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

182 THE LIFE AND DEATH OF
Majesty's menial servants attending, especially if
the King was still continuing to speak to him in a
gracious manner. There was, however, only one
of them remaining when Sir John Ramsay after-
wards entered the chamber, and this servant in-
stantly disappeared, by running down the narrow
turnpike. I delay not to observe, that he could
not have been Henderson ; for if Henderson had
come forth armed, and running from the turnpike
into the court yard, he must have been known by
many of the people who were there assembled,
whose testimony afterwards would have been of the
greatest importance in favour of the king.
It is confidently asserted, that it was the Duke
of Lennox w T ho alarmed the rest of the courtiers
with the report of the King's having gone away.
In the morning the King had acted in the same
manner at Falkland, by hastily mounting his horse,
and leaving his retinue to follow with as much speed
as they pleased. The courtiers were all now in
motion. Most of them were anxious to have their
horses, that they might overtake the King, and
some of them were inquiring whether it was true
that his Majesty was away. It was but a short
time that they were in this state of perplexity, and
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