Papers relating to William, first Earl of Gowrie, and Patrick Ruthven, his fifth and last surviving son

32 Observations on the Trial and Death of
cause, I said, I was not so beastlie as to pen my owen ac-
cusation ; you aunswered, that by this the Kingf Ma tie should
the more be offended, & have the juster cause of wrath
against me, yet for the tyme you could not otherwise pswade
me, till at the last you said, it stod not w th the Kingf honor
to capitulate w th his subject^ by writtinge. You left my [me]
then, and after came to me, & sware uppon yo r honors &
faith, that the Kinge sware unto you, that he graunted me
my life if I would disclose those doingf wherof I should be
asked. I did yeld upon this promise, & did wright thes
thingf wherof I am to be accused ; therfore this matter,
w ch I wrought by necessitie, should not be layd to my
charge in respect of the Kf pmise. The Advocat made
contradiction to 1 this, and shewed that the Lordf and others
whome he named had not power to pmise life to him. The
other answered this : " When y e Kinge had promised unto
them, w ch they avouched by ther oth unto me V " Aske them
then," saith the Advocat. They beinge inquired, denied suche
pmise was made by the K. to them, or by them to him. He
aunswered, "You will not say so, my Lordf ; for upon yo r
hono rs you swarre to me. I refer it to yo r othes, I am
suer you will not deuie it." They sware it was not so. Then
said my Lord, " This is a strainge matter, that neyther law
nor pmise can availe : yet, my Lordf , I speak to you all,
might it please you to goe to the Kinge to knowe his minde
towardf me." They after consultacon refused to goe. The
Clarke after pceeded, askinge first, what answer made he to
the last accusation. He said, " I denie it all, for I knowe
not Mr. David Hume." "Ye are further to be accused,
for directing yo r s r vant Mr. Patrik Whitlow w* the letters
of Angus, who cam to you to Dunde 2 w* ires Irom him, crav-
ing yo r assistace in this entreprice." " I answer, that I
diswadid them, and shewed to them that they wold be no
mo then they brought w th them at the first. And yet whie
is it nott best, & lawfull, to the nobilitie to assemble them-
1 Tho, in MS. '-' Diuide, in MS.