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

136 THE LIFE AND DEATH OF*
Chronicle, which was in the possession of the late
Mr. James Cant, it is said, " In the year of God,
a thousand, five hundred and five score years, my
Lord Gowrie came home out of France, and in the
month of May, twentieth day, at six hours at even,
came to this town with sundry Barons convoy."
William Sanderson, Esquire, who published his
history in the year 1656, gives a very unfair repre-
sentation of the Earl's character, and of his motive
of retiring from the Court. He says, " Gowrie,
after he came home from abroad, was extraordinary
ambitious, proud, and haughty. He was too big
in his own thoughts to be comprehended within
Court observance. He retired therefore to his fa-
mily, accompanied by such of his creatures as would
descend to observe him. Only, to save appearan-
ces, his brother Alexander was left to play the cour-
tier, being of the King's bed-chamber*."
Sanderson was notoriously a party writer. His
history abounds with errors, and meets with little
credit. The Earl indeed might be accused of be-
ing haughty when he seemed to disrelish the con-
versation of the King, which was vulgar in the ex-
* Sanderson's History, page 226.