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

202 THE LIFE AND DEATH OF
of them were wounded in the scuffle, and all of
them, together with Mr. Thomas Cranston, who
before had been wounded, were driven down the
stair, and the people below beheld them coming
from it.
At the opposite door of the gallery chamber,
were the Duke of Lennox, the Earl of Mar, and
sundry other courtiers, knocking for admittance.
They detached Robert Brown, a servant of his
Majesty, to inform his Majesty, that they, who
were his friends, were waiting to be admitted.
Brown, when he entered, saw the dead body of the
Earl of Gowrie lying on the floor. Having de-
livered the message he had received, the door was
opened to the nobles, and after their entrance,
again was locked. Now the King, the affair having
succeeded to his wish, and being in perfect safety,
came forth from the closet. Conformable to the
religious part of his character, he kneeled upon the
floor, and all the nobles followed his example. His
Majesty was the speaker. " He praised God for
the victory he had obtained, and for his miraculous
deliverance from peril. At the same time expres-
sing his hope, that his life had been preserved for
his perfecting some greater work, which would re-