaction, and the only hope that remained was that some day she would -cast up when weary of her wanderings with the packman. - -The account which Brown gave of this unfortunate creature is touching. She -admitted that she was irregular in her habits, but far from being low in -her grade; and expressed her indignation at a paltry print which appeared -of her, representing her in the garb of a servant, a dress in which she -never appeared. She had been well educated for one in her sphere, and -possessed, as we have already said, a fine person, for which she was -remarkable. She was a native of Edinburgh; and her mother being dead, she -was left to herself, driven along in her career by a frowardness of -purpose and impulsiveness of feeling, not yet inconsistent with a warm -heart and kindly affections. - -The supplement of the story is given by one of the confessions of Burke. -He cut the hair off her head when she was still warm. It will be -remembered that he formerly dealt in this commodity, and Mary's was too -long and beautiful to be given to the doctors. It might one day figure as -her own on a lady of rank;--and how little she would know of the fate of -her whom it had adorned, as adorning it! But to what end? Even that of the -poisonous flower of Paphos, which is said to have the most beautiful -petals, and to throw them the soonest away. Within four hours Burke and -Hare took the body to Surgeon's Square. It was then cold enough, but had -not yet got time to assume the stiffness of the dead. When uncovered, a -tall lad who was along with Mr Ferguson, one of Dr Knox's assistants, -expressed surprise and said that he knew the girl, and had been with her a -day or two before. Sharp questions followed as to where and how she had -been got, when Burke satisfied the inquirers--wondrous facility!--that he -had purchased the body from an old woman at the back of the Canongate. Nor -did the story finish here; So struck was Knox with the beauty and fine -proportions of the body of Mary, that he invited an artist to come to the -rooms to see it, for the benefit of his profession; and with the -conservative instinct of an old museum collector, the curious Professor -kept his favourite specimen three months in whisky. No wonder that this -case roused the suspicions of the public against the doctors,--a subject -we will take up in a subsequent chapter. Opinions ran high, and both sides -had their reasons and their arguments, upon all which we shall attempt a -judgment. - - - - -Daft Jamie. - - -The work goes on, with a change of shambles. Some time after the scene in -Constantine Burke's house in Gibb's Close, Burke and Helen M'Dougal -removed from Log's house to that of a relation of theirs of the name of -Broggan. It was never properly ascertained whether this separation was the -consequence of a quarrel between the parties, or whether it was imagined -that another establishment would furnish additional opportunities for -carrying on the trade. The latter opinion seems to have been justified by -their joint operations having undergone no interruption. Broggan's house -was admirably adapted for working the conspiracy, provided the inmates -could be relied on, a condition indispensable where the house consisted of -only one apartment, though with a convenient dark passage into which the -females could retreat as a safeguard to their feelings. If we are -surprised that four individuals could be found in the world to harmonise -in a confederacy for so extraordinary a purpose, we come to be appalled -with wonder and dismay at the apparent facility they found in -conciliating the scruples of those who could have derived but little -reward for their silence. We have seen Constantine Burke and his wife -acting the aiding confidants, and now we see another man and his wife -brought over with apparently little difficulty. We seek for the -explanation of course in the power of money, but this does not allay the -wonder, if it does not rather increase it, as extending the charm of that -agent even beyond what we could ever have dreamed of its influence. - -The first tragedy in the new theatre involved the fate of a decent woman, -the widow of a porter named Ostler, who lived in the Grassmarket, and who -had died shortly before. She gained her livelihood in an industrious, if -not laborious way, mainly by washing and dressing, eking it out by any -desultory work she could find, sometimes in the country during harvest. -She had been accustomed to visit Broggan's house in her vocation of -washerwoman, and was well known to the neighbours, both from her long -residence among them, and her frequent visits to the mangle at that time -kept by a woman of the name of Mrs Law. One day this woman was seen to -enter Broggan's house at a time when Burke was known to be there, and some -of the neighbours noticed, though without paying any particular attention -to the circumstance, that some time after she entered, there came from the -apartment sounds of jollity, as if the inmates had got merry under the -influence of drink. Burke himself exerted his musical powers, and Mrs -Ostler, not to be behind, favoured the happy party with her favourite -song--"Home, sweet home," which she sung in a wavering treble, not without -sweetness. The symposium was no further noticed, nor was it exactly known -who formed the party, but that Broggan's wife was in the house at the -time, may be inferred from the fact, afterwards ascertained, that about -that period she lay in of a child. From that hour Mrs Ostler was never -seen. She was despatched some time after the singing of "Home, sweet -home," and carried to Surgeon's Square the same evening. The ancients were -fond of the subject of the shortness, the brittleness, and the vanity of -human life. Homer has his soap-bubble, Plutarch his point of time, Plato -his peregrination, and so forth, and the moderns imitate them. Yet, at the -worst, man has generally made some little sign even at the death of a -beggar. It was reserved for Portsburgh to be the place where life -disappeared like a snuffed-out candle in mid-day--the hand unseen, the -light scarcely missed--even the material which supplied it gone as if by -magic. If Mrs Ostler was soon missed, the speculation died away under the -ordinary supposition, that she had fallen into some water; and there was -an end. - -The first murder after the change of residence was a mere prelude to an -act--_heu! heu! vita vehementer effera et barbara!_--altogether Cyclopic. -There lived in Edinburgh in that year--1828--an imbecile of the name of -James Wilson, or, as he was called, "Daft Jamie." His residence was in -Stevenson's Close, Canongate; but, with the exception of the night-time, -he was seldom at home, being, like most of his class, a great wanderer; -nor were his wanderings limited to the Old Town--he was seen everywhere, -and seemed never to be weary. Though evidently deficient in intellect, he -was strong and healthy in the body, going in all weathers bareheaded and -barefooted, without injury to his constitution, and without a murmur of -discontent. Never was there a more happy creature of the kind than Daft -Jamie; for while, as we too well know, those thus afflicted were at that -time, when they were less than now under the public care, often the -objects of hatred, more often of sport and play to the young of the lower -classes, Jamie was a universal favourite. It was not that the inhabitants -of Edinburgh merely pitied him--they really liked him. Perfectly harmless -and inoffensive, and not uncomely in his appearance, he possessed great -kindliness of heart; and to all who had occasion to be on the streets of -Edinburgh, whether early or late, he was familiar, always dressed much in -the same way,--the good-humoured, winning smile never absent from his full -round face,--always ready to salute by a peculiar manner of taking the -front lock of his hair between his finger and thumb, nodding quickly, -bowing and smiling. We can say, from experience, that there was no -resisting Jamie's smile and the twitch of the lock, and you felt this if -you had a penny in your pocket, which was all the more readily given that -he never seemed to wish for it. Nay, he sometimes rejected money, saying -that he didn't need it, for that he had "the feck o' half-a-croon on him." -This _bonhommie_ was perfectly genuine, not more the result of the -universal favour with which he was regarded than of heartfelt kindliness, -and a robust health independent of all weathers. - -Another peculiarity consisted in the importance he attached to his brass -snuff-box and spoon, which he always carried about with him, and used with -great economy, and with so much of selection, that while many might be -favoured with the smile and the bow, it was only a very select few, -principally favourites among the young collegians, to whom he condescended -to offer a spoonful of his rapee. Though undoubtedly imbecile, and -incapable of any continuous mental effort, he possessed a small portion of -intellect, never exhibiting any of the vagaries of his class. He kept up a -correct knowledge of the days of the month and week,--a species of -learning of which he was very proud,--and even went far beyond this in a -certain facility he had in calculating the day on which any feast or -commemoration would take place; so that to the students and boys he served -as a kind of walking calendar. He had musical talents too, so well -appreciated, that he was often called upon to entertain his juvenile -acquaintances with a song, which he executed in tolerable style. In -addition to all these recommendations, he was scrupulously clean in his -person, changing his linen, it was said, three times a week; and his hands -and feet, though always uncovered, appearing as having been carefully -washed before he came out. - -It was stated at the time that almost all the naturals then recollected on -the streets of the city had met with violent or untimely deaths. There was -Bobby Auld, who may yet be remembered as being a great crony of Jamie's. -Bobby was killed by the kick of an ass, and fell into the hands of Dr -Monro. Some others were mentioned. Nothing was more curious than to -witness a forgathering between these two. They talked about affairs in -general with the greatest complacency, not hesitating to criticise each -other's knowledge or perspicacity--even venturing the word _fool_ when the -detected ignorance or error warranted the liberty. It is narrated that on -one occasion Bobby and Jamie met accidentally in the neighbourhood of the -Grassmarket. "It's a cauld day, Bobby." "Ay is't, Jamie. Wudna we be the -better o' a dram? hae ye ony siller, man? I hae tippence." "And I hae -fourpence," says Jamie. "Ou, man," rejoins the other, "that'll get a haill -mutchkin." And away they went to a neighbouring public-house, where the -money having been first shewn as a necessary security, the whisky was -demanded with great dignity, and placed before them But before either of -them had tasted the liquor, "Lord, man," said Bobby, "did ye see the twa -dougs fechtin' on the street? They're no dune yet; I hear their growling -and their biting." "No," replied Jamie, "I saw nae dougs fechtin'." "It's -a grand sight, though," continued the other natural. "It has lasted -half-an-hour, an's weel worth seeing. I wud advise ye to gang to the door -and see it, for ye'll maybe never see the like again, in this world at -least." Then Jamie proceeded unsuspiciously, for he had no guile or -cunning about him, to see this wonderful dog-fight; but speedily returned -with the information that he could see nothing of the kind. "They'll just -be dune, then," coolly observed Bobby. "But what's come o' the whisky?" -said Jamie, as he opened wide his eyes on the stoup standing empty. "Ou, -man," was the treacherous reply, "ye see I couldna wait." Upon Jamie's -being questioned how he had revenged this foul play, his answer was in -perfect character,--"Ou, what could ye say to puir Bobby? He's daft, ye -ken." - -Though much inferior to his crony in trickery--of which, indeed, he had -none--Jamie was much his superior in intellect and knowledge. His father -is said to have been a decent religious man, who took him regularly to a -place of worship in the Old Town on the Sabbaths; and Jamie, perhaps from -habit, continued as regularly to keep up the practice. On one occasion, -when examined by a worthy elder of the congregation, it was said that -Jamie not only shewed far more knowledge than could have been expected -from him, but turned the tables upon his querist, putting considerably -more than the old theological questions of the _enfants terribles_, which -no one has been able to answer any more than our learned elder. And then, -to crown all, there was the parting valediction, "If ye wud like ony mair -information, Mr ----, ye ken brawly whaur to fin' me." - -One morning in the month of September or early in October of the same -year, Jamie was, as usual, wandering about in the Grassmarket, giving his -bow and twitch of the lock to any superior person he met; for he well knew -the differences of caste, considering himself far above the lowest, if not -even up to the line which he drew between the giving and the withholding -of the brass box and the spoon. Kindly affected towards his mother,--to -whose love in return he was indebted for the clean way in which he was -kept, and many attentions, for which, by a wise providence, the natural -comes in, as if for compensation, to the exclusion of his brothers and -sisters,--Jamie was looking for his parent. At this time he was observed -by Mrs Hare,[9] who, going up as she had often done before, asked him who -he was looking for. "My mither," was the answer; "hae ye seen her ony -gait?" "Ay," said the woman, "she's in my house." And with this -temptation she induced him to go with her. They were soon in the old -den--Log's lodgings--where Hare himself was crouching for prey. Behold -Jamie introduced to the court with the old honour--the fatal wink! There -left with one who would take special care that he would not escape, the -woman, as a provider of another kind--for she catered for life as well as -death--went to Mr Rymer's shop to get some butter, and it chanced that -Burke was at the time standing beside the counter. She then asked her -friend, who, as we have said, was now in other lodgings, for a dram, which -was accordingly handed to her by Mr Rymer, and when she was drinking it -off, she stamped with her foot upon Burke's, as if to tell him that he was -wanted. He knew instantly the meaning of the sign, having previously seen -her leading Jamie, to use his own words, as a dumb lamb to the slaughter. -The moment she departed, he followed; and when he entered, he was accosted -by Mrs Hare with the words, "You have come too late; the whisky is all -done." At this time, Jamie was sitting in the front room, with the cup -(used for a glass) in his hand, smiling and talking, and every now and -then looking round for the entry of his mother. Hare was alongside of him, -and Burke took a seat opposite. It was proposed to send for another -half-mutchkin, and this having been procured, they invited Jamie to the -fatal back room with the window looking out on the dead wall. - -On getting him into the apartment, they advised him to sit down on the -front of the bed, to which he assented; and Hare's wife, after getting -some of the spirits, went out, and locked the door quietly, and put the -key in through an opening below it, supposed to have been made for the -purpose. Now was the time to tempt Jamie with the whisky; but to their -utter disappointment, they found that he would drink no more than he had -done, and that scarcely amounted to a glass. It was his mother he wanted, -and for her he repeatedly called, in those accents of yearning which, -though coming from a youth, had, in perfect consistency with his nature, -all the pathos of infantine simplicity. Alas! there was no mother there. -Even the woman, who might have understood the yearning,--for she was -herself a mother,--had locked him in with demons. The two men were driven -out of their reckoning by Jamie's refusal to drink, and were necessitated -to manoeuvre; but in any view, they had a young and strong individual to -deal with, and they knew, from prior experience, that unless aided by the -effects of drink, they must lay their account with a desperate resistance. -No effort was left untried to get Jamie to take more whisky, but still -with the unsuccessful result. As yet kindly to him, he did not suspect -them; and, at length, so far overcome even by the small quantity of -spirits he had drunk, he lay down on the bed and fell asleep. But this -state, which even in the most wicked has the appearance of innocence, was -to be no guard against those to whom the old proverb so well -applied,--"_Somnus absit ab oculis_." Yes, they required to be awake, for -they had _work_ to do. They must kill a young, full-blooded youth, without -the use of a lethal weapon, and without leaving a mark. They must wrestle -to do this against the piteous appeals of innocence from one God-stricken, -and who had never injured human being. They must do it with the ferocity -of the striped lord of the jungle; they must do it without the help or the -excuse of revenge; they must do it with the ingenuity of an artist. - -Burke, who was up to the pitch of mammon's inspiration, and all the more -that he had been fretted by being so far foiled by an idiot, sat watching -his opportunity. The two were silent, only occasionally looking at each -other, and then at Jamie, as he lay still sleeping on the bed. At length -Burke said, "Shall we do it now?" to which Hare replied, "He is too strong -for you yet." Burke accordingly waited a little, as probably misgivings -crossed him that the conflict would be too furious to risk, and the noise -might attract attention at that hour. Jamie got some more moments to live. - -But this could not continue long; nor did it. Burke, become hot with -impatience, suddenly threw himself upon the still sleeping simpleton, and, -clutching him by the neck, attempted to strangle him. The onset roused -the instinctive energies of the lad, who had sense enough to see his -danger. The fear which in other circumstances would have made him run to -avoid his enemies, seemed to pass into courage, and nerve him to sudden -desperation. He clutched his assaulter with great force--his eye darted -forth his fury--the mantling foam stood upon his lips like a lather--and -throwing off the tiger with a bound, he sprang to the floor, stood erect, -and awaited another onset. Nor did he wait long. Burke, in his turn, -roused by opposition to the height of his wrath, again seized him, with -the intention to throw him; but Jamie had the greater strength, and, -besides, he fought for his life, so that he was again likely to become the -master, when Burke cried out to Hare, who had hitherto kept back, as if -afraid to enter into the struggle, to come forward and assist him, -otherwise "I will stick a knife in you." The threat had its effect, for -Hare, rushing forward at the very moment when Jamie was mastering his -enemy, tripped up his heels, and laid him on his back on the floor. Not a -moment was now to be lost, as the continued thumping and knocking against -the furniture and the screams of the lad might reach the Close, and they -must do their work, as we have said, without a knife, (which would have -quickly brought matters to a termination,) otherwise no price at Surgeon's -Square. The next moment saw Burke extended upon the body of the still -struggling simpleton, while Hare, at his head, was engaged in the old -process of holding the nose and mouth. Even after this, it was still a -struggle of considerable duration. The men were sweating and breathing -loud with their mere efforts to kill, and Burke, roused to fury, was often -thrown off, only to spring again with greater ferocity. By and by, Jamie's -struggles got weaker and weaker--relapses into stillness--wild upraisings -again--spasmodic jerks of effort--those indescribable sounds which the -doctors say attend cynanche--all receding gradually to the last sign. Nor -did they quit their grasp till they were pretty sure they had effected -their purpose. They hung over him--listened for breathings--made surety -surer. Daft Jamie is dead! - -This was beyond all question the most imprudent of all the acts of these -terrible beings. Without supposing them mad, it is hardly possible to -imagine that they could place before young men of the College, who were in -the daily habit of conversing with their victim, a body which could -scarcely fail to be recognised upon the instant. Yet on that very day it -was put into a chest and conveyed to the rooms, where, _after -examination_, it brought the price of £10. Burke, when he rose up after -being satisfied that Jamie was dead, rifled his pockets, and took out the -small box and the spoon, giving the spoon to Hare, and keeping the box to -himself. The clothes he gave to his brothers children, who, when the -bundle was unbound, fell to fighting about them; connected with which -part of an atrocity which the paper will scarcely bear the impression of, -is the curious fact that a baker some time after recognised upon one of -Constantine Burke's sons a pair of trousers he had not long before given -to Jamie. But here, again, though the mother of the lad, distracted by his -sudden disappearance, ran about searching and inquiring everywhere for her -poor boy, and though it was circulated that one of Dr Knox's students had -affirmed that he saw Jamie on the dissecting-table, no suspicion of the -manner in which he had been disposed of was ever hinted, till the final -discovery, which arose out of another case. Yet it is certain that even -before this event there had begun to move an under-current of uneasiness -in the public mind, and even some dark hints appeared in the public -prints; not that any of these pointed to anything of a defined character, -but that they gradually gave rise to a suspicion that there was some great -secret to be unfolded--what, no one could tell, no one even surmise--which -would startle the public ear, and lay open some terrible conspiracy. -Theories flew about in various guises, all as dark as they were -ridiculous. Some said that there existed somewhere in the city a secret -association of men, bound together by a fearful oath to avenge fancied -wrongs by a crusade against society, and that the members prowled about at -night for their victims, which they immolated amidst oaths and curses. -Others, still more wild, whispered that the missing individuals were -slaughtered and eaten by a gang of famished wretches, who having once -tasted human flesh, got keen upon the zest. Sawney Bean and Christie of -the Cleik rose up again, and became what they had been in olden times, the -bugbears of grown children. And, however ridiculous all these fancies -might appear after the disclosure of the true secret, it cannot be denied -that even sensible people, who looked sharply into human nature, and were -not utterly sceptical of the old legends, might, without the charge of -being fanciful, be led into thoughts which they would otherwise have been -ashamed of. The fact that so many individuals, old and young, had -disappeared within so short a time, without a trace being left, and in -many cases with their clothes lying unclaimed, remained to be accounted -for, and there was no experience to guide, and no theory of human nature -to explain. After all, was it possible that any supposition could -transcend, yea, come up to the reality? - - - - -The Brisk Little Old Woman. - - -It has been stated that Burke went to live in the house occupied by the -man called Broggan. This house, after Broggan's departure, continued to be -possessed by the lodger and his paramour. In a land to the eastward of -that occupied by Hare in Tanner's Close, you reached it after descending a -common stair, and turning to the right, where a dark passage conducted to -several rooms, at the end, and at right angles with which passage, there -was a trance leading solely to Burke's room, and which could be closed by -a door, so as to make it altogether secluded from the main entry. The room -was a very small place, more like a cellar than the dwelling of a human -being. A crazy chair stood by the fireplace; old shoes and implements for -shoemaking lay scattered on the floor; a cupboard against the wall held a -few plates and bowls; and two beds, coarse wooden frames without posts or -curtains, were filled with old straw and rags; so that of the money which -the parties had received no part had ever been devoted to any other -purpose than meat and drink, after allowing for the expense of the -transitory effort on the part of the women to appear better dressed. - -On the morning of a certain day of December, Burke chances again to be in -the shop of Mr Rymer, where he saw a poor beggar woman asking for alms, -whose brogue revealed that she was one of his country-women. The old -story, you will say. Yes, alas! the old story, but with a difference. She -would be garrulous--are not all poor people so?