The Heart of Mid-Lothian Volume 1 Chapter 2

In which the sombre and imposing scene of an impending execution in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket is set forth with careful attention to the place, the customs, and the varied sentiments of the populace; and wherein the narrative recounts the desperate exploits and fated trial of Andrew Wilson and his comrade, whose last moments stir a mingling of compassion and unrest among the city’s inhabitants. The clergyman’s solemn exhortations and Wilson’s daring interruption within the Tolbooth Church cast a stirring light upon the human passions and judgments bound up in this grim occasion.