History of the earldoms of Strathern, Monteith, and Airth

7^ HISTORY OF THE EARLDOMS OF
William
SEVENTH Earl
In May 1633 the Earl of Monteith appears
less^"*"^^""" ^^ ^^^'^ ^^"t ^ defence of his conduct to the
Earl of Morton, which he entreated him " to
peruse seriously, for in good faith it is a true
one ; " adding, pathetically, " Suffer me not to
get wrong : this is all I desire, and by it you
will please God, do good service to His Ma-
jesty, and oblige him.'" There is also other
evidence that Lord Monteith asserted his in-
nocence of the charge, and which also shews
the danger in which he wa« supposed to stand.
On the 1 0th of July, in the same year, William
Maxwell, an Advocate in Edinburgh, wrote to
his cousin, Sir John Maxwell of Poliok, " He
[the Earl] is to be forfeit and adictit to per-
petual prison : he stands in his defence and
denial both of the words and of the equivalency
thereof, and alleges nothing proven : but the
contrary is credibly reported."^
The Patent of the Earldom of Airth was as'
the Priory of Inchmahome." Bj^ the Rev. William Mac-
gregor Stirling. 4to. Edin. 1815. pp. 138. There was also
in the same collection a Letter thus endorsed by the Earl
of Airth : " His Ma'^i'^s Letter to myself for calling the
Advocates togidder concerning the reduction of Stratherne,"
dated . . day of December, the year of God 1632," and
addressed " To my trustie and well-beloved Cousine and
Counsellour, William, Earle and Constabill of Stratherne,
President off our Counsell of State." Ibid.
1 Original Letters^ Appendix, No. XIL
- Riddell's Remarks upon Scotch Peerage Law. 8vo. 1 833.
p. 41.