--yet the good heart admits -that there is some cause for garrulity where there are wants to supply and -no one willing to lend an ear. She would tell Burke, who had accosted her -with the old accents of sympathy, that she had come over to Scotland to -seek for her son. So straightway the sympathiser's name becomes Docherty, -and he would be glad to shew kindness to his country-woman, whom he -accordingly invited to his house. The proposal was accepted on the -instant, and, Burke leading the way, they proceeded to this asylum, which -had so miraculously come in the way of one who had no place she could call -a home upon earth. On their arrival, the old play begins. Burke sets -before her a breakfast, and, having left Helen M'Dougal to attend to her -wants, he went straightway to find his associate, whom he informed that he -had got "a shot in the house," a piece of information always welcome to -that fearful man. Meanwhile Helen M'Dougal performed her part. At the very -first appearance of the poor stranger she knew the fate that awaited her, -and yet she set her to work in the cleaning of the house--a duty which the -woman would cheerfully undertake out of pure gratitude to those who had -thus generously taken in the weary wanderer and filled her empty stomach, -yea, promised her harbourage for a time. - -Hours passed, during which, in the absence of Burke, who would appear in -due time, the two females were feminine, for they were engaged in acts -which, as the natural work of their instincts, constitute so far the -difference between the sexes; nor was the friendship which these acts were -calculated to cement and strengthen to be weakened, in the estimation of -the guest, by the arrival, in the evening, of Burke and Hare, and the -latter's wife--a jolly crew, who could render compatible, again as so -often before, the orgies of a wild mirth with the foreseen doom of the one -round whom these orgies were celebrated. When these parties entered, there -were in the house a person of the name of Gray and his wife, who had been -for some time lodgers with Burke. It was necessary that these persons, who -could not be trusted, should not sleep there that night, and Burke -accordingly went out to seek lodgings for them, whereupon, at a certain -hour, they departed, taking with them some suspicion that their banishment -from their quarters did not quadrate with the excuse that a wandering -beggar, albeit represented as a relative, should take their place, if -they had not some other grounds, derived from particular observations, to -lead them to a thought which was destined to be the original spark to -raise into conflagration a long collected mass of rottenness. - -On the departure of the Grays, the saturnalia preceding the sacrifice -commenced, and the scene was too fraught with enjoyment for the females, -always ready for scenes of excitement, to be absent. The inevitable whisky -was brought, and the poor stranger, to whom it would be as warmth to a -heart cold enough from poverty and privations, must partake. And now there -was to be one of those apparent inconsistencies which the one string of -catgut exhibits in every day of our lives. If the joyous scene was to -finish by the death of her around whom, and for whom, it was celebrated, -surely the more remote it was kept from observing eyes the safer; so says -prudence, but prudence forgets that she belongs exclusively to the natural -and the rational, and like all reasoners who argue from _egoism_ to -_tuism_, she expects abnormals to follow her maxims, which appear to them -to be as abnorm as they are to her. So while their spirits are up, as well -from the stimulant of drink as from that of the coming sacrifice, they go, -whither the destined victim had preceded them, into the neighbouring -apartment, occupied by a Mrs Connoway. There the scene was continued, or -rather begun afresh. More drink was brought by M'Dougal, and the enjoyment -was elevated into the altitudes of dithyrambism. Songs were sung, -accompanied by a chorus of hoarse, broken voices, among which the -_tremula_ of the "brisk" little old woman mixed its quavers, till at -length they all rose and danced. This scene continued for a considerable -time, when they left. It was now eleven o'clock, and they were all again -in their old quarters. - -We have already seen that it formed a part of their plan of assault that -some of the parties should quarrel and fight--the confusion thus produced -being the opportunity of the assault. And the scheme was not departed from -on this occasion. In the heat of the pretended _mêlée_ the little old -woman, who had interfered on behalf of Burke, because he had been "kind to -her," was cast down by force, for she had not drunk so much as they wanted -her to do, and by keeping her senses had driven them to the necessity of -the fighting prelude. This was the sign. The women, in the knowledge of -the approaching struggle, hurry out of the room. At the very moment, Burke -throws himself, with all the desperation of his purpose, on the body of -the prostrate woman, clutching her by the throat, while his companion, -bounding to his help, joins his energies in the old way, so that by the -combination of powers utterly beyond resistance, she was held for full -fifteen minutes, until, amidst the silence of deep hush and listening, -they thought her dead. Not yet. They were deceived: there was more life -than they counted upon in the little old woman, and the signs of -reaction, as nature vindicated her guardship of the spirit, challenged a -further effort. The weight and compression were renewed, and continued -till there could be no doubt. The little old woman was dead, and in an -instant after doubled up and thrown among a parcel of straw there for the -purpose, in a corner of the room, between the foot of the bed and the -wall. - -When they were satisfied that the act had been accomplished, the women -returned from the dark passage; whereupon Burke--it was now about -twelve--went to the residence of Dr Knox's curator of the rooms, who lived -near by, and bringing him along with him, pointed to the straw, and said, -"There is a subject for you, which will be ready in the morning." After -the departure of the curator, the party sat down to begin again their -debauch, in the course of which they were joined by a young man called -Broggan, when the revelry being continued, was carried on till four or -five in the morning, at which time the two women lay down in bed, with -Broggan alongside of them. Next morning, and after Hare and his wife had -left for their own house, Mr Gray and his wife, who had slept there during -the night, returned to Burke's, in consequence of an invitation given them -by him to come to breakfast. On entering the house, they looked for the -little old woman, and were surprised that she was not to be seen. -Thereafter Mrs Gray having, during a search for her child's stockings, -approached the bundle of straw, was met by Burke coming forward and -intercepting her, by crying, "Keep out there!" with a _nod_. Broggan was -then requested by Burke to sit on a chair so situated as to guard the -straw, and prevent an approach; but during the day he deserted his post, -and Mrs Gray, still more satisfied that there was something to be -discovered, took the earliest opportunity of a search. The dissipation had -driven all the actors right and left, so that at length the coast was -clear. Assisted by her husband, she began to remove the straw, and the -first thing she touched was the arm of the dead woman. They then examined -the body, which was entirely naked, and discovered that the mouth and a -part of the face were covered with blood. They had seen enough, and -thought it high time to get out of that house--a purpose they were in the -course of executing when they met Helen M'Dougal on the stair. Gray -immediately told her he had seen the dead body, whereupon she got alarmed, -implored him to hold his tongue, and said that if he did it would be worth -ten pounds a week to him; but the man was honest, and replied, "God forbid -that I should have that on my conscience!"[10] - -Now, at last, the great secret had got into a mind true to God and nature; -and here you have to mark, with gratitude to Him who takes His own time to -bring evil to light and crime to retribution, the beginning of the end of -all these terrible evils. - - - - -The Discovery. - - -The records of human actions, though so often blotted by stains of blood -shed by the power of money, have, as we have observed, seldom shewn more -than some one individual act of violence. We exclude, of course, those -which set forth the actions of regularly-organised banditti; and even -there the robberies with mere violence form the general theme,--the cases -of killing being the exception. Here again we see the agent not only -working its wonders in the four actors, but extending its influence all -around in closing up the issues of discovery. The bribe offered by Helen -M'Dougal to Gray, gives us a further insight into this collateral part of -the conspiracy; and while we have the young man Broggan clearly enough -brought in as an additional confidant, we cannot avoid the conclusion that -he too had been got over by the all-powerful agent. Nor can we account for -the conduct of one more, who came into the scene at a still later period, -by anything short of this paid "winking toleration." - -In the evening, after Gray and his wife left the house, the body of the -little old woman, which had been seen by them, was despatched to Surgeon's -Square in a manner somewhat different from that of the others. Indeed, -during the whole of this day, all the actors appear to have been deranged, -hurrying hither and thither without definite aim, as if under the -influence of a demon. The invitation to breakfast given to the Grays; the -nod of Burke when he scared Mrs Gray from the straw; the imprudent watch -committed to Broggan, and, above all, the leaving of the house with the -body lying in the corner, and the Grays there, so evidently upon the -alert, can only be accounted for on the supposition of frenzy. The new -element of the discovery made by the Grays, with the threatened -communication to the authorities made by the husband, was calculated to -aggravate that restlessness, so much better expressed by the German word -_verwirrung_. The nest was fluttered: all went to and fro, but whether it -was that the main chance could not, even by all this confusion and fear, -be driven from their minds, or that they saw the pressing necessity of -getting the body quickly out of the house, Burke hastened and engaged a -porter of the name of M'Culloch to convey the tea-chest, already procured, -with its burden, to Surgeon's Square. When the man came in the evening, -the body was not even put into the chest, and so confused and irresolute -were the two principals, that M'Culloch was obliged to help the packing. -He saw and handled the body,--forced it down with much pressure, and, even -when he was on the point of getting it upon his shoulders, he noticed an -oversight to which the others were blind. A part of the hair stuck out, -and so, with great caution, this careful cadie took the trouble to put all -to rights. - -Meanwhile, the other harpies, under the prevailing restlessness and -flutter, were on the watch. M'Culloch, with the burden, sallied forth by -the Cowgate to find his way to the top of the High School Wynd, where he -was to be met by Burke. When half way up that passage, he was joined by -Burke and Helen M'Dougal, and before he got to the Square, Hare and his -wife were there, so that all the four were thus, and on this occasion of -delivery only, drawn together by the double motive of clutching the money, -and the apprehensions enveloped in the long-reaching shadow of frowning -justice. Nor did they stop there. When the burden had been deposited, and -M'Culloch requested to go to Newington, where Dr Knox resided, to get his -five shilling fee for his winking toleration, they all set off together, -and, though there was some straggling and separating, the women never lost -sight of the men. Arrived at Newington, Dr Knox's curator took the -principals, along with M'Culloch, into a public-house, the women hanging -about outside on the watch, and a part of the price, to the extent of £7, -10s. having been paid and divided, the whole party returned to the city. - -While all this was going on, the man Gray, having been finally moved to -his purpose of informing the authorities of what he had witnessed, and -having also seen the removal, had repaired to the Police-office, where, -after waiting some time, he saw the officer, John Fisher. To him he -detailed what he and his wife had witnessed.[11] The bringing in of the -"brisk" little old woman--her good health--the manoeuvre to get him and -his wife to sleep at Hare's--so much of the orgie with its dancing and -singing as he knew--the disappearance of the stranger in the morning--the -discovery of the body under the straw--the blood upon the mouth--the bribe -of £10 a-week--the removal of the body. Whereupon Fisher, after -despatching his informant before him, repaired to the premises, but he -went with no other thought in his mind than that Gray was influenced by -spite;--so near again was the conspiracy to an escape from detection. Nor -did even what Fisher found and heard tend to awaken him. On getting to the -house, he met Burke and M'Dougal, with Gray and another man called Finlay, -coming up the stair, and having told Burke that he wanted to speak to -them, they all returned to the room. Fisher then began his interrogations. - -"Where are all your lodgers?" he said, directing himself to Burke. - -"There is one," replied he, pointing to Gray. "I turned him and his wife -out for bad conduct." - -"But what has become of the little woman who was here yesterday?" he -continued. - -"She's away." - -"When did she leave?" - -"About seven o'clock in the _morning_, and Hare will swear he saw her go." - -"Any more to swear that?" - -"Oh, a number!" replied Burke, insolently. - -Whereupon Fisher began to look about the house, and especially the bed, -where he saw many marks of blood. - -"How came these there?" he inquired at Helen M'Dougal. - -"Oh," replied she, confidently, "a woman lay-in there about a fortnight -ago, and the bed has not been washed since; and as for the little old -woman, she can be found. She lives in the Pleasance, and I saw her -to-night in the Vennel." - -"And when did she leave this?" he rejoined. - -"About seven o'clock _at night_," replied the incautious Helen. - -Upon this small discrepancy depended the further prosecution of the -inquiry, and, consequently, either the present discovery of the -conspiracy, or the continuation of it, with, probably, if possible, -increased atrocity, for Fisher was satisfied as to the blood as well as to -Gray's spite, and, according to his own assertion, came to the resolution -of taking Burke and M'Dougal to the Office, _only_ on the mere chance -ground of their difference about a time of the day. On arriving before the -Superintendent, Fisher mentioned what he had seen, and also what he -thought; but the superior, quickened by the mention of the blood, which so -far, hypothetically, at least, harmonised with Gray's story, took another -view. Yet how far was he from suspecting that he had in his very hands the -key to that chamber of horrors, the untraceable existence of which had for -a time produced so much deep-breathing oppression in the public mind! He -immediately paid a visit to the house, along with the police surgeon, Mr -Black, and Fisher himself. There they found a stripped bed-gown, which Mrs -Law, who came in, stated belonged to the little old woman, and in addition -to what Fisher had seen, a quantity of fresh blood, mixed with _fifteen or -sixteen ounces of saliva_, among the straw now under the bed, but which, -as we have seen, lay formerly between the end of the bed and the wall. - -On the following morning, the same three parties proceeded to Dr Knox's -rooms in Surgeon's Square, and having got the curator formerly mentioned, -who felt no hesitation in assisting their inquiries, they were led by him -to the cellar. "There is the box," said he, "but I do not know what is in -it." On opening it they found the body of a woman quite naked, and Gray -having then been sent for, came and identified it as that of the little -old woman. Thereupon the body and box were conveyed to the Police-office; -and on the day following an examination was conducted by Dr Christison and -Dr Newbigging, assisted by Mr Black, which, according to the conjectures -of the first, who as yet knew nothing of the real manner of death, -harmonised wonderfully with the _res gesta_. There were several contusions -on the legs, probably caused by the heavy shoes of the assailants--another -on the left loin--another on the shoulder-blade--one on the inside of the -lip, the consequence of pressure against the teeth, and two upon the head, -probably from being knocked against the floor in restraint of efforts to -rise. Above all, as an index to the _modus_, there was a ruffling of the -scarf skin under the chin, and as a proof of the _force_, a laceration of -the ligaments connecting the posterior parts of two of the vertebræ, -whereby blood had effused among the spinal muscles as far down as the -middle of the back. There was also blood oozing from the mouth and nose. -The body appeared to be that of a healthy person, all the organs of the -vital parts being unusually sound. From all which, Dr Christison, and also -the two other doctors, drew the conclusion, that the woman had met with a -violent death by means of throttling--a form indicated by the ruffling of -the skin below the chin as more likely than that of smothering or -suffocation. Nor was this conclusion liable to be affected by the fact -stated by Mr Black, that many of the intemperate people of the city, and -so many that he had seen six cases in the Police-office at one time, were -often on the eve of death, nay, altogether deprived of life, through -accidental suffocation from drink, produced by chance obstruction of the -mouth, or lying with the face on a pillow. - -All this information having been obtained, the authorities were at length -roused, and the Lord Advocate, it is said, saw at once that he was on the -eve of a great discovery, which would explain the recent disappearances. -All secrecy was imposed upon officials, yet in spite of the precaution, -parts of the story got currency among the people, and, offering a solution -as they did of the prevailing mystery, deepened the awe, while they -stimulated the curiosity not of the city only, but the kingdom. Hare and -his wife were laid hold of, and inquiries in every direction set on foot -and prosecuted. Recourse was had to the culprits, in the hope that some -one or more of them would confess, but at first there was no success in -this direction, each of them maintaining that they knew nothing of the -death of the woman, or the fate of any of the prior victims. On the 3d and -10th of November, Burke and Helen M'Dougal, finding that one fact could -not be denied, that a dead body was found in their house, issued -declarations whereby a story was trumped up to the effect that it was -brought there by a stranger, who called one day to get some work performed -by the former; but these were disregarded as inconsistent and ridiculous, -and the authorities were left to their scent. The evidence of the Grays -was of great importance, and other people were found who could speak to -isolated facts. Hugh Alston could swear that at half-past eleven on the -night of the 31st of October, when he was going to his house, in the same -land where Burke resided, he heard a noise coming from the latter's -room--men quarrelling and fighting--(the feint preceding the -onslaught)--and amidst the uproar the peculiar voice of a female crying -murder, then after some minutes the uproar diminished, and he heard a cry -as if proceeding from a person or animal that had been in the act of being -strangled. This circumstance recurred to him, and struck him forcibly next -evening, when he heard that a body had been found in that house. - -Additional information was got from Mrs Connoway, who occupied a room on -the right hand of the main passage leading to that other which terminated -in Burke's apartment. She remembered that, on Hallowe'en night, Burke -brought in with him a little old woman; that, on subsequently going into -his house, she saw her there sitting by the fire supping porridge and -milk, and upon her saying, "You have got a stranger," M'Dougal replied, -"Yes, a Highland woman, a friend of Burke's." In the darkening, the woman -came into her house, and she was surprised to hear her calling Burke by -the name of Docherty, wherein she corrected her. By and by, Hare and the -two women followed, one of the latter having a bottle of whisky, part of -which the stranger partook of along with the rest. Thereafter they got -merry, when they all rose and danced, the little old woman among the rest. -When the others left, the woman remained till such time as Burke, who was -out, should return to his own house, because she trusted to him for -protection. During the night she was disturbed by a terrible noise as of a -fight; and in the morning, about nine or ten, having gone ben, she found -collected Mrs Law, Young, Broggan, M'Dougal, and Burke, the last drinking -whisky, and sprinkling it over the bed and the straw, and M'Dougal singing -a song. On inquiring where the little old woman was, she was told by Helen -that she had kicked her out, because she was "ower freendly" with her -husband. Towards six she was called upon by Mrs Gray, who having -previously told her of the dead body, asked her to go in and see it, but -when she complied, she got so frightened that she turned and ran out. -Further on, her husband told Burke that it was reported that he had -murdered the woman; on hearing which he laughed very loud, as well as -M'Dougal, who was present, and then said, he "did not regard what all -Scotland said of him." Nor did he seem to be in the smallest degree -afraid. This information afforded by Mrs Connoway was corroborated to a -certain extent by Mrs Law, who occupied a room in the main passage -opposite to that of the former; and Broggan was willing to go so far as to -admit certain things, among the rest, the charge of sitting on the chair -opposite to the straw. - -Withal though this evidence could leave no doubt on the mind that murder -had been committed, it did not amount to proof against any particular -person. All that pertained to the disposal of the body at Surgeon's Square -was frankly told by the curator; but, with this exception, there was much -to complain of as regards the doctors. Knox and his assistants, all of -whom shewed from the beginning a marked, if not determined, refusal to -help the authorities in the furtherance of justice. But if all the -testimony that could be procured in support of the charge in this case was -insufficient, the deficiency was still greater in regard to those of Mary -Paterson and Daft Jamie, for unfortunately no one, with the exception of -the accomplices and the gentlemen in Surgeon's Square, had seen their dead -bodies, or could even say they were dead, so that the _corpus delicti_ was -literally little better than a myth. The authorities were therefore placed -in a very trying position. The people cried for vengeance; and the Lord -Advocate could only respond, "The decrees of the blind goddess are not -gropings in the dark;" and he moreover, said, that an ineffectual trial, -followed by an acquittal, would not only be injurious to the interests of -justice, damaging to the prestige of official dexterity, but dangerous to -the country, in the humour in which the inhabitants of Edinburgh felt -themselves. That humour had often shewn itself before. The example of the -Porteous mob was not only a lesson, but, as regards the crimes, a -derision; and it was just as certain as the death of the brisk little old -woman, that the big old Edinburgh would take the blind lady into their own -hands, and if she would not _see_ that it was right that these four -persons should be hanged, whether on a barber's pole or not--they would -extract her cataract or cure her _amaurosis_ for the purpose, and then -immolate the criminals at her altar. - -From this anxiety with which the Lord Advocate was oppressed, there was an -impending relief. The diligent officials, all straining for the -satisfaction of the people, the vindication of justice, and the comfort of -their superior, were continually attempting the prisoners, and at length -it was discovered that the crafty, cruel, and