History of the life and death of John, Earl of Gowrie

12 LIST OF TRACTS.
cumstance of the great number, of gentlemen and
armed horsemen from the country who assembled
at Perth on the day of the conspiracy, without
knowing the real design for which they were called
to go thither; and for confirmation of the truth of
this circumstance, he refers to the second volume
of Nisbet's Heraldry.
11. STEWART'S COLLECTIONS.
In the manuscript book before mentioned, to
which I gave the name of" Stewart's Collections,"
is a copious " Dissertation concerning the family
of the Ruthvens Earls of Gowrie." The event at
Perth, August 5, 1600, is circumstantially related,
and in a manner corresponding to the traditionary
accounts.
The author says, " About fifty-four, or sixty
years ago, there were several old gentlemen and
farmers in Perthshire, then about eighty years of
age, whose fathers saw and knew all the circum-
stances of this matter, at the time it was transacted,
and which they handed down to their families ;
and which is the cause of the universal belief of