At eleven o’clock he wrote the following letter to the Lord Provost, in a strong, firm hand:—
Edinburgh, Tolbooth,
Oct. 1. 1788, Eleven o’clock.
My Lord,
As none of my relations can stand being present at my dissolution, I humbly request that your Lordship will permit —— to attend, it will be some consolation in my last hour; and that your Lordship will please give orders that my body after be delivered to —— and by no means to remain in goal; that he and my friends may have it decently dressed and interred. This is the last favour and request of
Your most obedient,
but most unfortunate,
Will. Brodie.
About eleven o’clock the chains which had been on Mr. Brodie’s legs since his condemnation were taken off. He was then visited by a few select friends, with whom he conversed with the greatest composure.
About one o’clock he ate a beef-steak and drank some port wine, and during this last repast he made some ludicrous remarks to Smith.
At two o’clock the guard marched up and surrounded the place of execution, at the west end of the Luckenbooths, and soon after the captain on duty informed the magistrates, in the Council Chamber, that all was ready. The magistrates then put on their robes of office; with white gloves and white staves, and followed by the clergymen in black gowns and bands, proceeded from the Council Chamber to the prison, attended by the proper officers.
At two o’clock a message came from the magistrates that they were in waiting, upon which Mr. Brodie said he was ready. He accordingly went downstairs, insisting that Smith should go first. Upon passing the room that Bruce and Falconer were in he took his farewell of them through the grate of the door, observing that, as His Majesty had given them a respite of six weeks, he did not doubt but he would at last grant them a pardon. When he entered the west stair a glass of cinnamon water was given him by some of his friends, with whom he still conversed most familiarly.
The magistrates reached the scaffold about ten minutes after two. The two senior magistrates only attended, as the other two gentlemen in the magistracy happened to have been on the jury of the unfortunate criminals; and in this singular case it was certainly a very becoming delicacy to excuse their attendance.