cowardly Hare, and also his -wife, were beginning to shew signs of inclination to buy their lives at -the expense of those of their perhaps less guilty associates. The leer of -the "fearful man," when the proposition was made to him, was a repetition -of the old satisfaction when a "shot was in the house," and it is not -unlikely that he chuckled at the rising thought of sending him to the -college for the benefit of science and the good of his fellow-creatures; -nor was the indication either unnatural to him or fallacious to the -public. In a short time he declared himself, but on the condition of a -firm bargain. The "shot" must be paid for by the price of immunity to his -person and that of his wife. - -When this information reached the law officers of the Crown, they hailed -it with that amount of satisfaction which might be felt when a man -procures by chemical agents from pollution the means of reproducing -health. It could be doubted by no one that the evidence of such a _socius -criminis_ as Hare, or _socia criminis_ as the amiable Mary, would be worth -less than the value of an old song, insomuch that while the old song -_might_ be true, the words of Hare, in a transaction where he himself was -concerned, could _not possibly_ be true. He would represent, and the -people knew it, the Janus head with one face looking simpering peace to -himself, and the other bloody war to his friend. Nor was this -foreknowledge of the man, founded as it was upon such an array of actions, -belied by the result. The precognition was, from beginning to end, a long -train of lies, wherein he represented himself as a good, easy soul--his -wife as well--who allowed Burke to have his own way, neither advising him -nor assisting him, only not obstructing; and even where he could not avoid -some confession of participation, attributing his weakness to the -easiness of his nature. How innocently he took a little liquor so as to -make him, not drunk, but merely put him in a sort of "drunkish way!" How -benignantly he sat on the chair at the side of the bed when the ruffian -Burke was fighting like a tiger to squeeze the life out of the little old -woman! As for the money, he merely accepted it--never earned it; and who -refuses money? So glaring was the falsehood of the man's statement, and -not less that of his wife, that the Lord Advocate was by no means sure of -a verdict. _Socii criminis_ have shades of character, but they are only to -be believed when they shew penitence, and strike with vigour their own -persons; but Hare only held on and kicked out; and a jury true to their -consciences might, after all, become disgusted, and find a verdict of "Not -proven." - - - - -The Complicity of the Doctors. - - -If the world is rife in unknown crimes, it is still more rich in winking -toleration, insomuch as there is generally several winkers to one actor, -and the former are of various kinds, while the latter is limited in his -passion. Some are cowardly accorders, who favour the crime which they have -not courage to commit; others are selfish, and expect benefit from their -convenient nictation; and some there are who would be injured by the -virtue of others having its own reward. So it is that the world, -notwithstanding grave faces and simpering moralities, contains within its -circumference only a trifle fewer rogues than inhabitants, the residue -being God's own--stern beings who have fought the devil at his own weapons -and conquered. These have a certain price in another place, where the -golden streets are happily not liable to be coined; but here they are of -small account, where money is the measure of a man's worth. We have -already seen that even such men as Burke and Hare had their sympathisers -and secret-keepers; but these were low, and therefore liable to be -tempted; and it may be said that we have different men to judge when we go -to the halls of science and seek for the winking tolerators of wholesale -murder. - -So far we admit, and we would be sorry indeed to do these men and youths -injustice. We know that great authorities, such as _Blackwood_, and -smaller ones, such as Colonel Cloud, accused them of art-and-partship as -resetters, and that the public at large did not hesitate even to -vociferate anathemas before a regular trial--with the devil's advocate to -plead for them--qualified them for excommunication by book, bell, and -candle. All this goes for nothing with us at a time when it was said the -fire of passion would be allayed, and sober reason exert her -authority.[12] - -It is fair, and even necessary, to assume as a fact, which, indeed, we -have seen established by the practice of "Merry-Andrew" and the "Spune," -that the disinterring craft were in the habit of purchasing dead bodies -from poor lodging-keepers or relatives, in all which cases the bodies -would be very different in appearance from those procured in the ordinary -way. We suspect, from the nature of the Scotch character, with its -sympathies and friendships, that those examples were not at any time many; -and the best evidence of this is, that under such an easy system, the -resurrection trade, always difficult and precarious, would not, especially -after the indictment of Dr Pattison of Glasgow in 1814, have been so -assiduously prosecuted. Such a system, too, depending upon the character -of a people and the feelings of individuals, must be supposed to have been -under the regulation of those natural, or, if you like, unnatural, laws to -which all organic beings are subjected. If, during a period of a decade, -examples of such purchase and sale were only one or two in a year, even -increasing _paulatim et gradatim_ to three or four, we would not be -prepared for a sudden increase starting up all at once in one year to from -sixteen to twenty; and there were many people who calculated the number in -our "Court of Cacus" at thirty. We may insist here a little upon this -view, because, amidst all the outcry against Knox and his assistants, it -was never taken into account. - -Nor could this sudden rise have appeared the less startling to any mind -below that of an idiot, that this new trade was not spread over a great -number of persons--and nothing less than a _very_ great number could have -sufficed for watching, ferreting, persuading, bribing--overcoming all the -prejudices arrayed against an act of sale--but was altogether engrossed by -two poor squalid Irishmen, who had come into the trade by a leap, and all -but superseded the old experienced hands. If we were to make the -supposition, that now, or at any other period in the history of Scotland, -two Irishmen had taken it into their heads to set up a trade of this kind -in the city of Edinburgh, we would soon come to an estimate of their -success, if the doubt would not rather be, that if they got one body in -the course of a whole year, it would be no less a wonder than a shame. Nor -was there any reasons which might have led the recipients in the Square to -suspect that these two solitary individuals were merely the agents or -hands of a "dead-body company," or a joint-stock affair, with one of the -crack names, "Association for the purpose of purchasing dead bodies, for -the benefit of science and the human race," a supposition which alone -could have reconciled men with eyes in their heads, and brains in those -heads, to the anomaly before them. - -But above all, that which had so much the appearance of justifying the -public rage, was the state in which the contents of these bags, boxes, -and chests were presented to the purchasers. One example may serve for the -whole. There was no reason for supposing that more violence was expended -upon Mrs Docherty than upon the others, if we are not rather to suppose -that the younger and stronger cases required more vigour, as presenting -more resistance. Even in the weakest cases, the _præsidia vitæ_ upon which -nature has expended so much labour are not to be overcome by external -force weakly exerted, and without leaving marks easily detected, even by -the unlettered in anatomy; but we have only to mention the case of Daft -Jamie, who fought manfully to the end, as an example of the necessity of -leaving upon the body even greater signs of violence than those presented -to the eyes of Dr Christison. Taking the little old woman as a fair medium -between the young and the old, the weak and the strong--you may remember -the examination report: contusions and bruises everywhere, extravasation -of blood, blotches of the same crying evidence, and finally the Lydian -test of the abraded skin of the throat,--while less or more of these marks -must have appeared in every one of the sixteen known cases, we cannot even -suppose a solitary example of one where they could have been altogether -wanting; and this led many to wonder at the time how the men preferred -violence, with so many chances of detection, to the soffana death-drops of -some subtle poison, the effects of which were far less likely to be -discovered by mere anatomists, curious about structure only, and so far -removed from the duty of a _post-mortem_ examination. With no pathological -views in their minds, they never would have dreamt of smelling for prussic -acid, or searching for the ravages of green vitriol or arsenic, any more -than they thought of drawing up their noses under the effluvia of -whisky--an evidence which was never absent, and could not be mistaken, and -must have led to the curious conclusion that all the bodies sold by -friends were those of drunkards, and drunkards alone. - -These contusions, and the invariable thumb-mark on the throat, were, -according to the gentle supposition, to be overlooked by men all on the -alert to see the cloth taken off--curious investigators into the arcana of -nature--most zealous inquirers into the structure of the human body--among -whom anything abnormal, or departing from ordinary laws or appearances, -produced a speculation, fraught not only with the ardour of science, but -the contentious conceit of young aspirants. Nay, these sharp professional -eyes were not the first examiners, for they came after the decision of the -mercantile, which scanned the value to fix the price. We are aware that -there never was an enunciation, not excepting the famous _what is is_, -without the condition of being liable to argumentation, and we are far -from wishing to deprive these men of their defence; but that they should -have treated as they did the imputation cast upon them, of, we do not say -winking toleration, but something like pretty wide-awake suspicion, as an -Argive calumny, pointed with venom and shot by passion, was going to the -other extreme. Offended innocence is not always the meek thing represented -by poets, yet it seldom takes on the form of a man at a window[13] -threatening to shoot the officials of the law if they dared to question -for the ends of justice so innocuous and ill-used a victim of public -prejudice. - -In all we have said we have assumed that these suspicions were to cast up -their shadows in the magic-lantern of minds, quite free from any -recollections or surmises of any body having ever been offered, in the -Square or neighbourhood, which could be said to have come to a violent -death. The assumption which was set forth at the time was not true, for it -turned out to have been pretty well known--and what professional scandal -is unknown to students?--that some six months only before, and when the -Irishmen were in full feather, the body of a female was offered for sale -by some ill-looking men--we do not say, as was said, of Burke's gang--to -the assistant of another teacher of anatomy in the city. The men were not -known to him as regular "Spunes," but as a subject was required, he -consented to accept of it, after being satisfied that it suited him. They -said that they had it now, and would bring it to the rooms in the evening, -between nine and ten o'clock, and at the appointed hour they made their -appearance, with a porter bearing the sack. The burden was taken in and -turned out of the bag, when it proved to be the body of a woman of the -town, in her clothes, with her shoes and stockings on. The startled -assistant proceeded at once to an examination, when he found a fracture on -the back part of the head, as by a blow from a blunt instrument. "You -d----d villains," cried this honest doctor, "where and how did you get -this body?" Whereto one, with much self-possession, replied, "It is the -body of a w----e, who has been _popt_ in a row in Halkerston's Wynd; and -if you don't take it, another will." The assistant then proposed, with the -intention of having them apprehended, that they should wait till he sent -for his principal; but the men, taking alarm, made off with their cargo, -and soon found a less scrupulous customer. This statement, which was given -on authority, was accompanied by an assurance that equally suspicious -cases were by no means rare. - -In addition to this preparation of the mind, as it may be called, to look -suspiciously on introductions coming out of the regular way, with the -admission made that they had not been exhumed, and with the inevitable -traces of violence which could not be blinked, there was the peculiarity -on which, perhaps, the greatest stress was laid, that in one of the -cases, at least, there was a recognition of the individual by one of the -students as having been seen and conversed with by him, in terms of more -than ordinary intimacy, only the night before, or at least a very short -period, countable by hours. We allude to Mary Paterson, "the study for the -artist," who, though naked, was said to have made her appearance on the -table _en papillote_--not to be believed--but who, for certain, attracted -so much observation, yea, admiration, that the recognition by the youth -could not have fallen as an idle brag. The case of Daft Jamie, the -collegians' favourite of almost every day's fun, was so much stronger, -that there seemed no mode of accounting for the pure innocence of -Surgeon's Square, except upon the supposition that all the students had, -in the course of a day, been merged in some Lethe. No great wonder that -the most zealous defenders of the craft were here contented with a simple -shaking of the head, for, to be sure, even the devil's advocate has not an -interminable tether. - -These charges are very practical, and even to us, at this distant period, -who would be regulated by reason and truth, and cannot be under the -influence of passion, are hard bones. Independently of our estimate of -youths--putting Knox out of the question,--of good birth and parentage, -whose generous hearts would revolt from the thought of a guilty -cognisance,--some of these assistants who came in contact with Burke, "and -no questions asked," have risen to rank in their profession, and bear a -high character for honesty and humanity. "They ken their ain ken;" but -their negative defence leaves their friends to the slough of mere -metaphysics. We all know that mysterious attractiveness and repulsiveness -of the mind which makes such fools of even the most practical of mankind. -The man would not look through Galileo's telescope, because he knew -beforehand that there was nothing to be seen; but he did no more than -every man does every day he lives. We all know that we may look, and not -see, hear, and not understand; yea, though the image of the outer thing -may be in black and white on the back of the eye, and the words play their -intellectual tune on the drum of the ear, you may neither see the one nor -hear the other. The bird-lime of acceptance is not present, and there is -even more--an absolute recusancy in proportion to some reigning wish in -the form of what we call a prejudice. All this is alphabetic, and we might -go deeper and get lost, but there is no occasion. The truth is, that these -medical students had a strong wish for subjects. This rose out of another -wish, that for knowledge, and this again came out of one behind, a wish to -shine or make money,--the benefit to mankind being only that thing which -we all understand when we hear people getting philanthropical in -recommending their leather, as contributing to the good of the eternal -sons of God. Then the next truth is, that they _did_ suspect, and -becoming the paradoxes which so many unconsciously become, did not _know_, -in the sense of an apprehension, that they suspected. When the thought -sought entrance to the mind, always under the cogency of the repulse of -unwillingness, it was either thrown out or dissolved; to all which the -authority of their leader or lecturer contributed, and not less the -generosity of their own hearts, naturally seeking uniformity, and averse -to think so ill of human nature, as was required to be implied in an -atrocity never before heard of in the world. If the thought had ever come -so strong upon them as to have amounted to an active conviction, why, then -they must have glided into the crime of winking toleration, and to that, -we verily believe, they never came. There were only three of these young -men who took an active charge. If there had been a score, we might have -conceded that one, perhaps two, might have been found among them capable, -by the predisposition of an evil nature, to have quietly succumbed to the -force of such startling appearances; but judging of the proportions -according to what we find among men, we require a large number for the -successful selection of the devil's own. In short, they were very much in -the position of resetters, who, standing in great need of the article, -take refuge from a suspicion which would injure them in the fallacious -eloquence of the naturally selfish heart, and casting up behind them -intervening obstructions to the light--a kind of weakness into which all -mankind are less or more liable to fall, and against which they are ready -to recoil when the passion of possession decays. It requires only -superficial looking to bring us to the conclusion, that the world is a -great collection of "wee pawns," every man resetting some thought or -feeling, false in itself, and improperly come by, and wrongfully retained. -The difference here lies in the fact, that we have not yet come to hold -this a crime, nor are we likely to do so till regeneration comes wrapt up -in the world-wide cloak of the millennium. - -In what we have said, we refer only to those who superintended the -division of the bodies and the work of the rooms, and were those who came -in contact with Burke. As for the curator, who is still a respectable -inhabitant of Edinburgh, and upon whom the short-lived blind fury of some -newspapers of the time fell, with much surprise to himself, and much -indignation elsewhere, he was, of all the parties concerned, the most free -from blame; nor did any one but himself come forward and assist the -authorities in the prosecution. Nay, it is understood that, under a -passing reflection that the number of apparently unexhumed bodies brought -by these men required explanation, he mentioned the circumstance to his -principal, and that gentleman silenced him at once by the statement that -they had long known of the practice of sale and purchase, and so the -suspicion passed away. And, indeed, in reference to them all, it requires -to be kept in view that Dr Knox's great characteristic was his desire to -subjugate all people to his will; and every one knows the insidious power -of authority. Accordingly, in so far as regards that gentleman, left to -the active fury of a mob which he braved, and to the suspicion of more -thinking people whom he tried to conciliate, we have little to say. His -whitewashing process, consisting of the printed judgment of his conduct by -a committee of eminent men, went a considerable length in his favour, and -yet did not save him from almost general suspicion. The evidence was all -of his own selection; the world never knew what it consisted of; and -though we are bound to admit that the umpires vindicated the privilege of -searching and satisfying themselves, he behoved to be still their -director, and, if he chose, their obstructor. Perhaps those who knew the -man the best, and those who knew him the worst, were the least -satisfied,--the latter being under passion, and the former aware of a -power of conciliation and persuasion under the guidance of a self-love and -power of will not often to be met with, and all this professedly not -regulated by any sense of religion or respect for public morals. In him we -have seen already the one gut-string playing several airs, but without a -touch of pity: the soft was not indeed his forte, his preference lying in -the direction of those examples we have already given--the joke upon -Professor Jameson, the poisoned satire upon Liston, the egotism among the -Taymouth Castle guests, the adulation of the Marquis of Breadalbane. Nor -can we forget, beyond all, the admitted perspicacity of one of the best -anatomists of his time, which, if it had been called in question in an -ordinary autopsy, with the most recondite appearances of poison or -violence, would have been vindicated by a power and success, accompanied -by a bitterness not often witnessed among scientific men. In his letter of -11th January 1829, to the curator of his rooms, he said, "All such matters -as these subside in a short time." "Not so," added the editor of the -_Mercury_; "such matters cannot subside till such time as he (Dr Knox) -clears himself to the public satisfaction." Time, we fear, has shewn the -falsehood of the one statement, and the hopelessness of the other. The -same suspicion remained, yea, remains still, and we fear will go down -through all time with the record of a story destined ever to be the -greatest example of man's wickedness, when left to his idol, that has ever -appeared. - - - - -The Trial. - - -In November 1828, a citation was served upon William Burke and Helen -M'Dougal to appear before the High Court of Justiciary to be held at -Edinburgh, the 24th day of December, at 10 o'clock forenoon, to underlie -the law in the crime of murder, on three separate indictments. The first -comprehended the case of Mary Paterson, as having occurred in the -preceding month of April in the house of Constantine Burke; the -second--that of James Wilson, or Daft Jamie--in October of the same year -in Log's house, situated in Tanner's Close; and the third--that of Madgy, -Marjory, or Mary M'Gonegal or Duffie, or Campbell, or Docherty--in -November, in Burke's house, Portsburgh. The libel contained also a list of -a great number of articles of dress worn by the victims, and identified, -and, among others, Mrs Docherty's gown, and Daft Jamie's brass snuff-box -and spoon. - -The presiding judge of the Court at that time was the Lord Justice-Clerk -Boyle; the other judges, Lords Pitmilly, Meadowbank, and M'Kenzie; and the -prosecutor, Sir William Rae, Lord Advocate. The leading counsel for Burke -was the Dean of Faculty, that for M'Dougal, Henry Cockburn, James Tytler -being the Crown agent. The witnesses were fifty-five in number--the two -principal, Hare and his wife, received as king's evidence in the -characters of _socii criminis_. The panels having taken their places at -the bar in the midst of a crowded court, filled long before the opening of -the doors by people who had the privilege of influence, and whose numbers -were only as a trifle in comparison of the mass outside, Mr Patrick -Robertson, one of Burke's junior counsel, made a technical objection to -the reading of the indictment, which was overruled. A defence was then -lodged for Burke, and supported by the same counsel, on the ground that it -was contrary to the law of Scotland to combine in one libel so many -charges and two separate panels. The argument, which was a long one, -involving points of law and practice, was followed up by the Dean of -Faculty, and answered by the Lord Advocate, with this result, that the -judges, with the consent of the public prosecutor, agreed to limit the -charge to the case of Docherty, and thus limited, the proceedings went on. -The various witnesses, forming, however, a very small portion of the whole -fifty-five cited, appeared in succession to give their evidence. Every -word uttered by every one was caught by ears strung to the highest pitch -of sensibility; and throughout the entire day, the deep silence, more -like that of a death-chamber than a court, was as much the expression of -curiosity as of awe--reminding one, too, of the stillness of an audience -where the feelings are claimed by oppressed virtue with the encircling -meshes in which innocence is to be involved by death getting closer and -closer as the scenes succeed. The interest lay in the gradual development, -while the heart was affected by all the different passions which, changing -from pity for the victims to hatred of the murderers, were kept in -continual agitation. Over all, there was the oppressive awe inspired by -the presence of the fearful men and