Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 73
GOWRIES conspiracie against his Maiestie the fift of August, being Tuesday Anno Dom. 1600.
MA…. Alexander Ruthwen, second brother vntounto the late Earle Gowrie, came to his Maiestie as he was a hunting, and told him that it chaunced the night before, as he walked about the Towne of S. Iohnstone, hee met a base fellow vnknowne vntounto him, and hauing suspition of him he narrowly looked to him, and examined him, and he said he found a great wide pot to be vnderunder his arme, full of coined gold in great quantity, whereupon he took him, no body knowing thereof, and bound him in a priuie darke house, and locked many doores vponupon him, and said that he came in haste to aduertise his Maiesty thereof according to his bounden duety, earnestly requesting his Maiestie with all diligence and …ecrecie to take order therwith before any know thereof, swearing that he had concealed it from all men, yea, from the Earle his brother; whereupon the King suspected that it had béene some forreigne golde, brought thither by some Iesuits for practising Papists to stirre vp some new sedition, as they had often … before, and that the fellow that carried it was some Seminary, so disguised for the more sure transporting thereof: and with many earnest perswasions he got the Kings Maiesty as soone as he had done hunting, to ride with him to the Earle Gowr…es house to dinner, with a very small number with him, and after dinner his Maiesty being ready to rise from the table, and all his seruants in the hall at their dinner, M. Alexander standing behinde his Maiesties backe, pulled him softly, rounding in his Maiesties eare, that it was time to goe, but that he would fain… hauehave been quit of the Earle his brother, wishing the K. to send him out into the hall, to entertain his guests, whereupon the K. called for drink, and in a m…rrie and homely manner sayd to the …arle, That although the Earle had séene the fashion of entertainment in other countreyes, yet he would teach him the Scottish fashion, séeing he was a Scottish man: and therefore since he had forgotten to drink to his Maiesty, or sit with his guests, and entertayne them, his maiesty would drink to him his own welcom, desiring him to take it forth and drink to the rest of the company, and in his Maiesties name to make them welcome. Whereupon as he went forth his Maiesty rose from the table, and desired M. Alexander to bring Sir Thomas Erskine with him: who desiring the K. to goe forward with him, and promising that he should make any one or two follow him that he pleased to call for, desiring his Maiesty to commaund publikely that none should follow him. Thus the K. accompanied only with the said M. Alexander, comes forth of the chamber, passe…h through the end of the hall, where the Noblemen and his Maiesties seruants were sitting at their dinner, vp a Turnepeck, and through three or foure Chambers, the sayd Master Alexander euer locking behinde him eueryevery doore as he passed: and then with a more smiling countenance than hee had all the day before, euer saying he had him sure and safe en…ugh kept, vntill at the last, his Maiesty passi…g thorow three or foure sundry houses, and all the doores locked behinde him, his Maiesty entred into a little studie, where he saw standing with a very abased countenance, not a bond-man but a free man, with a dagger at his girdle: but his Maiesty had no sooner entred into that little study, and Master Alexander with him, but Master Alexander locked to the study doore behinde him, and at that instant changing his countenance, putting his hat on his head, and drawing the Dagger from that other mans gird…e, held the point of it to the Kings breast, auowing now that the King be hoou…d to be in his will▪ and vsed as hee list: swearing many bloody oths, that if the king cryed one word, or opened a window to look out, that the dagger should presently go to his heart: affirming, that he was sure, that now the kings conscience was burthened for murthering his father. His Maie…y wondring at so sodaine an alteration, & standing naked, without any kinde of armour but his hunting horne, which he had not g…ten leysure to lay from him, betwixt these two traytors which had conspired his life: the said maister Alexander standing (as is said) with a dagger in his hand, and his sword at his side, but the other trembling and quaking, rather like …ne condemned, than an executioner of s…ch an enterprise.
His Maiesty begun then to …ilate to the said M. Alexander, how horrible a thing it was for him to meddle with his Maiesties innocent blood, assuring him it would not be left vnreuenged, since God had giuen him children and good subiects, and if they neither, yet God would raise vp stocks and st…nes to punish so vile a deed.
