Scotland/Scots > Life of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Ellerslie, and Guardian of Scotland

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NOTES.
to take possession of the castle, a carpenter, one Hol¬
land, met him in the woods of Colquhoun, about a
mile from it, and having obtained liberty to speak
with the king concerning a matter of great importance,
he told him what treachery the governor intended
against him, nay and had prepared to execute it.
It was this. In a wine cellar concealed and under
ground, a number of Englishmen were hid, who,
when the rest of the castle should he given up, and
the king secure, were to issue forth upon him, as he
was at dinner, and either to kill him or take him
prisoner. This being thus related, the king, upon
the surrender of the other parts by John being kindly
invited to a feast refused to eat, till as he had search¬
ed all other parts of the castle, so he had viewed that
wine cellar also. The governor excused it, pretend¬
ing that the smith who had the key was out of the
way, but that he would come again anon. The king,
not satisfied therewith, caused the door to be broke
open, and so the plot was discovered. The English
were brought forth in their armour, and being seve¬
rally examined, confessed the whole matter, and they
added also another discovery, viz. that a ship rode
ready in the next bay to carry the king into England.
The accomplices in this wicked design were put to
death; but John was kept in prison, because the king
was loth to offend his kindred, and especially his
sons-in-law in so dangerous a time; for he had many
daughters, all of whom very beautiful, and married
to men rich enough but factious. Therefore, in a
time of such imminent danger, the battle drawing