women, as if they had been demons of -monstrous forms and powers placed there under restraining bonds. At -several times,--and especially when Hare described the screigh of the -little old woman which preceded that ten minutes' agony in which she lay -under the pressure of Burke--Hare being all the while, according to his -lie, sitting coolly looking on,--you might have heard deep sighs escaping -from strong hearts, in spite of resolutions to restrain them. Even then -the grateful creature, who seemed to have trusted Burke alone, and -defended him in the preceding sham fight, was only "dead a wee," and the -process was to be resumed. But even this effect was transcended, if -possible, by the very manner in which the witness stated how the victim -was presently stripped, and after being bound neck and heel, was cast, -mangled and bloody, among the straw in the angle between the bed and the -wall. The dominant idea seemed to bring into light all the surrounding -objects--the table pushed aside, the old chairs, the squalid bed marked -with the blood of prior victims, the women listening with expectation in -the long dark passage, the two men panting after the struggle, and -bringing forth on the top of their long-drawn breath ribald jokes, and -even accomplishing a laugh,--all followed by the rush in of the women, and -the resumption of the drink, the song, and the dance. - -To the greater part of those assembled in the court, all this was -comparatively new, for great secrecy had been observed by the officials. -Yet the effect of the great scene did not diminish, or rather, it -increased, the interest in the particulars,--the suspicions of the -Grays--the restlessness of the murderers under the impression of impending -discovery--the lies about having turned the poor creature out because she -was too intimate with Burke--the start of Mrs Gray when she seized the arm -of the body among the straw--the lifting up of the head by her husband, -and the recognition of the features of the woman who had been dancing and -singing so short a time before--then the pressing down into the tea-chest, -and the sally forth of the whole gang to Surgeon's Square, from thence to -Newington for the price. And as in a tragedy we find collateral lights -thrown in by the scintillations of genius to increase the effect of the -stronger scenes, so here these were not wanting. How much the sympathy -for the little old woman was increased by the love and gratitude she -expressed for her benefactor, Burke, when contrasted with the savage eyes -that glared upon her as she lay under his death-grasp! Another of these -smaller traits going to the aid of the general effect, was the fact stated -by the prior witnesses, that when she met Burke, she was going about -seeking for her son; and this yearning had only given place for a little -to the new feeling of gratitude with which she strove to repay the -sympathy of him who had from the first made up his mind to slay her. It -was even whispered that that son was in the court listening to the fate of -his mother; and, whether true or not, it did not fail of its contribution. - -Nor was all this exclusive of that mingling of the grotesque with the -serious which the playwright, following nature, resorts to for deepening -his shadows. The face of Hare, as he stood in the witness-box, seemed -incapable of the expression of either seriousness or fear. The leer was -irrepressive, even had there been a wish within to repress it--and there -was none; and as for any effect from without, that seemed equally unfelt -by him, if the gloom and awe which pervaded the court did not rather -increase an inborn propensity to be humorous. He could not say seriously -that the woman was dead, only that she was "dead a wee,"--nor that he was -drunk, only "drunkish-ways;" and when asked if the word "shot" implied -murder amongst the crew, he answered, as impeaching Burke, "amongst him;" -so that if you took his looks and words together, you could not, if you -had read the accounts of the classic satyrs, avoid the impression that, -like these creations of the poets, he was condemned to an eternal grin of -self-satisfied sarcasm against the whole human race. Nor, strange as it -may seem, did he appear to consider this as incompatible with a wish to -produce the impression that while he could mix in and receive the price of -murders, he was only (as we have already said) an indolent and easy -spectator--a kind of lover of the play, but not an actor. It appeared, -indeed, evident that it required only an indication on the face of his -questioner to prompt him to laugh, and this was probably all that was -wanting to complete an exhibition which no one could ever forget. - -The appearance of his wife, who had a child in her arms, was scarcely less -impressive, but not from any characteristic indicating the successful -cunning displayed by the husband. She could scarcely contain herself. You -saw the bloated virago always appearing from under a bunchy and soft mass, -with small fiery eyes that peered about in every direction, as if she felt -she had come there to favour the judges, who were bound accordingly to -admire her. Like most of the famous examples of her sex renowned for -cruelty, it was clear she could be as mild as gentleness itself; and it -was only when she came to the great scene when she saw Burke lying on the -body of his victim, and "flew out of the house" because of her delicacy, -and stood in the passage "quite powerless," unable to "cry out," that you -could come to form a true estimate of that combination of the devilish and -the soft, which so much distinguishes the wicked of the one sex from those -of the other. She admitted that she knew very well that Burke was -murdering the woman, because she had seen "such tricks before;" yet she -had "no power to remove herself from the passage;" and whenever the -counsel or judge wished to know whether the victim screamed or shewed any -indication of violent suffering, her mouth would give out nothing but soft -words, so afraid was she to see anything "come upon the woman," all the -while that the fiery scintillations escaped from these small eyes. To the -next question, she admitted that she went for the tea-chest, trying to -save herself by the qualification that Burke said it was to hold old -shoes; and then, in a few minutes after, "she knew that the body was put -into that box." Nor was the audience less struck with the manner in which -she used the infant as an instrument to produce pity, and a mean of fence -against searching questions. The poor creature was under the influence of -hooping-cough, and as the long choking inspirations came every now and -then ringing through the court, they reminded the audience of the -strangling of the victims, and seemed to be intended by God as a -mysterious kind of sign. She was not only a woman but a mother; and should -not this produce sympathy even to one who had fought the fight of the -drunken virago in the street of Portsburgh, been art-and-part in a dozen -of murders, who had led the kind-hearted simpleton as a dumb lamb to the -slaughter, and had so often watched under the hush of breathless -expectation for the sign when the work was done, and then hung, like one -of those fabled creatures called "Furies," round the slayers and the -slain, to get her part of the prey? - -When the witnesses were all examined, there ran through the court a -whisper, "Where are the doctors?" and well there might, for in all that -crowd you could not have got half-a-dozen who did not think these men -nearly as culpable as the principal actors. It was known that their names -had been placed on the back of the indictment as witnesses, but a very -small amount of consideration might have satisfied any one that, whether -appearing for the prosecution or the defence, they would be exposed to the -danger either of self-crimination or falsehood. They could not have -appeared with any effect on the one side without swearing to marks of -violence, which would have proved their condemnation; nor on the other -without witnessing to the total absence of those signs, which would have -convicted them of premeditated lying. The indomitable leader had long -before settled the question of their appearance, by ruling them, as he -attempted to do the straightforward curator--the only person connected -with the Square who came forward--to the determination of being the mutes -of the tragedy; and there can be no doubt that his policy was the right -one, when it was found that they not only kept themselves scathless from -all but the Argive calumny, which, in their case, died away, but -afterwards rose to wealth and estimation. If they were ardent students of -the science of anatomy, it did not follow that they should also be ardent -students of that of justice; and then self-preservation is the first duty -of Nature--a keen-eyed deity, who is somewhat before her who is blind. But -all these things were not weighed and computed by the dissatisfied people -who were in the court that day, and they still looked for the doctors even -after the Lord Advocate had begun his speech to the judges and the jury. - -That speech was perhaps the best Sir William Rae had ever spoken; and it -was not without its delicacies and difficulties. He knew that if the -evidence of the Hares, which was, even on the face of it, a tissue of -lies, were disbelieved by the jury, he had no case; and he trembled under -the responsibility of satisfying an infuriated people, who, surrounding -the court-house with ominous faces, made themselves heard by shouts even -within the walls of the court. "I do not," he said, "present those -persons, Hare and his wife, to you as unexceptionable witnesses. Assuredly -they are great criminals; but the law has said that their testimony is -admissible, and thus pronounced it is not undeserving of all credit. It -is for you to judge of the degree of credit to which they are entitled. -You saw them examined, and will draw your own conclusions. I may be -prejudiced, but to me it did appear that, while the evidence of the wife -was in many points exceptionable, Hare himself spoke the truth. -Notwithstanding all the ability shewn in the cross-examination, I do not -remember one particular in which he was led to contradict himself, or -state what must be false. Doubtless there exist inconsistencies betwixt -his evidence and that of his wife; but these are not of a nature that -ought to induce you to withhold all credit from their testimony. Your -experience will tell you how difficult it is to find two individuals who, -however disposed to speak the truth, will concur in such particulars in -regard to an interview which occurred at the distance of two months. But -look to the situation in which these persons were placed. Look to the size -of the apartment in which all this occurred. Recollect that all present -were proved to have been nearly intoxicated at the time, and remember that -an act of foul murder was at the time committing. Is it possible that they -should not have been in a state of unusual excitement and alarm at the -time? And is it wonderful that their memories should have served them -differently in regard to such trifling particulars as those to which I -have alluded? If they had been at one in all these points, the only just -inference would have been that the story was entirely made up between -them, and their evidence, in consequence, not entitled to any credit. But -look to the main point of the case--the murder, and the mode in which it -was done. That was a fact sufficient to rivet attention, and render sober -any one, however inebriated. On this material point you find these -witnesses entirely concurring,--both describing the same mode of death, -and both describing a mode which corresponds completely with the -appearance of the body, and which, in the opinion of the medical men, -satisfactorily accounts for the death. That both Burke and Hare were -participant in the foul act, no one can doubt; and I need not state to you -that it matters not which was the principal aggressor in its execution. -They are both art-and-part guilty." - -The Dean of Faculty, for Burke, then spoke; and afterwards came Henry -Cockburn, for Helen M'Dougal, with that speech, so renowned among the -displays of forensic eloquence, as almost rivalling that of Jeffrey for -Mrs Smith. His point of attack was--the credibility of Hare and his wife. -"Our learned friend, who prosecutes here, has demonstrated by his conduct, -that he is satisfied you ought not to convict without the evidence of the -associates; and thus we are absolutely driven to consider what credit is -due to those witnesses. If you shall agree with me in thinking that it is -an absolute sporting with men's lives, and converting evidence into a -mockery, to give the slightest faith to anything these persons may say, -then we have the authority of the public accuser himself for holding that -you must acquit. Now, on what does these witnesses' claim to credit rest? -One of them is a professional body-snatcher, the other is his wife; so -that, independently altogether of the present transaction, they come -before you confessedly vitiated by the habits of the most corrupting and -disgusting employment which it is possible to be engaged in, and one of -which the chief corruption arises from its implying that he who practises -it has long been accustomed to set law, feeling, and character at -defiance. Then they both confess their direct accession to this particular -murder--a confession which, if it had been made at the bar, would have for -ever disqualified them from giving evidence in any court of justice; not -having been made at the bar, they are admissible. But, since they have -made the very same confession in the witness-box, their credit is as -completely destroyed in the one case as it would have been in the other. -Hare not only acknowledged his participation in this offence, but he -admitted circumstances which aggravated even the guilt of murder. He -confessed that he had sat coolly within two feet of the body of this -wretched old woman while she was expiring under the slow and brutal -suffering to which his associate was subjecting her. He sat there, -according to his own account, about ten minutes, during which her dying -agonies lasted, without raising a hand or a cry to save her. We who only -hear this told, shudder, and yet we are asked to believe the man who could -sit by and see it. Nor was this the only scene of the kind in which they -had been engaged. The woman acknowledged that she '_had seen other tricks -of this kind before_.' The man was asked about his accession on other -occasions, but at every question he availed himself of his privilege, and -virtually confessed _by declining to answer_. - -"But why does the law admit them? Why, just because after they are -admitted it is the province of you, gentlemen, to determine how far they -are to be believed. You are the absolute monarchs of their credibility. -But in judging of this, do not be misled by what juries are always told of -those who turn king's evidence, that they have no interest now but to -speak the truth. But it is notorious that there is nobody by whom this is -so universally forgotten as by those who make a bargain for saving -themselves by betraying their associates. These persons almost invariably -hurt the interests of their new master by the excess of their zeal in his -service. They exaggerate everything, partly by the desire of vindicating -themselves, and partly to merit the reward for which they have bargained. -And you will observe that, in this case, these persons stand in this -peculiar situation, that, so far as we know, they are still liable to be -tried for similar offences. There are other two murders set forth in this -very indictment, one of them committed in Hare's house, and if we may -judge from what these persons say, they have been engaged in other -transactions of the same kind. They came from the jail to this place -to-day, and they are in jail again. Do you think that it is very -improbable that when coming here they should feel that if this prosecution -failed, public indignation would require another victim, and that nothing -was so likely to stifle further inquiry as the conviction of those -persons? - -"The prosecutor seemed to think that they gave their evidence in a -credible manner, and that there was nothing in their appearance, beyond -what was to be expected in any great criminal, to impair the probability -of their story. I entirely differ from this; and I am perfectly satisfied -that so do you. A couple of such witnesses, in point of mere external -manner and appearance, never did my eyes behold. Hare was a squalid -wretch, in whom the habits of his disgusting trade, want, and profligacy, -seem to have been long operating in order to form a monster whose will as -well as his poverty will consent to the perpetration of the direst crimes. -The Lord Advocate's back was to the woman, else he would not have -professed to have seen nothing revolting in her appearance. I never saw a -face in which the lines of profligacy were more distinctly marked. Even -the miserable child in her arms, instead of casting one ray of maternal -softness into her countenance, seemed at every attack (of hooping-cough) -to fire her with intenser anger and impatience, till at length the infant -was plainly used merely as an instrument of delaying or evading whatever -question it was inconvenient for her to answer." - -The Lord Justice-Clerk then charged the jury, going over the evidence, and -at last directing his special attention to the case of M'Dougal:--"It is -not in evidence that she took any part in the actual perpetration of the -crime; but the question remains, and if answered in the affirmative, will -be equally fatal to her as if she had done so, namely, whether she was an -accessory, and, therefore, to be held in law as art-and-part guilty along -with the other prisoner. Accession to a crime may take place before the -fact as well as at the moment the crime is committing. It may likewise be -_inferred_ from the conduct of the party after the fact; and if you are to -believe the evidence which you have heard, I am much afraid there are but -too strong grounds for concluding that the female panel at the bar has -been guilty of accession to the crime under investigation, whether you -consider her conduct before or after the fact, or while it was -perpetrating. It is impossible to conceive for one moment that, under all -the circumstances of the case, the panel M'Dougal could be ignorant of the -purpose for which this wretched woman Docherty was brought to the house. -The state in which Burke and she appear to have lived, their brutal and -dissipated habits, make it impossible to believe that either of them kept -the woman in the house from the humane or charitable motives they -professed to feel, and affected to shew, towards that unfortunate -creature. On one occasion, it would appear, indeed, from the evidence of -Gray's wife, that M'Dougal actually opposed the proposition of the woman -going out of the house. The manner, too, in which she communicated the -fact to Mrs Hare, that they had got a shot in the house, shews distinctly -her complete knowledge of what was in view, and implicates her morally as -well as legally in the guilt that afterwards ensued. Again, as to her -accession during the perpetration of the crime, thus much appears, -according to the evidence of Hare and his wife, that both Mrs M'Dougal and -Mrs Hare were in the room, at least--whether in the bed, as Hare states, -or standing between the bed and the door, as his wife swears, seems -immaterial--when Burke placed himself on the body of the woman; and that -upon her hearing the first screech of the woman they both flew, as Mrs -Hare expresses it, to the passage, where they remained till the door was -opened. By this time the crime had been accomplished, and the body thrown -among the straw." - -Before the jury retired, and during the time they were enclosed, Burke -endeavoured to prepare the mind of M'Dougal for her fate, as, from the -address of the Lord Justice-Clerk, he supposed she would be found guilty. -He even gave her directions how to conduct herself, desiring her to look -at and observe him when the sentence was pronounced. The jury retired at -half-past eight in the morning, and after an absence of fifty minutes, -returned the following verdict:--"The jury find the panel William Burke -guilty of the third charge in the indictment; and find the indictment not -proven against the panel Helen M'Dougal." On hearing the words of the -foreman, Burke turned to M'Dougal, and coolly said, "Nelly, you are out of -the scrape." - -Thereafter, Lord Meadowbank proposed the sentence, prefacing at -considerable length:--"Your Lordships will, I believe, in vain search -through both the real and the fabulous histories of crime for anything at -all approaching this cold, hypocritical, calculating, and bloody murder. -Be assured, however, that I do not state this either for exciting -prejudices against the individual at the bar, or for harrowing up the -feelings with which, I trust, he is now impressed. But really, when a -system of such a nature is thus developed, and when the actors in this -system are thus exhibited, it appears to me that your Lordships are bound, -for the sake of public justice, to express the feelings which you -entertain of one of the most terrific and one of the most monstrous -delineations of human depravity that has ever been brought under your -consideration. Nor can your Lordships forget the glowing observations -which were made from the bar in one of the addresses on behalf of the -prisoners, upon the causes which, it is said, have in some measure led to -the establishment of this atrocious system. These alone, in my humble -opinion, seem to require that your Lordships should state roundly that -with such matters, and with matters of science, we, sitting in such -places, and deciding on such questions as that before us, have nothing to -do. It is our duty to administer the law as handed down to us by our -ancestors, and enacted by the legislature. But God forbid that it should -ever be conceived that the claims of speculation, or the claims of -science, should ever give countenance to such awful atrocities as the -present, or should lead your Lordships, or the people of this country, to -contemplate such crimes with apathy or indifference. With respect to the -case before us, your Lordships are aware that the only sentence we can -pronounce is the sentence of death." - -Then the Lord Justice-Clerk, putting on the black cap, said:--"William -Burke, you now stand convicted, by the verdict of a most respectable jury -of your country, of the atrocious murder charged against you in this -indictment, upon evidence which carried conviction to the mind of every -man that heard it, in establishing your guilt in that offence. I agree so -completely with my brother on my right hand, who has so fully and -eloquently described the nature of your offence, that I will not occupy -the time of the Court in commenting any further than by saying that one of -a blacker description, more atrocious in point of cool-blooded -deliberation and systematic arrangement, and where the motives were so -comparatively base, never was exhibited in the annals of this or of any -other court of justice. I have no intention of detaining this audience by -repeating what has been so well expressed by my brother; my duty is of a -different nature, for if ever it was clear beyond all possibility of a -doubt that the sentence of a criminal court will be carried into execution -in any case, yours is that one, and you may rest assured that you have now -no other duty to perform on earth but to prepare in the most suitable -manner to appear before the throne of Almighty God to answer for this -crime, and for every other you have been guilty of during your life. The -necessity of repressing offences of this most extraordinary and alarming -description, precludes the possibility of your entertaining the slightest -hope that there will be any alteration upon your sentence. In regard to -your case, the only doubt that has come across my mind is, whether, to -mark the sense which the Court entertains of your offence, and which the -violated laws of the country entertain respecting it, your body should not -be exhibited in chains, in order to deter others from the like crimes in -time coming. But taking into consideration that the public eye would be -offended by so dismal an exhibition, I am disposed to agree that your -sentence shall be put into execution in the usual way, but unaccompanied -by the statutory attendant of the punishment of the crime of -murder--viz., that your body should be publicly dissected and anatomised, -and I trust that if it ever is customary to preserve skeletons, yours will -be preserved, in order that posterity may keep