to take their affirmations, as in the case of
Quakers. But surely neither a father nor a sister will scruple in a case of this
kind. As I said before, I will go speak with them myself, when the hurry of this
Porteous investigation is somewhat over; their pride and spirit of contradiction
will be far less alarmed, than if they were called into a court of justice at
once.«
    »And I suppose Butler is to remain incarcerated?« said the city-clerk.
    »For the present, certainly,« said the magistrate. »But I hope soon to set
him at liberty upon bail.«
    »Do you rest upon the testimony of that light-headed letter?« asked the
clerk.
    »Not very much,« answered the Bailie; »and yet there is something striking
about it too - it seems the letter of a man beside himself, either from great
agitation, or some great sense of guilt.«
    »Yes,« said the town-clerk, »it is very like the letter of a mad strolling
play-actor, who deserves to be hanged with all the rest of his gang, as your
honour justly observes.«
    »I was not quite so bloodthirsty,« continued the magistrate. »But to the
point, Butler's private character is excellent; and I am given to understand, by
some inquiries I have been making this morning, that he did actually arrive in
town only the day before yesterday, so that it was impossible he could have been
concerned in any previous machinations of these unhappy rioters, and it is not
likely that he should have joined them on a suddenty.«
    »There's no saying anent that - zeal catches fire at a slight spark as fast
as a brunstane match,« observed the secretary. »I hae kend a minister wad be
fair gude-day and fair gude-e'en wi' ilka man in the parochine, and hing just as
quiet as a rocket on a stick, till ye mentioned the word abjuration-oath, or
patronage, or siclike, and then, whiz, he was off, and up in the air an hundred
miles beyond common manners, common sense, and common comprehension.«
    »I do not understand,« answered the burgher-magistrate, »that the young man
Butler's zeal is of so inflammable a character. But I will make farther
investigation. What other business is there before us?«
    And they proceeded to minute investigations concerning the affair of
Porteous's death, and other affairs through which this history