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

250 THE LIFE AND DEATH OP
pears that the chiefs frequently were either par-
doned, or found means to make peace for them-
selves, and to evade punishment when vengeance
had fallen on their dependents. The meaner vas-
sals, the servants, and humble cottagers, were of-
ten wantonly sacrificed to serve the interests of
their superiors, as if life had not been equally dear
to the poor as it is to persons in a higher condition.
No just regret seems to have been expressed on
their account, though perhaps they had been forced
to take a part, very unwillingly, in the cause of
their chiefs, or were influenced to do so by grati-
tude and generous affection, or by a sense of what
they reckoned to be their bounden duty. Great
men, especially they who are rulers of nations,
will, however, be responsible at the bar of general
judgment for the destruction of lives, and the other
misfortunes which they brought unnecessarily on
the inferior classes of the people.
Three of Gowrie's servants were, by an order
from the King, examined, perhaps by torture, which
was then customary in Scotland, and condemned
to suffer death. We have no account of the par-
ticulars of their trial. They had indeed been seen
with swords in their hands, not, however, with a