in remembrance your -atrocious crimes. I would entreat you to betake yourself immediately to a -thorough repentance, and to humble yourself in the sight of Almighty God. -Call instantly to your aid the ministers of religion, of whatever -persuasion you are; avail yourself from this hour forward of their -instructions, so that you may be brought in a suitable manner urgently to -implore pardon from an offended God. I need not allude to any other case -than that which has occupied your attention these many hours. You are -conscious in your own mind whether the other charges which were exhibited -against you yesterday were such as might be established against you or -not. I refer to them merely for the purpose of again recommending you to -devote the few days that you are on earth to imploring forgiveness from -Almighty God." The written sentence was in conformity. - -Such was the sentence of Burke, sending very appropriately his body where -he had sent so many others. The people were so far pleased that they had -got an instalment;[14] but, in spite of the approbation bestowed on the -jury by Lord Boyle, the finding of "Not proven" against Helen M'Dougal was -looked upon as a mere bilking of justice. No man could have any doubt of -her guilt, as being art and part, and if ever a jury acted in defiance of -their consciences, it was in liberating this woman; nor do we believe that -they did not think the charge proven against her--they were simply -desirous that they should not afford an opportunity for the application of -an old law seldom put into execution. This motive might have been looked -upon as humane in an ordinary case, for assuredly the law of art and part -is apt to take on cruel forms, but to withdraw Helen M'Dougal from its -power was, at the very best, a squeamish and sickly humanity. So, too, -thought the public, and their anger rang through the city, even in the -midst of the satisfaction universally felt at having got, at least, an -instalment of justice. But were the other murderers also to get free? - - - - -The Jail. - - -We may find an interest in following this unexampled criminal to the -Lock-up, whither he was conveyed immediately after sentence, and where, -too, M'Dougal, for the sake of safety, was placed till an opportunity was -afforded of sending her away unknown to the mob. As for Hare and his wife, -they behoved to continue as prisoners. No sooner had Burke been removed to -the prison and placed in his separate apartment, than the old devil in him -broke out. "This is a d----d cold place you have brought me till." One of -the men rebuked him, but as yet it was of no use. The spirit of the man -had not been touched, and as yet he lay under the gloomy weight of anger -at having been betrayed, frequently bursting out in maledictions, and -saying that Hare was the more guilty of the two. "He murdered the first -woman," he continued. "He persuaded me to join him, and now he has -murdered me; and I will regret to the last hour of my existence that he -did not share the same fate." He then threw himself upon the stone bed, -and lay with clenched hands, occasionally starting, as if the desire to -wreak vengeance upon his betrayer had flashed through his mind, and nerved -his arms to his customary assaults. While in this fit, one of the -officers, not relishing the idea that he wished to excuse himself by -casting even more than his share upon his colleague, made the remark, "I -think I could never wish to see that man forgiven who could murder that -poor, harmless, good-natured idiot, Daft Jamie," whereupon the prostrate -man started, and said, "My days are numbered. I am soon to die by the -hands of man. I have no more to fear, and can have no interest in telling -a lie, and I declare that I am as innocent of Daft Jamie's blood as you -are. He was taken into Hare's house, and murdered by him and his wife. To -be sure, I was guilty in so far, for I assisted to carry his body to Dr -Knox, and got a share of the money." And how often do we find even the -condemned, and how much more often the still successful criminal, -anointing with the saliva of their own lying tongues their own ears, ay, -even with the whine of self-sympathy! - -As the day advanced, the perturbations produced by revenge gradually -subsided, giving place to others more connected with the condition in -which he now found himself, and his state of mind was attempted to be -taken advantage of by the officers, always anxious to get their curiosity -gratified by confessions, which they know, too, will be welcome to their -superiors. But they were successful only so far that he no longer denied -his guilt, even going the length of admitting a general scheme of watching -poor and wretched strangers who were not likely to be inquired after by -friends. Beyond this he would not go, expressing even a determination to -withhold all particulars, unless counselled otherwise by his priest. Even -this shewed that a great change had come over him, and shortly there was -to be a still more undoubted sign, for, after remaining silent and -meditative, he inquired, with an appearance of humility, and even of that -politeness which was said to have formed a feature of his character at a -prior period of his life, whether he would be permitted to offer up a -prayer. And upon the permission having been given, this man who, only a -few hours before, had exhibited the same continued impenetrability of -heart manifested through the long period of his confinement, dropt upon -his knees, imploring forgiveness from Almighty God for the wicked life he -had led, and especially for that great crime for which he was to suffer on -the gibbet; entreating, also, that his wretched partner in guilt might be -brought to a full sense of her guilt--that she might repent and atone, as -far as it was in her power to do so in this world, by a life of quietness, -piety, and honest industry. On rising, he requested the officer to read to -him a part of the Scriptures; chapter after chapter, till they amounted to -six, were listened to, if not greedily accepted, with occasional remarks -of the applicableness of particular passages to his crimes. Withal he had, -as yet, indicated no fear--the first emotion after sentence having been -revenge, and that which followed, humility and resignation, which were to -remain as the prevailing condition of his mind up to the final day. - -Meanwhile, the usual anxiety as to the state of the criminal's soul -produced outside that conflict between the Calvinists and the Indifferents -which is so common in Scotland. The one party maintained the possibility -as well as the merits of the new birth, even up to the throwing away of -the handkerchief; the other did not consider it either possible or -probable: and while the one wished for, and waited for, the proof, the -other thought, and with some reason, that so easy a way of getting quit of -the consequences of the murders would not be very favourable to their -non-repetition. All this Burke settled in his own Roman way, by satisfying -himself that, if he wished, he could get to heaven through the ear of his -confessor but there was not much evidence to shew that he entertained any -strong wish on the subject, if he did not suspect that he was not a very -proper person to appear in heaven. We have no wish to be irreverent, but, -setting aside the old question as being inscrutable and insoluble, it is -all but certain that this man never shewed a trace of that anguish of -spirit under the mordacious fangs of remorse which can be accepted as the -only sign of an approach to the saving faith which is in Jesus. The -approvers founded upon a statement he was said to have made, that he would -not accept a pardon if it had been granted. If he had been tempted by an -offer, we would likely have had another tale; nor would he have been to -blame, unless we are to suppose that true conversion brings along with it -a predilection for being hanged, and that, while it prepares a man for -death, it incapacitates him for worthily continuing in life. Independently -of the total want of any signs of the real pathology of repentance, there -are positive proofs that his thoughts were continually recurring to earth. -He thought more of Helen M'Dougal than of a Saviour; and otherwise, we -have even a ludicrous example of his sublunary grovellings. On one -occasion, his mind seemed to one who was sitting by his bed to be occupied -by thoughts of eternity, as he lay silent and meditative. The omen was -propitious, and the pious assistant waited for the sign, which could not -be less than a burst of tears, not one of which he had yet shed, or had -ever been seen to shed. The sign came. - -"I think," said he, with a start, "I am entitled, and ought to get that -five pounds from Dr Knox which is still unpaid on the body of the woman -Docherty." - -"Why," replied the astonished pietist, "Dr Knox lost by the transaction, -as the body was taken from him." - -"That was not my business," said Burke sharply. "I delivered the subject, -and he ought to have kept it." - -"But you forget," said the other, "that were the money paid, Hare would -have the right to a half of it." - -And then came, after a little meditation, the explanation. - -"I have got a tolerable pair of trousers," he continued; "and since I am -to appear before the public, I should like to be _respectable_. I have not -a coat and waistcoat that I can appear in, and if I got the £5 I could buy -them." - -But it is to be admitted that while he shewed no real signs of penitence -in a Calvinistic sense,--so different these we suspect, from what are -found in a votary of the confessional,--he evinced none of the dogged -surliness of the hardened sinner, if his general mildness and continued -politeness were not remarkable. Indeed, as we have seen, these -characteristics were always, when he was not intoxicated, the prevailing -features of his demeanour, from which many inferred that he purposely -roused himself by large draughts of whisky to the fury which he found -necessary to the perpetration of his onslaughts. This would seem to -receive confirmation from the statement of a witness, who said that on -these occasions he did not drink out of an ordinary measure, but used a -strong-ale glass, which he would fill almost to the brim. Were this true, -it would be no abatement from the malignity and sternness of the sober -purpose which assuredly he must have entertained, while his external -aspect was still as composed, if not as mild, as it was said to be. As a -consequence of this placability, he gave way alternately to those -solicitations with which he was daily pursued to utter a confession. He -first made one and then another, but while these documents exhibit many -discrepancies, they shew, from their curtness and desultoriness, that they -were the result of a mere carelessness, only brought up to the point by -pestering solicitations. Ten lines are devoted to the whole story of the -murder of a human being, and if it had not been that circumstances came -out on all sides, often from unknown sources, no more would have ever been -known, at least as regards many of the victims, than simply that they -perished. Even for these the gaping mouth of curiosity, and not less the -hopeful heart of piety, was sufficiently thankful, while the hardened -sceptics still refused to see the sign of the new birth. - -Nor, as the short days passed to usher in the last morning, for which he -said "he would not greatly weary," was there any other more signal -appearance of a radical change. No doubt he received the visits of -clergymen, not caring much whether of one denomination or another, and -none of them were gratified with more than very ordinary manifestations of -regret. There always haunted him a desire to have Hare brought to trial, -yet he had art enough to place this, not to the account of revenge, but -that of _humanity_. Even Burke became a philanthropist, or, what is often -the same thing, could use the hackneyed words which are the fashionable -tribute paid by vice to virtue. If he was not thus unable to forget the -enormous debt due by his fearful associate, he was, and continued to the -end to be, not less mindful of his paramour. He sent his watch and what -money he possessed to her--"Poor thing, it is all I have to give to her; -it will be of some use to her, and I will not need it." Yet no moisture of -the eyes--the pity was only the bastard offspring of animal love. - -Withal, we are frank to admit that even the breaking down of the adamant, -to the extent of confession and regret, in a man like Burke, was a triumph -to religion. There is no natural way of accounting for that phenomenon of -which every man is doomed to feel the experience, that while death asserts -his power over the body, he extorts a contribution from the soul. Turn the -question in any way you please, your final cause is nowhere, unless it be -that the experience of agonised death-beds is the opportunity of virtue--a -poor back-handed way of making people better, and certainly bought at a -terrible expense. But even taking the advantage in this limited form, it -does not exhaust the conditions of the question; for while the dying -sinner is altogether unconscious that his agonies will go forth to the -world and be an example, his mind is in another direction. He looks -forward, and the more keenly, that he cannot look backwards. Where is the -final cause now? Try again, and we suspect you will find it only in -heaven. - - - - -Vejove. - - -We are so apt to take signs for things, and so glibly too do the one pass -into the other, that we find almost all descriptions of individuals -previous to execution very much the same; and so they must needs be, for -fate is the great man-tamer, and man only: the brutes merely feel the -stroke when it falls--man sees it coming, knows its necessity, and -therefore commits himself to resignation. Then, resignation is so grave an -affair that it is often mistaken for genuine seriousness, if not for -religious impression; but even here we have exceptions of men who could be -merry under the gibbet or the axe--strange beings these, and more often of -the virtuous than the vicious; for vice in the clutch is but a sorry -affair. This doomed man, who was represented as having behaved so -decently, could sing and dance the minute before he braced his cruel -sinews to the work of death; and if he had been consistent, he would have -acted Macpherson under the cross-beam; but the Highlander only stole -cattle, while the Irishman immolated human beings, and so we find him -grave and decorous because he was now to be throttled in his turn. - -At four o'clock on the morning of Tuesday the 27th,--that previous to the -day of execution,--he was taken off the _gad_ and removed to the Lock-up -in Liberton's Wynd. The reason of the early hour is evident, for the -excitement of the people was such that the authorities were not satisfied -that he would not be claimed by a furious mob, and dealt with as he had -dealt by so many others. Notwithstanding the long period he had been in -jail, there was no great change in his appearance, except a slight -paleness, which, with some weakness of body, was the result of a peculiar -external malady with which he had for a considerable time been -afflicted;[15] nor could the sharpest observation of Captain Rose, who -accompanied him, detect any diminution of that composedness, or, if you -please, insensibility, which had marked his demeanour all along. If there -was a flutter at all, it was when he was presented with his new suit of -black--either the passing feeling of the ominous dress, or satisfaction of -his wish to appear respectable. In the course of the day the Catholic -priests, Messrs Reid and Stewart, as well as the Protestant ministers, -Messrs Marshall and Porteous, paid him a visit, and were rewarded with the -usual amount of earthly regret; but with how much of remorse or faith in -the Redeemer, even they could not tell, immovable as he was, and -apparently unconcerned. Indeed the sole animating feeling was a desire to -have the business over. "Oh, that the hour were come that is to separate -me from the world!" but not a word of faith, and far less of hope. In the -morning, too, when the jailer took off his heavy fetters, and they fell -with a clank upon the floor,--"So may all earthly chains fall from me." - -At seven, and after having experienced a sound and unbroken rest for at -least five hours, Burke walked with a steady step into the keeper's room, -followed by the confessor; nor yet was there any appearance of agitation -or dismay. He took his seat in an arm-chair by the side of the fire, and -twice or thrice arrived at that point of distress which is marked by two -or three sighs. Then commenced the Catholic devotions, in which, as he had -done before, he engaged with an appearance of fervour. The Protestant -ministers followed up the Catholic service with some serious exhortations, -in the course of which, Mr Porteous having dwelt on the words, "You must -trust in the mercy of God," the doomed man exhibited symptoms of anguish; -but as for anything like that "awe which is illumined by hope," he seemed -to have a secret feeling that he was too deeply sunk in crime even to -think of the infinite mercy of Heaven. After this portion of the exercises -was gone through, he was on his way to an adjoining apartment when the -executioner met and stood before him. Even this apparition, generally so -fearful to a criminal when he first makes his appearance, did not dismay -him. "I am not ready for you yet," was the brief salutation; and in a -short time after, when he was pinioned, he bore the operation composedly, -and without uttering a word. He was now asked to take a glass of wine, and -having accepted the offer, he bowed to the company, and drank "Farewell to -all present, and the rest of my friends." The magistrates having now gone -out, returned in their robes, with their rods of office, and Burke, before -going forth, expressed his gratitude to the bailies and all the other -officials for the kindness and attention he had received at their hands. - -Meanwhile the crowd outside had attained its greatest density. At ten -o'clock on the previous night, the ceremony of setting up the scaffold had -commenced. This has always been a scene in Edinburgh, but now it was a -festival. The din of the workmen, and the clang of the hammers, were -mingled with the shouts of the assembled people to the amount of -thousands. Whenever an important part of the erection was completed in the -light of the torches, up rose the cheer, as if so much had been done -towards the satisfaction of their vengeance. When all was finished, and -the transverse beam looked so ready for its weight, the event was honoured -by three of these cheers so loud and prolonged that they were heard in -Princes Street. Even the services of the workmen, always averse as they -are to gallows-work, were on this occasion, and certainly never before, -volunteered with emulation. By this hour, two in the morning, the closes -and stairs near the spot were blocked up by masses of people, who had -resolved, at the expense of so many hours' watch, to secure a good view. -The inclemency of the weather drove them to any shelter that could be -obtained,--in very few cases homeward,--where the morning broke upon them -in gray dawn, but with the inspiration of hope. In addition to all this -confusion, a constant bustle was kept up by those who, either for favour -or for money,--and high prices were paid for good stances,--had procured -the envied windows. After this a solemn stillness pervaded the whole -scene, broken only by the splashing of the rain, which fell in torrents, -accompanied with gusts of wind which whistled and moaned through the long -closes. - -As the morning advanced, the groups were seen hastening to their windows, -and about five, the people generally began to pour in, taking their -stations in front of the gallows, and upwards towards the Castlehill, -while large parties of policemen and patrols successively arrived, to be -posted in a strong line in front of the railing--the space left free being -much larger than ordinary. Nor were the crowd on this occasion in their -ordinary humour of annoying or retarding the constables in the execution -of their duty, which they rather viewed as a common cause. From six to -seven the concourse increased, thronging every avenue to the High Street, -and hurrying in from every quarter, till the whole space, from the Tron to -the Bow, threatened to be too small to hold them. Nor were the masses -entirely composed of the class that usually attend such scenes. There were -included, especially about the windows, not only of the dingy houses of -the Lawnmarket, but also of the County Buildings, great numbers of -well-dressed ladies, imparting a variety, scarcely to have been expected, -to the scene, already otherwise picturesque. After seven, and when the -rain, which had been excessive some hours before, began to cease, the -crowd became rapidly larger still, and at eight, the entire area between -the two points we have mentioned presented the aspect of an immense and -closely-wedged mass of human beings, all still and watchful, never before -seen there, except, perhaps, on the occasion of the King's visit. All -round the scaffold you saw the crowd was composed of men--gradually -outwards giving place to women, many of whom, being pressed by the dense -mass around them, sent forth screams of distress; and where the pressure -got less, chiefly about the circumference, the numbers of that sex were -still considerable--the entire assemblage, as is the case where density is -great, being moved, as it seemed, all throughout by the same impulse, -coming from whatever direction. The numbers at this time were computed at -20,000 or 30,000. But there was one feature of this crowd which was more -extraordinary than its extent or composition. In ordinary cases, at least -in Scotland, there is usually manifested sympathy for the sufferer, or at -least a sedate and solemn manner, as if the occasion were melancholy and -instructive. All this was changed now. There was on every face an -expression of something approaching to joy, as if the heart felt it was to -get quit of a painful feeling of revenge, and that the relief was near. It -is now eight,--St Giles's rolls forth the sounds, and every noise is -stilled. - -Precisely at the hour Burke was on his feet, eager to be dead, and the -procession moved. He was supported by the two Catholic priests, more from -the difficulty he experienced in walking with his arms so closely -pinioned, than from any weakness or faltering of step. In the progress -towards and up Liberton's Wynd he shewed even increased coolness and -self-possession, turning from side to side in conversation, and at one -part, where the ground was wet, carefully picking his steps; but at the -head of the entry, where he was to get a view of the crowd, he winced, and -half-closing his eyes, hurried on, as if more eager still to be out of the -roar of that terrible assemblage. Nor was that roar long delayed. Upon -Bailies Crichton and Small issuing from the wynd, the shout was raised in -one long-continued yell, and when Burke himself was seen ascending the -stair, the roar was repeated with double intensity, mixed with articulated -execrations,--"Burke him!" "Choke him!" "No mercy, hangie!" Yet amidst -all, Burke walked with steady step, and stood coolly below the apparatus -of death. If he was much moved at all, it was to cast a look at the crowd -of fierce and desperate defiance, as if he could have felt it in his heart -to repeat upon every one of them his old experiment, and we suspect that -he would have done it if he had had the liberty and the power. - -Having taken his station in front of the drop, he kneeled with his back -towards the spectators, his confessor on his right hand, and the other -Catholic clergyman on the left, and repeated a form of prayer dictated by -one of these reverend gentlemen. Mr Marshall, meanwhile, offered up a -supplication on his behalf, the bailies and other officials joining in the -devotions, with the exception of the executioner (Williams) and his -assistant, who stood at the back of the drop. During all this time there -was silence. On rising from his kneeling posture, Burke was observed to -lift a silk handkerchief, on which his knees had rested, and put it into -his pocket. There was now some hesitation in his manner, as if loath to -mount; and one of the persons who assisted him to ascend, having, perhaps -inadvertently, pushed him somewhat roughly to a side, that he might be -placed exactly on the spot, he looked round with a withering scowl. He -then _ran_ up the steps, as if he hurried to death, to get beyond the -reach of these terrible howls. Some further delay took place, from the -circumstance of Williams, who stood behind him, endeavouring to loose his -handkerchief, in which he found some difficulty. "The knot is behind," -said Burke,--the only words not devotional uttered by him on the scaffold. -When Williams succeeded in removing the neckcloth, he proceeded to fasten -the rope round his neck, pulling it tightly, and, after adjusting and -fixing it, he put upon his head a white cotton night-cap, but without -pulling it over his face. While this was going on, the yells became -fiercer and fiercer, mixed with the ejaculations, "Where's Hare? Hang him, -too." "Don't waste rope on him." "You ----, you will see Daft Jamie in a -minute." The Rev. Mr Reid then advanced, and conversed with him shortly, -but earnestly, and directed him to say the Creed, which he did. As he -muttered the words, his face was pale and livid, but he was still -composed, unflinching, and motionless. The next act was the advance of -Williams to draw the cap over his face. He manifested a repugnance to -this, as if he would brave the yelling crowd even to the last extremity, -and it was with some difficulty this was accomplished. Everything is now -ready. He utters an ejaculation to his Maker, imploring mercy, and throws -away the handkerchief with a jerk of impatience, the bolt is drawn, and -Burke swings in the air amidst the deafening roar of thirty thousand -people.