Protesting before God, that he had no burthen in his conscience, for the execution of his father, both in respect that at …he ti…e of his fathers execution, his Maiesty was but a minor of age, and guided at that time by a faction, which ouer-ruled both his Maiesty and the rest of the countrey, as also that whatsoeuer was done to his fath…r it was done by the ordinary course of Law and iustice.
Appealing the saide Master Alexander vponupon his conscience, how w…ll hee all times since had deserued at the hands of all his race, not onelyonly hauing restored them to their lands and dignities, but also in now ishi…g and bringing vp of two or three of his sisters, as it were in his own bos…me, by a continuall attendance vponupon his Maiesties dearest bed-fellow in h…r …riuie chamber.
Laying also before him the terrors of his conscience, especially that he made profession, according to his education, of the same religion which his Maiesty had euer professed; and namely his Maiesty r…membred him of that holy man Mast. Robert Rollocke, whose scholler he was, assuring him that one day the said Master Roberts soule would accuse him, that he had neuer learned of him to practise such vnnatural cruelty: his Maiesty promising to him, on the word of a Prince, that if hee would spare his life, an… suffer him to go out againe, he would neuer reueale to any one liuing what was betwixt them at that t…me, nor neuer suffer him to in…ur any harm or punishment for the same.
But his Maiesties feare was, that he could hope …or no sparing at his hands, hauing such cruelty in his looks, and standing so irreuerently couered, with his …at on: which forme of rigorous behauiour, could prognosticate nothing to his Maiesty but present extremity. But at his Maiesties perswasiue language, he appeared to be somewhat amazed, and vncouering his head againe▪ swore and protested that his Maiesties life should be safe, if he would behaue himselfe quietly, without making any noyse: and that he would only bring in the Earl his Brother to speak with his Maiesty: whereupon his Maiesty enquiring what the Earle would doe with him, since (if his Maiesties life were safe according to promise) they could gaine little in kéeping such a prisoner. His answere onelyonly was, that he could tell his Maiesty no more, but that his life should be safe, in case he behaued himselfe quietly, the rest, the Earle his brother, whom he was going for, would tell his Maiesty at his comming. With that, as he was going forth for hi… brother, as he affirmed, he turned him about to the other man; saying these words vntounto him, I make you here the Kinges kéeper, tul I come backe againe, and see that you keepe him, vponupon your owne perill: and therewithall said to his Maiesty, you must content your selfe to hauehave this man now your keeper, vntill my comming backe.
With these words he passeth forth▪ locking the doore after him, leauing his Maiesty with that man he found there before. Of whom his Maiesty then enquired, if he were appointed to be the murtherer of him at that time, and how farre he was vponupon the …o…nsel of that conspiracy, whose answer with a trembling and astonished voice and behauiour, was, that as the Lord should …dge him, he was neuer made acquainted with that purpose, but that he was put in there perforce, & the doore lockt vponupon him, a little space before his Maiesties comming: as indeed all the time of the said M. Alexanders menacing his maiestie, he was euer trembling, requesting him for Gods sake, and with many other attestations, not to meddle with his maiesty, nor to doe him any harme. But because M. Alexander had before his going forth, made the King sweare he should not cry, nor open any window, his maiesty commanded the said fellow to open the window on his right hand, which he readily did, so that although he was put in there to vse violence on the King, yet God so turned his hart, as he became a slaue to his prisoner.
While his maiesty was in this dangerous estate, & none of his owne seruants nor …raine knowing where he was, & as his Maiesties train was arising in the Hal from their dinner, the Earl of Gowry being present with them, one of the E. of Gowries seruants comes hastily in, assuring the Earle his maister, that his maiesty was horsed, & away through the Insh, which the Earle reporting to the Noble men, and the rest of his Maiesties traine that was there present, they all rushed out together at the gate in great hast: and some of his maiesties seruants enquiring of the Porter when his maiesty went forth? The porter affirmed, that the king was not yet gone forth? Wherevpon …he Earle looked very angerly vponupon him, and said he was but a lyar: yet turning him to the Duke, & to the Earle of Mar, said he should presently get them sure word where his Maiesty was, and with that, ran through the close, and vp the staires. But his purpose indéed was, to speake with his brother, as appeared very well by the circumstance of time, his brother hauing at that same instant left the king in the little study, & ran downe the staires in great haste.
