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

JOHN, EAttL OF GOWRIE. 181
the keeper of his Majesty's ale cellar. One or all
of them may have been stationed in the Earl's clo-
set, with the connivance of Robert Chrystie, the
Earl's porter. Even one of them armed was suffi-
cient, if need should be, to overpower Mr. Alex-
ander, who had only a rapier, rusted in the sheath,
and which was found upon him undrawn after his
death.
Mr. Alexander led the King, not through many
doors and houses, which were all locked after them,
as the King reported, but up the broad stair to the
long gallery, and through it to the gallery chamber
and closet. If Mr. Alexander had locked many
doors, and put the keys into his pocket, the keys
would have been found upon him after his death,
when his clothes were searched. But there was no
want of keys at that time. The door between the
gallery and its chamber had, indeed, been locked,
and was kept so till after the death of the two
brothers, to prevent the Earl's friends and servants
from entering that way, and this was probably done
by the Earl's porter, who afterwards gave the key,
most probably, to Sir Thomas Erskine.
Mr. Alexander might not be much startled at
finding in the gallery chamber one or more of his