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

JOHN, EARL OF GOWRIE* 161
of zeal in favour of Presbyterian Church govern-
ment. If he remained in the town on the fifth of
August, he must have been well acquainted with
the circumstances of the event which there hap-
pened ; which may account for the constancy and
intrepidity of his conduct in his after trial before
the King. He declared that he did not believe
that the Earl of Gowrie and his brother were trai-
tors ; and that he did not believe that Andrew
Henderson had been in the gallery chamber with
the King and Mr. Alexander Ruthven. " Hen-
derson," said he, " is suffered not only to live, but
is rewarded ; whereas, if I had seen the King's life
in hazard, and not ventured my own life to rescue
him, I think that I should not now deserve to
live*."
There should have been a meeting that morning
of the Magistrates or Town-Council. But the Earl,
as their Provost, sent notice that he could not meet
with them, as he was necessarily engaged in some
other business*.
The Earl, after his breakfast, was visited about ten
o'clock in the forenoon by Peter Hay of Megginch,
* Livingston's Memoirs, page 8.
t Moncrief 's Deposition.
M