[16] But Burke was not yet dead. He must be dead before that crowd -is satisfied. From the limited length of the fall, there had been no -dislocation; and for five minutes the body hung motionless, except from -the impetus given by the fall, when a convulsive motion of the feet, and a -general heaving, indicated a still lingering vitality. Upon observing -this, the crowd raised another cheer. Twice these motions were renewed, -and twice again rose the shout. - -Generally, the scene of an execution is soon deserted; people give a -shudder, and run away, like one who has been obliged to obey a feeling -which is not pleasant, and yet is inevitable, and who enjoys a relief from -the emotion. This did not occur on this occasion. The people shewed no -disposition to disperse. They seemed desirous of prolonging their -gratification by gloating on the ghastly spectacle, as, driven by the -wind, it swung to and fro. At five minutes to nine, the bailies again came -up Liberton's Wynd, still in their robes, and with their rods, and stood -round the scaffold. Williams then mounted and lowered the body, and this, -the last act, was celebrated by the finishing yell. The crowd then -separated. - -The public prints got immediately into a discussion as to the propriety of -these demonstrations of feeling among a civilised people. It was by one -party represented as barbarous and shocking, opposed to Christian -forgiveness, and indicative of a fierce and relentless nature. The crowd -was described as if made up of the _diables_, _diablesses_, and -_diabletons_ of the old dramas, and their cries got the name of -hell-yells. There are people who, their throats being safe and their -bellies well filled, look upon sin, even in its most devilish form of -cruelty, as something to be dandled and conciliated into virtue like their -own by sugar-plums. Those who feel no natural detestation of cruelty are -not far from those that could be cruel. But supposing that these good -people were as great haters of cruel men as those who shouted in the -crowd, but that they felt their feeling satisfied by the arm of the law, -they could only say that these people felt more satisfied than they, and -that, in place of concealing their satisfaction, they expressed it openly, -if you like, noisefully; and if this satisfaction must be held to be in -the ratio of detestation, they were better haters of sin than those who -impeached them with barbarity. So the good people get into a metaphysical -net, out of which it is not very easy to get. But the question was very -well settled by the _Times_, who took and shook the simperers, telling -them that virtue has two sides, like everything else--one, a love for the -good, and another, a hatred of what is evil, neither of which can exist -without the other, and that the roused hearts of those who made the welkin -ring with their roar, were just the hearts from which one might expect -indications of pity for the miserable victims of that man's cruelty. It -may be well for us to remember, amidst all the affected refinement of our -times, that the churlishness of the honest man is the impatience of -shuffling deceit and hypocrisy. When we get behind the frieze veil of the -sanctuary of his affections, we often find kindness sanctified by -trust,--a generosity which does not see itself, and is too often cheated -by its object, and a pity, which is the more beautiful, that it wells from -the stern rock of honesty and justice. - - - - -The Exhibition. - - -The earthly destiny of this marvellous man was not yet finished--the -celebration of justice did not terminate by the dispersion of the thirty -thousand who had assembled in the hall of the goddess Nature's own arena. -They had more to do. They knew that the goddess had other forms than that -in which she sends down her fiery-eyed priestess Nemesis, even that in -which she despatches her moral retributions, and works them through her -votaries, and that, too, wherein she is called poetical Justice, and -wherein she relaxes the stern brow, and smiles with a little satire upon -her beautiful lips. It is in this last form she is best loved by the -imaginative; yea, and even those who, cultivating the muses, have yet a -spice of humour, not inconsistent with the gravity of virtue. Had not this -man sent a score of human beings to the dissecting-room? Let it be that -they served the purpose of a physical science, might not he serve also the -purpose of a moral cult? - -During the whole of Wednesday the College was surrounded by hundreds, -whose curiosity prompted them to see once more him who had immolated so -many of their kind; but Dr Monro did not choose to run the risk of losing -his subject, and the authorities were still afraid of a seizure, and so it -was not till Thursday morning that the body was removed from the Lock-up -to the dissecting-rooms of the College. At an early hour, several men -dedicated to science, and among the rest Mr Liston, Mr George Combe, and -his opponent Sir Wm. Hamilton, and Mr Joseph, the eminent sculptor, went -to have the advantage of an examination, before the rush of the students -should put that out of their power. Mr Joseph took a cast for a bust, and -several amateur students gratified their curiosity by sketches. The body -was that of a thick-set muscular man, with a bull-neck, great development -about the upper parts, with immense thighs and calves, so full as to have -the appearance of globular masses. The countenance, as we saw it, was very -far from being placid, as was commonly represented, if you could not have -perceived easily that there remained upon it the bitter expression of the -very scorn with which he had looked upon that world which pushed him out -of it, as having in his person defaced the image of his Maker.[17] Laid -upon the table, the body became the subject of a lecture by the -professor, and, in order to implement the sentence of the court, without -so much mutilation as would interfere with the object of future -inspection, the investigation was limited to the brain, laid open by -removing the upper part of the cranium; the part sawed off to be -subsequently replaced, so that the division could scarcely be noticed. - -So far, all had proceeded in peace and with decorum; but the College was, -by and by, to be the scene of a renewed excitement. About half-past two, a -body of young men, consisting chiefly of students, assembled in the area, -and becoming clamorous for admission, it was found necessary to send for -the police,--a class of men of whose interference within the walls of the -College these assertors of scholastic liberty have always shewn themselves -impatient. Indignant at the opposition they had met with in the rooms, and -still more angry at the conduct of the police, they made several sorties, -in which they nearly succeeded in overpowering the opposition arrayed -against them, at the same time that they smashed the windows at either -side of the entry to the anatomical theatre. The police, finding -themselves hard pressed, retreated, merely brandishing their batons; but -blows received by several of them raised, in its turn, their anger, and -the official weapon was used with more vigour than the magistrates, and -especially the Lord Provost, who was present, seemed to relish. That -dignitary accordingly got up to harangue the inflamed youths,--a liberty -which could be brooked still less than the use of the batons, and amidst -the cries of most opprobrious epithets, he, and along with him Bailie -Small, were obliged to fly. Attempts were now made by the police to cross -the square and seize prisoners; and so far they succeeded, but it was only -to be left to witness the captured _élèves_ reclaimed, and carried off -amidst shouts of triumph. Even some, whom the police got conveyed to Dr -Monro's rooms, were searched for, and pulled out into liberty, adding, in -their turn, to the shouts of the liberators. It was then attempted to make -a dash, and clear the area of the assembled collegians by a promiscuous -pell-mell, but the police again found themselves overmatched, and could -not even retain their own ground in the open area. The contest was renewed -more than once with varying success, and no man could tell how long the -battle would last, as time, in place of moderating the passion of the -students, served only to increase it, and every sortie and shout -threatened some issue involving life. One or two of the police were -carried off wounded, amidst cries of victory, and the battle, which had -now lasted from half-past two to four, threatened even worse consequences -than had yet resulted, when the professors got alarmed. Dr Christison at -length made his appearance with the olive, and intimated to the youths -that he had made arrangements whereby they would be admitted to see the -body of Burke in fifties, giving his personal guarantee for their good -conduct. - -This intimation, which was in fact a victory,--achieved, too, with a -compliment to their honour,--was received with loud cheers of "Hurrah for -Christison!" and "Burke's our own!" and presently all their fury subsided -amidst the returning hilarity of loud laughter. But matters were not at -all satisfactory outside in the street. The people had been restless all -day. The sight of the hanging, in place of allaying their passion against -Burke, seemed to have inflamed them into a desire to gloat their eyes on -his remains; and many intimated their design, in the event of being -defeated, of forcing an entry into the anatomical theatre, and dragging -the body out, to tear it in pieces. To this, the news of the success of -the students inflamed them the more, but as it was now getting dark, and -several scouts sent among them by the authorities having circulated the -report that the magistrates and Dr Monro would make arrangements for -general admission to the anatomical theatre next day, the crowd began to -separate, but each carrying away the determination, which they growled out -as they went, that unless the terms were adhered to, their purpose would -be executed on the morrow. - -On Friday the arrangements were made for a grand public exhibition. The -body of the hanged man was placed on the black marble table of the -theatre, so as to be seen by the visitors as they passed from one door to -another, from which they could get exit in another direction. The news -meanwhile had spread through both the Old and New Towns that the body of -Burke was to be seen by all and sundry, and the commotion throughout all -ranks, high and low, was only equalled by that of the day of execution. -The Old Town presented the appearance of a holiday. Thousands took their -way to the College, where they found the doors open and the exhibition -begun, but as the stream of entrants was necessarily narrow, and of slow -movement, the street and the area inside soon presented an appearance -scarcely less crowded than on the day previous. The programme was very -soon understood, and was indeed so simple and easily wrought, however -tedious as regards time, that the people had only to try to get into the -moving stream when they were pushed forward quietly and orderly enough to -the envied scene. There on the table lay the victim naked, with the part -of the scull which had been sawed off so artistically restored that the -mark of the junction could scarcely be observed. The spectacle was -sufficiently ghastly to gratify the most epicurean appetite for horrors. -There was as yet no sign of corruption, so that the death pallor, as it -contrasted with the black marble table, shewed strongly to the inquiring -and often revolting eye; but the face had become more blue, and the shaved -head, with marks of blood not entirely wiped off, rather gave effect to -the grin into which the features had settled at the moment of death. -However inviting to lovers of this kind of the picturesque the broad chest -that had lain with deadly pressure on so many victims--the large thighs -and round calves, indicating so much power--it was the face, embodying a -petrified scowl, and the wide-staring eyes, so fixed and spectre-like, to -which the attention was chiefly directed. - -As the stream moved on with recurring pauses, when some, more intent than -others, held back to have a moment or two's more time, it was curious to -view the ever-varying emotions of the spectators. Many were there who -could not in any other circumstances have looked upon a corpse at all, and -you might have seen some half-irresolute adventurers who, as they neared, -feared the sight, and would have backed out but that they were compelled -to proceed, when the unsteady eye, anxious to avert itself, was caught by -the horrible charm and fixed. No one, so far as we could see, however -nervous, either shut the eyes or turned them away altogether; nor could -you detect a single trace of pity--the prevailing expression, a malign -satisfaction, strangely and staringly returned, as it were, by the grin of -the corpse, which had the advantage of eternal persistency. Extraordinary -as all this moving scene was,--and certainly nothing of the kind had ever -been witnessed in Edinburgh before,--it was rendered more so by the -occurrence among the close stream of a few women, amounting in all, we -understood, to seven or eight, who, having made their way up-stairs, not -perhaps with the intention of going altogether forward, were moved on and -could not escape. The caught virgins, true to their nature, struggled so -well in the net of their curiosity, that you would have said they were -really anxious to get back, and yet somehow their struggles seemed -unaccountably rather to help them on; but at any rate it was certain they -were modest, and shrank at the thought of the coming sight, for they held -down their heads to avoid the stare of the men, and when they arrived at -the point, only looked with a squint, sufficient at once for entire -gratification as well as for immunity from the charge of not being -feminine and delicate. It is doubtful, notwithstanding, however influenced -by the sense of the _nil dulcius quam omnia scire_, whether they would -venture again upon such another Junonian venture; for the males, who -reserve to themselves the exclusive right of witnessing such spectacles, -bestowed on them such and so many tokens of indignation as might have -cured them for ever of their original sin. - -The numbers who supplied this continued stream may be judged of when it is -mentioned that by actual enumeration it was found that upwards of sixty -per minute passed the corpse. This continued from ten in the morning till -darkening, and as the crowd, when we saw it at three o'clock, was still -increasing, as one told another of what he had seen, we cannot compute the -numbers at less than twenty-five thousand persons; add to this those who -had a private interview, and we arrive again at the number present at the -execution, thirty thousand--a greater number than ever visited royalty -lying in state, at least within the kingdom of Scotland. Nor did the -entire day suffice for the satisfaction of this curiosity. As many were -ready for the following day; but, to the disappointment of these, it was -announced that all further ingress would be denied. Next day, Saturday, -the front of the College again presented a scene of confusion. Another -crowd had collected--growling at the conduct of the officials--crying for -the opening of the anatomical theatre; and long after they had ascertained -that no further exhibition would be permitted, the people stood and -continued to gaze at the College walls, till, exhausted of their patience, -they reluctantly departed, leaving fresh arrivals, which continued during -the entire day to occupy their places.[18] - -One might have thought that the excitement, at least in so far as regarded -Burke--for the other culprits were a precious reserve, whose fortunes -might fill a volume of great interest--would have thus ended; but at that -time the science of phrenology was in its zenith, the Combe-and-Hamilton -controversy in full vigour; and so, next came the battle of the -phrenologists and the old Scotch school of mental philosophers. Burke's -head, so ingenious in devising a new species of murder, which should bear -his immortal name, as well as in discovering a new estimate of the value -of the human body, was measured and mapped into philoprogenitiveness, -veneration, destructiveness, and all the rest, so as to be in all time -coming the example and test of the character possessed by the genuine _à -priori_ and _à posteriori_ murderer. And it was a solemn occasion. The -measurements were recorded and published. The accuracy of the mere figures -was not denied, but the inferences were disputed with such acrimony that -the scientific battle commenced. Everywhere there was a measuring of -craniums, and even wise people, who never had any doubt of the smallness -of their destructiveness, were startled into the conviction that they -required not only to take care of themselves, but to be taken care of by -others. Mr Combe bade fair to be the only man who was to be benefited by -the labours of Burke. A considerable number of people, who were not sure -of their harmlessness, notwithstanding they were very timid, and to others -and themselves very innocent, waited upon him to ascertain what they in -reality were; and if you had stood at his door, you might have judged by -the faces of his consultors how much they were above or below the fatal -6·125--the most marvellous bump that had ever been seen on the head of man -since the days of that great man-killer Hercules. It was in vain that the -Hamiltonians brought forward the measurements of men scarcely less famous -in their philanthropic way than Howard. The great development of -destructiveness had in their cases been accompanied by _inactivity_, and -the examples went for nought; and so, in like manner, the examples of -other murderers who could not boast of more than 5·4, were satisfactorily -set aside for the reason of _activity_. The Hamiltonians pushed their -advantage, and demanded a return to the old doctrines and common sense; -but the Combeans would not admit the demand. The frying-pan sued for could -not be returned or paid for--1st, Because it was an old one with holes in -it; 2dly, Because it was returned long before; and, 3dly, Because it was -never borrowed. If one thing won't do, another will: if you drive us out -of size, we fall back upon activity; if from activity, we flee to size. -Burke, in addition to all his other achievements, thus killed a science. -Having wrought so assiduously for anatomy, he ended by burking -phrenology. - - - - -The Prosecution against Hare. - - -The public had got only an instalment; and the fingering of the money -produced only desire for more, to make up the debt to justice. Whatever -might become of the women, Hare must be hanged, dissected, and exhibited -in the same way as Burke, otherwise the peace of the city would be again -in jeopardy. He was the greater criminal of the two, and the people had no -moral vision to comprehend how the Lord Advocate could bargain with, and -feel himself bound to keep honour with, one who, having lost the form and -features of the sacred "image," was beyond the pale of humanity. You don't -think of the moral obligation to refrain from killing a tiger merely -because he left in your way another cruel animal, which, for want of a -lamb eaten by the more rapacious, you found it convenient to dine off. - -After his examination, and when the officers were removing Hare from the -court-house to the Calton Jail, they were struck with dismay to find that -he had been seized with a fit of glee, which, for want of an epithet -derived from humanity, we may term diabolical; but the officers were -simple, and so was he: they should have known the man, and he knew -himself--a creature in whom there being no good to produce the variety -which constitutes character, there could be nothing but pure and unmixed -evil. If the devil is not a simpleton,--father of lies and master of -devices as he is,--it is just because having once known the good he could -hate it. Hare never knew even that, and could not be said to hate what he -could not understand. Yet he laughed, not heartily, that would be a -misnomer, but hepatically, from the liver, because he fancied that he had -escaped from justice at the expense of the life of his accomplice. The -public, much as they cried for his blood, were simple too, in so far as -they believed that while in jail he shunned the public gaze, and muffled -himself up in the bed-clothes when visited by the authorities; whereas the -man, instead of thinking he had done anything shameful or even wrong, was -rather proud of his ingenuity, not only amusing himself in the public -ground attached to the ward, but exhibiting rather satisfaction at being -looked at.