Ayrshire > Volume 2

22 HISTORY OF AYRSHIRE
" And being in so grit paine as I truste never man
was in with his life, I cried, ' Fye upon you ! Will ye
ding whingaris (short swords) in me and put me (out)
of this world ! Or elis put a barrell of poulder under
me, rather nor to be demaned (used) in this unmercifull
maner.' The said Erie, hearing me cry, bade his
servant Alexander Richard put ane serviat (a table
napkin) in my throat, whilk he obeyed ; the samin
being performed at xi. houris of the nyght ; wha then
seing I was in danger of my lyfe, my flesh consumed
and brunt to the bones, and that I would not con-
descend to thair purpose, I was releivet of that paine,
whairthrow I will never be able nor weill in my
lyfetyme."
The Commendator's signature, which is still in
evidence, appears to have been penned with a firm,
bold hand. Stewart was detained a prisoner in Dunure
for three months, when he was released through the
efforts of Thomas Kennedy of Bargany, who assembled
an armed force and set him at liberty. As soon as he
was free the Commendator hastened to revoke what he
had done, and had the Earl cited to appear before the
Privy Council, where he was compelled to find security
to let the Commendator alone, and also for a sum of
money due to his old preceptor, George Buchanan. In
the end the Earl achieved his purpose by means less
forceful than those of the Black Vault of Dunure. Alan
Stewart had attempted to divert the Abbey lands from
the Earl by granting a tack of them to James Stewart
of Cardonald, to whom the Earl paid four thousand
merks, receiving in return the charters of the Abbey.
Later on he purchased the Abbey lands, and had them
confirmed to him, 1575-6. The Earl did not long
survive his acquisition of the property he had been so
concerned to secure ; for, on December 12, 1576, he
died, the result, it is said, of a fall from his horse.
This strenuous Kennedy appears also to have had a
violent feud with the Gordons of Lochinvar regarding"