Bannatyne Club > Discoverie and historie of the gold mynes in Scotland

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certaine intellegence, hearing so good a report of the gold of Scot-
land, he sold much of his owne goods, and therwth made a cer-
taine sum of money, and procured others his countrymen to adventure
with him ; and he went with authority to supply the said gold mines
in Scotland, &c. And Abraham Grey hired many poore inhabitants
there, (as it is registred in that booke of record ;) and he gave the poore
men iiij''. starling the day, and to find themselves therwith, which
contented them as well as xij''. doth content the English workemen in
these dayes. He had plenty of victualls in his storehouse at Win-
locke-Head, which now is in decay. He was supplied with all sorts
of necessary tooles. The workemen washed and scowred in vallies
and combes. He never sought the mountaines or mosses upon high
hills for a solidd place, nor for a bedd or vaine thereof. And in these
vallies at Winlocke-Head he gott a good quantity of naturall gold.
He paid all his workemen weekly ; and he lent to diverse men, before-
hand, money, as it is written in that parchment booke, saying.
With this naturall gold gotten in the Grey-beard's time (for so was
he called, because of his gi-eat long beard, which he could have bound
about his midle,) was made a very faire deepe bason, of the same na-
turall gold, without any addition of any other gold, att Edcnborough,
in Canncgate Streete ; it was made by a Scottsman ; it conteyned by
estimation within the brymes thereof, an English gallon of liquor.
The same bason was of cleene, neete, naturall gold ; it selfe was then
filled upp to the bryme with coyned peeces of gold, called unicornes,
which bason and peeces both were presented unto the French Kinge
by the said Regent, the Earle of Moreton, who signified (upon his ho-
nour) unto the King, (saying,) " My Lord, behold this bason and all
that therein is : it is natural gold, gotten within this kingdom of Scot-
land, by a Dutchman, named Abraham Grey." And Abraham Grey
was standing by, and affirmed it uppon a sollemne oath. But he said
unto the said Kinge, that he thought it did engender and increase within