[19] Nor, while in the very height of his effrontery, did he -construe the marked dislike of the prisoners, every one of whom shrank -from his touch or even approach, into anything short of spite because he -was now free--being only there as under the protection of the -authorities--and his companions poor bond devils. So far we may believe; -but there might have been a small tax on the credulity of the time, when -it was believed that he construed in the same way the conduct of those -companions when, upon the occasion of there being more onlookers from -without than the shame of the jail-birds relished, they were in the habit -of hitching him forward as a great spectacle, by the attraction of whom -their merely comparative merits might be overlooked. - -By and by, as the vengeful feeling of the public against the man -increased, and nothing for a time was heard but the stifled groans for the -second victim, it came out that the public prosecutor, having procured -Hare's co-operation as a _socius criminis_ to convict Burke, and all the -information which was necessary to bring home to the latter the three -charges in the indictment, the Crown was pledged in honour not to proceed -against him on any one of these counts. This was, in effect, to say that -he was free whenever he could get out of the hands of the infuriated -people; because, in so far as regarded the other cases, there was no -evidence independently of his, and he would take precious care to withhold -every word to criminate himself. It is needless to say that the most -sensible of the editors, and all the thinking and honourable of the -people, considered this statement of the authorities as reasonable and -proper. They would stand upon the honour of the Crown and the dignity of -human nature, even at the expense of giving liberation to a man who, by -his own confession, was a murderer. They would therefore leave the vulgar -to the _charum lumen_ of their prejudices, and so they were left. But, -while thus taking this high and dignified ground against those whom a -natural hatred of atrocity was said to make low, some ingenious one of -their ranks struck out the idea that, though the Crown was shut up to let -Hare off, some relative of one of the murdered persons might prosecute for -assythment, or a compensation for the loss of life; and immediately it was -found that Daft Jamie's mother, Mrs Wilson, with his sister, Janet Wilson, -would be willing, if not anxious, to take the post of prosecutor--a piece -of intelligence which pleased the public wondrously. - -This proposition was brought to bear by an application presented to the -Sheriff on the part of the Wilsons, praying for liberty to precognosce -witnesses with a view to the prosecution of Hare; on the deliverance upon -which progress was being rapidly made in the examination of several -persons, when immediately there was presented to his lordship a petition -for Hare, craving to be set at liberty. On the 21st of January, the -Sheriff pronounced an interlocutor refusing the prayer of Hare's petition, -on the ground that there was no decision finding that the right of the -private party to prosecute is barred by any guarantee or promise of -indemnity given by the public prosecutor; but, in consequence of the -novelty of the case, he superseded further progress with the -precognitions, in order that Hare might have an opportunity of applying to -the Court of Justiciary. - -This judgment was accordingly brought under review of the High Court by -what is technically called a bill of advocation, suspension, and -liberation--the meaning of which is simply that Hare tried another chance -for freedom by applying to the highest tribunal. The Lord Justice-Clerk, -who saw at once that the question was so far new, and of the first -importance, not only in its merits, but viewed in relation to the state of -the public mind, wished to have it judged of by all the Lords, and he -therefore called upon the public prosecutor to answer the request of Hare. -The Lord Advocate, who, no doubt, felt himself placed in a delicate -position, but still determined to stand by the law and the dignity of the -Crown, accordingly presented his answer; and long pleadings, called -informations, having been lodged, the case came to be tried before the -Court on the 2d February. The celebrated Jeffrey appeared for Mrs Wilson, -and Duncan M'Neill for Hare. It was maintained on the part of Hare, said -Mr Jeffrey, that the public prosecutor was entitled to make a compact, to -which compact their Lordships were bound to give effect; that their -Lordships had no discretion, but that it rested entirely with the Lord -Advocate to enter into such compact, and to extend immunity to any number -of cases, without the control of the judge; in short, that the Lord -Advocate possessed the uncontrolled power of exercising the royal -prerogative. And this he might do, not merely in respect of the particular -crime as to which a _socius criminis_ was to be used as a witness, but -might, if he chose, extend it to all other crimes of which he might have -been guilty. Whenever the Lord Advocate stipulated an immunity, it seemed -to be maintained, on the other side, that a sufferer by housebreaking, -fire-raising, and other crimes, was to be deprived of his right, as a -private party, to prosecute the guilty perpetrator of the wrong, and that -the Lord Advocate had a power to enter into a compact by which he could -grant immunity for offences, past or future, known or unknown. Such a -prerogative would be to invest the public prosecutor with a power of -pardon which only belonged to the Crown, and this, too, without a tittle -of authority, amounting to an assumption of the authority of Parliament; -and so forth. But all the eloquence of Jeffrey would not do. The judges -had, long before this day of judgment, been down in the deep wells of -authority, and, as one of the enraged people said, came up drunk with -law, and kicked sober justice out of court. Certainly, if such a profane -expression could be used, these learned men might have been in that state, -for seldom had they appeared so surcharged with authorities. They seem to -have rummaged every corner of the Advocates' Library and the -Register-Office to find out the origin of the law of king's evidence, and -to have hunted out every decision bearing upon the case, so that, it would -seem, Hare should be rendered as famous for settling a great and hitherto -doubtful point of law, as Burke was destined to be for putting an end to a -science. After all, the judges who decided for Hare were found to be -right; and, indeed, any one looking at the subject, could not fail to see -that, as the Lord Advocate represented the king, and the king, as the -great public protector of his subjects and prosecutor of their wrongs, -represented his people, and Mrs Janet Wilson and her daughter among the -rest, the immunity promised by his lordship to Hare really included an -immunity implied as given by Mrs Wilson and her daughter. - -While the case was going on, and Hare anxious to get out, he founded his -hope on an extraordinary delusion, which could have occurred to nobody but -himself. He understood well enough the meaning of the long word -assythment, and asked his agent, with one of his leers, what was the value -of Daft Jamie. The price given by the doctors, he said, was too much, -because, if he had been offered alive to any one, he would not have been -bought at any price, so that his mother had no claim, and the judges were -just trifling away both their time and their brains about a thing of no -value. Incredible as this may seem,--and doubtless many reports passed -that were not true,--it is not unlike the man; for it never was asserted, -by those who had access to him, that he had the slightest notion of having -done anything that was wrong. He was, indeed, one of those men, not so -uncommon as the optimists may think, or so impossible as the Christian -philosophers maintain, whose consciences are entirely turned round about, -and who, when they come to think seriously, find the worm gnawing on the -wrong side. Their pain is for any good they may have been tempted to do, -their relief for any evil they have been fortunate enough to perpetrate, -so true is it that nature is jealous of man's having it in his power to -say that any proposition is absolutely true, and without an exception. But -such phenomena, which, after all, are so uncommon as to deserve the name -of monstrosities, need not flutter the faith of such men as Chalmers, who -found upon the universality of the law of conscience as proving the -goodness, if not also the existence, of God. It is only a matter of -curiosity that, while such advocates recognise and explain alone the -exceptional cases, where there is simply a _want_ of the faculty, they do -not seem to think that there can occur, or ever could have occurred, a -case where its decrees are absolutely reversed. But, after all, we have to -keep in view that the whole conditions, even of Hare's nature, were not -exhausted. For aught we know, if he had been condemned to die, Providence -would have vindicated her rule even as to him, and the faculty been -observed to right itself. Hare was, at any rate, declared at liberty. - - - - -The Hunt Out. - - -We take up the end of the thread of our last chapter, and say, that as the -potential developments of a man's heart cannot be exhausted except by -death, we cannot pronounce, until that issue arrives, of God's purpose -with him. We have known many men who, by a redundancy of the oil of -self-satisfaction, have kept the lamp of jovial humour, or light -recklessness, or flippant egotism, burning for a long period of years, and -indulging all the while in the boast of an indomitable persistiveness. -There are many such, but we suspect they are generally mere actors; and we -are the more satisfied of the hollowness of their pretensions when we -learn the account of them from those who have access to their privacy, and -are apt to verify the saying that, as no man is a hero to his valet, so no -jolly fellow, _pococurante_, or devil-darer is always such to his wife, -children, servants, or friends. Even were it so, we would still say that -the conditions have not been exhausted by some calamity which _may_ come, -or by death, who _must_ come; and as there are worse evils than even -death, the power of holding out is only an inverse mode of expressing the -power of what is held out against. These remarks occur to us as we are now -to follow the fortunes of the remaining three of the quaternity. - -Hare was still Hare up to the hour of his freedom, and that freedom, for -which he had sacrificed the life of the man whom he had taught the trade -of murder, was to be the test to try his obduracy, and prove the ruin of -that persistency in evil which had mocked the ghosts of a score of -murdered beings. He was let loose only to flee, and to flee under the only -terror he felt--the uplifted hands of an avenging people. At a little past -eight on the Thursday night, after the decision of the High Court of -Justiciary, he was relieved from his cell in the Calton Hill Jail. It was -a night of bitter frost, just such a one as Vejove would select for -sending a Cain-marked murderer out upon the world. After being muffled up -in an old camlet cloak, he walked, in company with the head turnkey, as -far as the Post-office in Waterloo Bridge without meeting with the -slightest molestation. At this point his companion called a coach, and -conveyed him to Newington, where the two waited till the mail came up. The -guard's edition of the story varies thus far, that he took up an unknown -passenger in Nicolson Street, where he was ordered to blow the horn. But -the difference is immaterial, and might easily arise from Hare's state of -mind. Be this as it may, he got safely seated on the top of the coach -without challenge and without suspicion. In the way-bill he figured as a -Mr Black--not an inappropriate name--and the tall man who came to see him -off, exclaimed, when the guard cried, "All's right," "Good-bye, Mr Black, -and I wish you well home."[20] At Noble-house, the second stage on the -Edinburgh road, twenty minutes were allowed for supper; and when the -inside passengers alighted and went into the inn, Hare was infatuated -enough to follow their example. At first he sat down near the door, behind -their backs, with his hat on, and his cloak closely muffled about him. But -this backwardness was ascribed to his modesty, and one of the passengers, -by way of encouraging him, asked if he was not perishing with cold. Hare -replied in the affirmative, and then, moving forward, took off his hat, -and commenced toasting his paws at the fire--a piece of indiscretion which -can only be accounted for by his characteristic recklessness, not yet -cured; and little, indeed, was he aware that Mr Sandford, advocate, one of -the counsel employed against him in the prosecution at the instance of -Daft Jamie's relations was then standing almost at his elbow. A single -glance served all the purpose of the fullest recognition, and, as Hare -naively enough remarked, "He shook his head at me," somewhat after the -fashion, we suppose, of the ghost in Macbeth. - -On the horn being blown, he contrived, after the manner of the Greek -slayer, who was always ahead of the three Furies, to be first at the coach -door, and finding an empty seat inside, he actually occupied it. "Take -that fellow out," cried the indignant counsel, and out accordingly he was -taken, and transferred to the top, whereupon Mr Sandford, eager, perhaps, -to justify what had the appearance of cruelty on so bitter a night, -revealed to his fellow-travellers what, perhaps, he ought not to have -done. A secret is like gas, it spreads without burning, and at Beattock, -the guard as well as the driver, knew all. They were only obliged to -conceal it because there was no one to tell it to; but on the arrival of -the coach at Dumfries, the servants who attended to take the inside -passengers' luggage, got the hint, and the news flew like a fire-flaught. -Meanwhile, Hare had slunk into the coach-office of the King's Arms. People -were seen hurrying thither from every direction, crying, "Hare's in the -King's Arms!" By eight o'clock, a large crowd had collected, and by ten it -was perfectly overwhelming. You might have walked over the heads of a mass -of people in the High Street and Buccleuch Street, amounting to 8000, -reminding us of a great fair, when the country empties itself into the -town. Their object they did not tell, nor was it necessary, except in so -far as having known that he was for Port-Patrick, they proposed to do the -great man honour _in their own way_. If Hare had got among these people, -he would assuredly have been sacrificed, for the dissatisfaction at his -release was not confined to the metropolis. Meantime, the man, considering -himself safe inside, and having from the first been surrounded by a knot -of coachmen and guards, who handed him part of their ale, he clattered -away, drinking absurd toasts, such as "Bad luck to bad fortune," and not -denying his identity: "No use for that now;" but all questions about his -crimes he evaded; "he had said enough before;" "he had done his duty in -Edinburgh." Yet we suspect that the light talk was the effect of the ale, -for, to a gentleman who visited him, with a view to know something of his -early history, he complained that he had no money, and when a guinea was -handed to him, "he burst into tears." Yes, the time had come, or was -approaching, when the hitherto maintained conditions of insensibility were -to be broken, not for penitence, not even for remorse, but for regret, if -not despair. - -When this visitor retired, the people forced the door, and in an instant -Hare was squeezed into a corner, reminding one of a hunted fox when, -getting into a _cul de sac_, he turns round, shews his teeth, and vainly -attempts to keep the jowlers at bay. In the absence of the police, his -situation was far from being free from peril. The torrent of imprecations -was fearful, and "Burke him!" came so savagely from so many throats, that -he seemed on the very eve of being laid hold of and torn asunder. It is -reported that one old woman was not only wonderfully emphatic and -ferocious in her gestures, but strove to get forward to strike "the -villain" with the end of her umbrella. And lucky it was that she did not -get in the front, for mischief, like fire, needs only a beginning, and if -one individual had lifted a hand, his fate would have been sealed. When -the police arrived, the room was cleared, and Hare conveyed to a safer -place till the Galway mail should start. With a view to this the inn-yard -was closed with difficulty, the horses put too, and the coach brought out. -But the mob, with rather more eyes than the old watcher, had previously -taken their plans, as if by instinct, and their aspect appeared so -threatening that it was impossible to drive the mail along the High Street -with the "fearful man" either inside or out. The coach accordingly started -perfectly empty, two passengers having been sent forward a few miles in a -gig. The crowd opened and recoiled--the tremendous rush, the appalling -waves on waves of people, heaving to and fro; and now the coach is again -surrounded, amidst yells the doors opened, the interior exposed, even the -boot examined. The people were still more exasperated because their plan -was defeated--no other than to stop the mail at the middle of the bridge, -and precipitate Hare from the parapet down into the river. Failing in -this, they had determined to waylay the coach at Cassylands toll-bar, and -there execute their purpose in another way, and as a preparation they had -forcibly barricaded the gates. The crowd now rolled back in one continuous -wave; and when the fact became known that he was still in the room of the -inn, he was again broken in upon, forced to sit and stand in all positions -and postures, turned round and back again, so that cool, insensate, and -apathetic as he was, he was now stimulated into terror. Amidst all this -the imprecations were repeated, and another woman, after having exhausted -her ingenuity in words, seized him by the collar, and tugged so manfully -that he was nearly strangled. At one moment the voice of a sturdy ostler -got ascendancy over the noise:--"Whaur are ye gaun, man? or whaur can ye -gang to? Hell's ower gude for ye. The very deevils, for fear o' mischief, -wadna daur to let ye in; and as for heaven, that's entirely oot o' the -question." Others, who wanted to drive matters to extremity, pretended to -take his part, and urged him on. The old spirit came again, and he called -out, "to come on, and give him fair play;" but this was a spurt, for -despair was extending over him her dark wings, and so crucified was he, -that he started, took his bundle, determined to "let the mob tak their -will o' him"--a resolution in which he was checked by a medical man. - -The innkeeper, Mr Fraser, in the meantime, apprehensive for the safety of -his premises, was anxious to eject his dangerous customer. The entire town -was, in short, so completely convulsed that it was impossible to tell -what would happen next, and, after deliberation, the magistrates, who had -a very onerous duty to perform, hit upon an expedient for getting quit of -him, which, though successfully executed, had ten chances to one against -it. Betwixt two and three, a chaise and pair were brought to the door of -the King's Arms, a trunk buckled on, and a great fuss made; and while -these means were employed as a decoy-duck, another chaise was got ready -almost at the bottom of the back entry, and completely excluded from the -view of the mob. The next step was to clear the room, and, after this, to -get Hare to clamber, or, rather, jump out of the window of his prison, and -crouch, cat-like, along the wall facing the stables. The task was well -executed: the moment he got to the bottom and sprang into the chaise, the -doors were closed and the whip cracked. Never before did a chaise rattle -so furiously along the streets of Dumfries. To pass Mr Rankin's and round -the corner of Richardson's brewery occupied only moments; but here the -turn was taken so sharply that the chaise ran for a time on two side -wheels. Had it upset, Hare was doomed; but the driver recovered the -position of the coach, and away again at even a more rapid rate. The mob -by this time had become suspicious of a manoeuvre, and, as the driver had -a considerable round to make, they rushed in a twinkling and in prodigious -masses to intercept him at the middle of the sands. A rush down Bank -Street like the letting out of waters, and from the opposite side of the -river, numbers, suspecting the cause, hurried with such fury over the old -bridge that the driver seemed destined to be outflanked and surrounded; -nor could he have avoided this had it not been for the mettle of his -horses and the willing arm that urged them on. Once again his charge is -saved from instant death. - -Even yet the flight was far from being accomplished. At every instant, he -was intercepted and threatened, and, though he cowered down, stones -threatened him on every side. Some stood still from inability to run, but -others immediately supplied their places, filling up with almost the speed -of thought the wake of the careering coach. An impression now prevailed -that the driver meant to gallop out the Galloway road, and a rush was made -to the western angle of the new bridge--a mistake which operated as a -diversion in favour of the driver--nor were the few moments gained -misemployed. The sharp corner of Dr Wood's laboratory was cleared almost -at a single bound, and as he had now a broad street before him, nothing -could exceed the fury with which he drove up to the jail door. Mr Hunter -had previously received his cue, and, though a strong chain was placed -behind the door, an opening was left to admit the fugitive. A spring over -the gulf, and Hare is again safe. - -His escape enraged the mob still more. As the numbers increased, they -laid regular siege to the place of safety, preventing all ingress or -egress. From four to eight, all was clamour and execration, and at -nightfall, for reasons of their own, they smashed and extinguished the -neighbouring lamps. A ponderous piece of iron was used as a battering-ram, -aided by heavy stones, the rebound of which was so incessant and -long-continued, that every fear was entertained they would succeed in -forcing the jail. It was next proposed to apply tar barrels and peats for -the purpose of forcing the door. By this time the magistrates were -thoroughly roused. The militia staff and police had done their best -without avail, and it was not till one hundred special constables were -sworn in and marched to the spot, with batons, that the peace of the city -was restored. Still the streets were in commotion, and it was afterwards -ascertained that the mob still retained the intention of forcing the -prison; but as the night waxed, their resolution waned, and at one o'clock -on Saturday morning not an individual was seen in Buccleuch Street. As the -opportunity was too good to be lost, Hare was roused from his bed, where -he had so long shivered, and ordered to prepare. While putting on his -clothes, he trembled violently, yet inquired eagerly for his cloak and -bundle; but as these articles were not at hand, he was told he must go -without them. As the whole population of Galloway were in arms, and as the -mail had been surrounded and searched at Crocketford toll-bar, and -probably at every other stage betwixt Dumfries and Port-Patrick, it would -have been madness to send him across the bridge, and he was recommended to -take another route. At three o'clock he was seen by a boy passing Dedbeck, -and must have been beyond the border by the break of day. The driver of -the mail reported that he saw him at a quarter-past five sitting on a heap -of stones within two miles of Carlisle. It seems he had been again -recognised, and told that the people of Carlisle were prepared to kill -him; and although he appeared completely done up, he turned by the -Newcastle road, and doubtless made his bed in the open fields. Little more -was ever heard of Hare. If the Almighty, as Mr M'Diarmid added, when He -appeared specially in the affairs of the world, left Cain to wander -hopeless on the face of the earth, why should not Hare have been subjected -to the same species of punishment? and, without wishing to refine too far, -we may say, as the Roman said long ago, "Everything must bow to the -majesty of the law; and that, from the weightiest circumstance down to the -smallest, there is a medium course--a middle path--beyond which no -rectitude and no safety to mortals can exist." - -As for Mrs Hare, she was liberated as soon after the trial as safety would -permit; but almost immediately upon her release, a crowd collected round -her. It was a cold, snowy day. She was pelted with snow-balls and stones, -and had some commiseration not been felt for the child she carried, she -would, in all probability, have fallen a victim to the violence of the -mob. Rescued by the police, she was conveyed to the Police-office, where -she found shelter and protection. She afterwards escaped, and wandered -about the country, not knowing whither to betake herself. At length she -turned up in Glasgow, in the hope of getting a steamer for Ireland. For -this purpose she was obliged to wait, and at night she ventured out to the -Broomielaw to get information. Next morning she repeated her venture, and -in Clyde Street was recognised by a woman, who cried out, "Hare's -wife--Burke her!" and threw a large stone at her. The signal was enough. A -crowd soon gathered, and pursuing her into the Calton offered her every -indignity, nor can it be known how far they would have proceeded if she -had not been taken from their hands by the police. It was described as -truly pitiful to see her stretched on the guard bed of the cell, with her -child clasped to her breast, weeping bitterly, and imploring the officers -not to allow her to be made a show of. She was entirely ignorant of the -fate of Hare, with whom she said she would never live again. All she -wanted was to get to Ireland, and end her miserable life in some retired -part of the country with penitence. She afterwards left Glasgow in the -Fingal, and nothing more was ever heard of Mrs Hare.[21] - -Some traces were also got of Helen M'Dougal.[22] Upon her release from the -lock-up house, she had the audacity or folly to repair to her old haunts -in the West Port, and even to appear in the street. She was recognised in -an instant, and at once surrounded by a mob threatening to seize her, but -fortunately the proximity of the district office insured protection, and -with difficulty she was lodged. Yet this was only the sign for an uproar. -The mob increased to an alarming size for the slender force, and the -officers were obliged to resort to an expedient to prevent an assault. A -ladder was placed at a back window, by which it was pretended that she had -got down, and the mob having dispersed, probably to pursue her, she was -conveyed, under an escort, to the head-office. Again venturing out, she -was repeatedly exposed to similar dangers, till, finding it impossible to -put out her head in Edinburgh, she left secretly for Redding in -Stirlingshire. She afterwards left that village, no doubt to be a -wanderer, like the others, and with as little hope of rest to her feet as -of peace to her soul. - - - - -The Final Cause. - - -There are one or two considerations connected with the history we have -given which, though having something of a philosophical look, are yet -sufficiently practical to be appreciated by the ordinary observer of human -nature and the ways of God with His creatures. It is doubtful if, from the -beginning, the actors in this drama were ever sufficiently understood; if -it is not more true to say, that the people, eager to conserve the -prestige of man's dignity, have been inclined, after the manner of -purists, to set off exceptions to the general laws of human nature as the -foil of some heaven-born exemption from crime. They have uniformly mixed -contempt with their hatred of these strange men. They have not thought -them entitled to be objects of consideration, far less study. They have -represented them as something so far below their kind, that their deeds -can no more enter as elements into a lesson than those of maniacs, or of -the lower animals, who are exempted from the laws of responsibility, and -so they have shewn an inclination to cast them out of the wide province -of history; or, if they would allow them to remain within the precincts of -annals, they would consign them to the grotesque page of _monstra -horrenda_. - -It is no doubt beneficial for man to think well of the good, but it is not -advantageous for him to think lightly of the evil potentialities of his -nature. We cannot deny that these men and women were sane; and we have -higher authority than a wish-born logic or a self-gratifying rhetoric to -satisfy us that "the heart of man is deceitful above all things and -desperately wicked." The authority is from heaven, and there is no want of -verifying examples upon earth; nay, if we abate the "putrid coruscations," -or what have been called "the blue lights of necromancy" that play round -these sordid murders, and which are at least nourished by the fancy, we -may find every day cases scarcely less cruel and scarcely less sordid,--if -we might not even say that it requires some analysis to find the -difference in mere turpitude between a man who murders for the money that -is about the body and one who slays for that which the body will bring. -Then the repetition adds nothing to the atrocity of the individual act, -while the premeditation is as signal in the slouching highwayman as in him -who wiles the victim to the fatal den. In short, we may make what parade -we please of the gradations of atrocity and the shades of our feelings, -but we must always come back to the beginning, that there are no degrees -of wickedness in those who have renounced God. - -Not only, however, were these individuals sane; one among them, and the -leader, was intelligent, had wit and humour, could feel the superficial -sentiment of a pathetic lyric, and, above all, possessed ingenuity to the -extent of inventing a new crime which has gone, with his name, over the -world. The women, too, were intelligent and apt; nor has it been said that -Mrs Hare did not feel the yearnings of a mother, or that M'Dougal was -false to the affection, however low, which bound her to the tyrant who -enslaved her. Even Hare was not a fool--a character inconsistent with a -will-power which could govern a woman of his wife's acknowledged -adroitness, and lead, if not rule, a man such as Burke, so that we may say -that, so far as regards mere intelligence, the quaternity were a fair -enough specimen of the people of their class, in which certain parts of -our city abound; while Burke may be safely pronounced as being -considerably above the average of uncultivated minds, left as a waste for -the culture of the devil. But not only in this aspect were they worthy of -study--they were perfect in their moral organisation as embodiments of -evil, with no scruples, no misgivings, no backcomings of penitence, no -fear of the future, and no remorse for the past. They were not only "clear -grits"--they were "crystals." They were, out of millions, creatures suited -to the work they did--the work was suited to them, and they did it with -all that concentration of purpose and uniformity of action which proclaim -the being under alienation from the Almighty. - -In what we here venture to say we have a sufficient apology for -disinterring these people and their deeds, as constituting the great -lesson, that it is the _occasion_ that tests the man; even as it is true -what the proverb says, that a man is never known till he is invested with -power. As an abstract aphorism, that proverb has but little influence; it -is only when we see it reduced to the concrete that we feel its truth and -lay it up in our hearts; and this we are the more ready to do that, while -we are well penetrated by that horror which is fear, we are not the less -under the influence of that other horror, which is hatred. And here we -insist for a distinction which may silence those who indulge in the fancy, -that it is not useful or good to pander to an appetite for details which, -while they harrow the heart, are yet, by some strange peculiarity in our -nature, not without a grim charm calculated to fascinate and yet not to -deter. The fault here lies at the door of the chronicler, for it is he who -holds the wand, and it requires only the mode of using it to change the -appetite into a revulsion, and to make the horror which is hatred -paramount for good. It is only man who is false to nature, never nature to -herself. Such deeds she exhibits in their true colours, and he who -interprets her can only be true to his office when he produces those -emotions which she produced in him uncoloured by the lights of a -factitious fancy. - -We may thus, even without going further, find a final cause in these -terrible acts done by creatures made after the image of God. We have no -more right to inquire why evil should be made to deter from evil, than to -investigate into the origin of evil itself. Enough if we know and -experience that the wages of sin is death; but we have here even more to -consider. While we can have no doubt that the tragedy of Burke and Hare is -calculated to deter not only from that sin which it involves, but from all -those lesser ones which follow from the temptations of mammon, we have to -recollect that it put an end to a pre-existing evil of gigantic magnitude, -and which all the adjurations of a distressed people were not able -otherwise to effect. That evil, as we have seen, was body-snatching. No -sooner were the murders which the temptations of that practice induced -brought to light, than our legislators took to their powers and duties, -and righted the nation. They saved the affections of the heart without -annulling the aspirations of the intellect, served the purpose of science -in its remedial application to physical ills, without desecrating the -temple where burned the light of the spirit, and through which these ills -are felt. - - -BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Scotland, with her open church-yards in secluded places, groaned under -this infliction for centuries. See "An Account of the most horrid and -unchristian actions of the Grave-makers in Edinburgh, their raising and -selling of the dead, abhorred by Turks and heathens, found out in this -present year, 1711, in the month of May." We offer an extract:-- - - "Methink I hear the latter trumpet sound, - When emptie graves into this place is found, - Of young and old, which is most strange to me, - What kind of resurrection this may be. - I thought God had reserved this power alone - Unto Himself, till He erect'd His throne - Into the clouds with His attendants by, - That He might judge the world in equity; - But now I see the contrair in our land, - Since men do raise the dead by their own hand." - -The price was known too, as a fixed thing apparently-- - - "As I'm inform'd the chirurgeons did give - Forty shillings for each one they receive." - -[2] Take this specimen of his self-esteem:--"Gentlemen, I may mention that -I have already taught the science of anatomy to about 5000 medical men now -spread over the surface of the earth, and some of these have turned out -most remarkable for their knowledge, genius, and originality, for they now -occupy some of the most conspicuous and trying positions in Europe. As a -piece of curious testimony to my capabilities of communicating to you -knowledge, I may venture to mention to you an interesting fact which took -place last summer while on a visit to my distinguished friend and pupil, -the Right Honourable the Earl of Breadalbane, at his beautiful and -picturesque seat of Taymouth Castle, in the shire of Perth. At a large -party given by the noble Earl to the leading nobility and gentry of -Scotland, where, to use the beautiful language of Byron, - - 'A thousand hearts beat happily, and when - Music arose with its voluptuous swell, - And all went merry as a marriage-bell;' - -I, who was there as the Earl's guest, and knew personally none of the -noble Earl's distinguished personages of the party, happened to fall -accidentally into conversation with a noble lord--an adjoining proprietor -of our generous host's--on the subject of the breeding of cattle; and, -although our conversation originated in the slightest possible -observation, it went on naturally enough, until, by imperceptible degrees, -I was forced to open up the whole extensive stores of my anatomical and -physiological knowledge, (especially the comparative departments of these -subjects,) and before I had addressed myself to the noble lord for ten -minutes continuously, for I actually felt myself inspired by my situation, -the whole beauty and fashion of the large suite of rooms were surrounding -me, and seemed entranced with the deep thought that poured from my lips. I -naturally felt somewhat abashed that I had drawn upon myself so much -observation, but the direct and indirect compliments that were paid to -knowledge and eloquence amply compensated for this painful sensation. -Among other things, I shall never forget the observation of an old, -fashionable, and distinguished dame, evidently belonging to the middle -portion of the last century, in these memorable words, 'He's a cunning -loon that, he would wile the lav'rock frae the lift,' for her quaint -remark seemed to embody, in few words, the entire sentiment of the large -and distinguished company, all illustrating the adage of Bacon, that -knowledge is power; and, when brought to bear with eloquence and -propriety, it affects equally all conditions of life with its mighty -overwhelming strength." - -[3] The following, extracted from the MS. notes of a student, may be taken -as a specimen of Knox's mode of dealing with his brethren:-"Before -commencing to-day's lecture, I am compelled by the sacred calls of duty to -notice an extraordinary surgical operation which has this morning been -performed in a neighbouring building by a gentleman [Mr Liston] who, I -believe, regards himself as the first surgeon in Europe. A country -labourer from the neighbourhood of Tranent came to the Infirmary a few -days ago with an aneurism of considerable extent, connected with one of -the large arteries of the neck; and, notwithstanding of its being obvious -to the merest tyro that it was an aneurism, the most distinguished surgeon -in Europe, after an apparently searching examination, pronounced it to be -an abscess. Accordingly, this professional celebrity--who, among other -things, plumes himself upon the wonderful strength of his hands and arms, -without pretension to head, and is an amateur member of the ring--plunged -his knife into what he thus foolishly imagined to be an abscess; and the -blood, bursting forth from the deep gash in the aneurismal sac, the -patient was dead in a few seconds. This notable member of the profession -is actually an extra-academical lecturer on surgery in this great -metropolis; and on this occasion was assisted by a gentleman similarly -constituted, both intellectually and physically, who had been trained up -under the fostering care of a learned professor in a certain university, -who inherited his anatomical genius from his ancestors, and who has -recently published a work on the anatomy of the human body, in which, -among other notabilities, no notice is taken of the pericardium. Tracing -the assistant of our distinguished operator further back, I have -discovered that he had been originally apprenticed to a butcher of this -city, but that he had been dismissed from this service for stealing a -sheep's head and trotters from his employer's shambles. It is surely -unnecessary for me to add that a knowledge of anatomy, physiology, -pathology, and surgery, is neither connected with nor dependent upon brute -force, ignorance, and presumption; nor has it anything to do with an utter -destitution of honour and common honesty."--(Roars of applause, mixed with -a few hisses.) - -[4] However little connexion there seems between our indifference as to -what becomes of the body and our belief in the immortality of the soul, it -is, nevertheless, certain that believers and unbelievers do not view the -subject in the same light. The ancients, in spite of Aristotle, (as we -find him construed by Pomponatius,) were greater _natural_ believers in -the doctrine of the soul's immortality, than the moderns, in spite of Des -Cartes. And see how they venerated the dead! The Athenians put to death -six generals who had achieved for them the greatest of their victories, -because they had omitted to bury those who had been killed. When Alcyoneus -took the head of Pyrrhus to his father Antigonus, that king struck the -bearer with a staff, covered his eyes, and wept, and ordered that the dead -body and the head should be honourably put on the pyre. The rabbinical -fable of the _Luz_, or little bone of the size of a grain, which could not -be destroyed even by fire, and from which _nostrum corpus animate -repullulascet_, seems to have spread beyond Judea. We need not speak of -Egypt and its sacred mummies. - -[5] If, in these narratives, it may be found that I depart in some details -from the discrepant confessions of Burke, I have to plead such authority -as I possess, in a collection of notes taken at the time by one who -intended to use them in a fuller account than that comprised in the two -pamphlets published by Buchanan. - -[6] She had been once a lodger in Log's house. - -[7] On examining the animal, the knackers found that many old sores become -hollows had been filled up with tow, and then plastered over with a thin -skin. - -[8] They are fully described, for the first time we believe, in -"Curiosities of Crime in Edinburgh." - -[9] We adopt this version in preference to another, which substitutes -Burke. - -[10] It was never believed that the cases confessed to by Burke exhausted -the real list. One in particular, that of a little Italian boy, Ludovico, -who went about with white mice, was a favourite story which could not be -doubted, when it was known that the people of Tanner's Close saw, for -years afterwards, the two little animals haunting the dark recesses, where -their young master had been sacrificed. And many other visions were seen -there besides those of the white mice. But, apart from these -superstitions, it is certain that there was found in Hare's house a cage -with the mice's turning-wheel in it, which clearly had belonged to one of -these Italian wanderers. The silence of Burke on the subject is of no -importance, for his confessions did not agree, and, besides, it was -properly asked, might not poor Ludovico have been the subject which Hare -managed "on his own hook" unknown to Burke? Like the others, he would be -mourned, but it would be far away in some little hamlet among the -Apennines. - -[11] A subscription was raised for Gray. He had saved the lives of -probably a score of men and women; but so poorly was he remunerated, that -he did not get a pound a head for these _lives_, or a tenth of that got by -Burke for his _bodies_. - -[12] The fury against the doctors ran so high not only in Edinburgh, but -in Dumfries, that they were exposed to the risk of the fate they -experienced under Cato the Censor:--"Romani quondam, sub Catone Censorio, -medicos omnes et urbe tota et tota Italia pepulerunt eorum funesta -mendacia crudelitatemque aversati."--_Agrippa de Van. Scien._ cap. 83. -See, too, Montaigne:--"Les Romains avaient este six cens ans avant que de -recevoir la médecine; mais après l'avoir essayée, ils la chassèrent de -leur ville par entremise de Caton le Censeur." This proscription of -doctors lasted to the time of the first emperors; but even if they had -been tolerated, the national reverence for the dead would have been an -effectual bar to such practices as Scotland groaned under for centuries. -We are not left to wonder how they contrived to keep the body right in -these ancient times, for we know that Cato purged his household; and -Horace lets us up to the knowledge the old women had of simples. - -[13] The allusion is to Knox. His house was afterwards surrounded by a -furious mob, who smashed his windows, and he was obliged to secrete -himself for a time. - -[14] The entire Parliament Square rang as by the echoes of a jubilee. - -[15] The story that the cancerous affection arose from the saliva of Daft -Jamie, communicated by a bite, was resolutely held to by the people. - -[16] "He struggled a good deal," says an eye-witness, who was very near, -"and put out his legs as if to catch something with his feet; but some of -the undertaker's men, who were below the drop, took him by the feet, and -sent him spinning round,--a motion which was continued until he was drawn -up above the level of the scaffold." - -[17] An eye-witness, whose notes we have, says, "He (Burke) was one of the -most symmetrical men I ever saw, finely-developed muscles, and -finely-formed, of the athlete class." - -[18] "After this exhibition," says an eye-witness, "Burke was cut up and -put in pickle for the lecture-table. He was cut up in quarters, or rather -portions, and salted, and, with a strange aptness of poetical justice, put -into barrels. At that time an early acquaintance and school-fellow was -assistant to the professor, and with him I frequently visited the -dissecting-room, when calling on him at his apartments at the College. He -is now a physician in the Carse of Gowrie. He shewed me Burke's remains, -and gave me the skin of his _neck_ and of the right arm. These I had -_tanned_--the neck brown, and the arm white. The white was as pure as -white kid, but as thick as white sheepskin; and the brown was like brown -tanned sheepskin. It was curious that the mark of the rope remained on the -leather after being tanned. Of that neck-leather I had a tobacco-doss -made; and on the white leather of the right arm I got Johnston to print -the portraits of Burke and his wife, and Hare, which I gave to the noted -antiquarian and collector of curiosities, Mr Fraser, jeweller, and it was -in one of his cases for many years--may be still, if he is alive." - -[19] The portraits of Burke and M'Dougal were got by the artist's having -been introduced into the judges' private room, behind the bench. To -complete the group, Mr Johnston, the engraver, managed through the -governor to get an artist into the passage between the airing-grounds, -when Hare was taking his walk. Hare saw the party sketching, came right up -to the iron grating, and stood like a soldier at attention, until the -sketch was completed. He then said, "Now, sir, peetch me a shilling for -that." - -[20] For much of what follows of Hare's flight we are indebted to the -pencil-pen of Mr M'Diarmid of the _Dumfries Courier_. - -[21] We might, perhaps, say, except till now. Not long ago, we were told -by a lady, who was in Paris about the year 1859, that, having occasion for -a nurse, she employed a woman, apparently between sixty and seventy years -of age. She gave her name as Mrs Hare, and upon being questioned whether -she had been ever in Scotland, she denied it, stating that she came from -Ireland. Yet she often sung Scotch songs; and what brings out the -suspicion that she was the real Mrs Hare the more is, that she had a -daughter, whose age, over thirty, agrees perfectly with that of the infant -she had in her arms when in court. In addition to all this, the woman's -face was just that of the picture published at the time. - -[22] After Burke's execution, M'Dougal is said to have made a wonderful -revelation. One night, when the two men were deep in an orgy, Burke put -the question, "What they would do when they could get no more bodies?" to -which Hare answered, "That they could never be absolutely at a loss while -their two wives remained, but that would only be when they were hard up." -The conversation had been overheard by one of the women. - - - - -POPULAR WORKS BY ALEXANDER LEIGHTON, - -AUTHOR OF "THE COURT OF CACUS," &C. - - -Second Edition, crown 8vo, cloth extra, price 3s. 6d., - -CURIOUS STORIED TRADITIONS OF SCOTTISH LIFE. - -BY ALEXANDER LEIGHTON. - -CONTENTS:-- - - The White Scalp. - The Ten of Diamonds. - Sergeant Davies' Ghost. - The Chance Question. - The Woman with the White Mice. - The Knife-thrust in the Dark. - The Scored Back. - The Long Slipper. - The Diamond Eyes. - The Lord Advocate's Warrant. - -"Mr Leighton, in this volume, has collected nine or ten stories, and has -told them very clearly and effectively.... Some of the stories relate -incidents of a curious kind, that have formed the subject of inquiry in -criminal courts of justice.... The volume makes an excellent whole."--_The -Saturday Review._ - -"In the story of the 'Woman with the White Mice,' we have a graphic -account of the extraordinary trial of Mrs S----of D----; a case of murder -in which Jeffrey performed his greatest feat of oratory and power over a -jury.... Besides being characterised by variety of incident, vigorous -thought, and simplicity of expression, these tales have a noble purpose to -serve."--_The Literary Gazette._ - -"All the tales are remarkably well told, and, in some instances, wrought -up to a climax of no ordinary excitement."--_The Leader._ - -"An admirable book for the fireside; and those who love excitement will -find it in these pages without stint."--_The Weekly Dispatch._ - -"A very entertaining volume, evincing no ordinary powers of -characterisation and description, caustic humour, and varied -knowledge."--_Scottish Press._ - -"This volume is one to which Mr Leighton may be proud to prefix his name -as its author."--_Northern Ensign._ - -"The 'Ten of Diamonds' is one of the most exciting tales ever -written."--_Morning Star._ - -"The wild weird interest of some of these stories is almost supernaturally -intense."--_Caledonian Mercury._ - - -Price 3s. 6d., crown 8vo, cloth extra, - -A SECOND VOLUME OF CURIOUS STORIED - -TRADITIONS OF SCOTTISH LIFE. - -BY ALEXANDER LEIGHTON. - -Author of "The Court of Cacus," &c. - -CONTENTS:-- - - The Amateur Robbery at Muttonhole. - The Dowser of Arthur's Seat. - The College Porter of St Andrews. - The House in Bell's Wynd. - The Cradle of Logie. - The Bride of Bell's Tower. - Swinton House and its Fairy. - The Murder in the King's Park in 1715. - -"We defy any one who loves a tale to sit down to one of these and not to -be nailed to his chair till the 'charm's wound up.'"--_Athenæum._ - -"To those who love good tales of terror and crime, the present volume will -be delightful."--_Spectator._ - -"The stories are told with great dramatic skill."--_Westminster Review._ - -"This volume will be welcome to a very large circle of readers."--_Glasgow -Citizen._ - -"In this volume a great amount of ingenuity is employed, and an even -greater amount of odd out-of-the-way reading is indicated.... The volume -is curious and interesting."--_The Scotsman._ - -"The Story of the 'House in Bell's Wynd' is almost tremendous in its -gathering climax, the breathless terror evolved by the main leading -feature not in any degree suffering from the quieter termination of the -narrative. The other stories are of a startling order, and, for the -fireside, with the muttering winds and the falling snows without, we do -not know of a more fascinating volume."--_Weekly Dispatch._ - -"Mr Leighton has a power of vivid description, and an art of interpolating -mysterious thoughts and reflections, which makes him unrivalled in the -recital of a tale of mystery or murder; and in certain portions, where the -awful story arrives at its climax, he seems to revel in his description of -the details."--_Glasgow Herald._ - -"Mr Leighton is one of the best story-tellers of our time. He puts in his -shadows so very deep and dark as sometimes to make the feeling of horror, -although romantic, too intense to be agreeable; but he never fails -strongly to interest one, which is the sure test of success in this sort -of writing."--_Dundee Advertiser._ - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COURT OF CACUS*** - - -******* This file should be named 41642-8.txt or 41642-8.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/1/6/4/41642 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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