Immediatly after, the Earle commeth back, …unning againe to the gate, where the Noblem…n and the rest, were standing in a maze, assuring them that the king was gone long since out at the back gate, and if they hasted them not the sooner, they would not ouertake him, and with that called for his horse, whereat they rusht all together out at the gate, and made toward the Inshe, crying all for their horses: passing all (as it was the prouidence of God) vnderunder one of the windows of that study, wherein his maiesty was. To whom M. Alexander very speedily returned, and at his in comming to his Maiesty, casting his hands abroad in a desperate manner, said, he could not mend it, his Maiestie behooued to die: and with that, offered a garter to bind his Maiesties hands, with swearing, hee behooued to bee bound. His maiesty at that word of binding, said, he was borne a frée King, and should die a frée King. Wherevpon he griping his Maiesty by the wrest of the hand, to hauehave bound him, his Maiesty releeued himself sodainly of his gripes: wherevpon as he put his right hand to his sword, his maiesty with his right hand seazed vponupon both his hand and his sword, and with his left hand clasped him by the throat, like as he with the left hand claspt the King by the throat, with two or three of his fingers in his Maiesties mo…th, to hauehave stayed him from crying. In this manner of wrestling his Maiestie perforce drew him to the window, which he had caused the other man before to open vntounto him, and vnderunder the which was passing by at the same time the Kings traine, and the Earle of Gowry with them, as is said, and holding out the right side of his head and right elbow, cryed, that they were murthering him there in that treasonable forme: whose voice being instantly heard and knowne by the Duke of Lennox, the Earl of Mar, and the rest of his maiesties traine there: the said Earle at Gowry euer asking what it meant? and neuer seeming any wayes to hauehave seene his Maiesty, or heard his voice, they all rushed in at the gate together, the Duke and the Earl of Marre running about to come to that passage his Maiesty came in at. But the Earle of Gowry and his seruants made them for another way vp a quiet Turnepeck, which was …uer condemned before, and was onelyonly then left open, (as appeared) for that purpose.
And in this meane time, his Maiesty, withstrugling and wrastling with the said M. Alexander, had brought him perforce out of that study, the doore wherof, for hast, he had left open at his last in-comming, and his Maiesty hauing gotten, (with long strugling) the said▪ M. Alexanders head vnderunder his arme, and himselfe on his knees, his master dro…e him back perforce hard to the doore of the some Turne-pike, & as his maiesty was throwing his sword out of his hand, thinking to hauehave striken him therewith, and then to hauehave shot him ouer the stairs, the other fellow standing behind the kings back, & doing nothing but trembling all the time, Sir Io: Ramsey, not knowing what way first to enter, after he had heard the Kings cry, by chance findes that Turn-peck doore open, & following it vp to the head, enters in into the chamber, & finds his maiesty and M. Alexander strugling in that forme, as is before said: and after he had twise or thrise stricken M. Alexander with his dagger, the other man withdrew himselfe, his Maiesty still kéeping his gripes, & holding him close to him: immediatly thereafter he tooke the said M. Alexander by the sholders, and shut him down the staire: who was no sooner shut out at the doore, but hee was met by Sir Thomas Erskine and Sir Hew Hereis, who there vponupon the staire ended him: the said Sir …ho: Erskine being cast behind the Duke & the Earl of Mar that ran about the other way, by the occasion of his medling with the said late Earle in the stréet, after the hearing of his maiesties, cry. For vponupon the hearing therof▪ he had clasped y• Earle of Gowry by the gorget, & casting him vnderunder his féet, and wanting a dagger to hauehave striken him with, the said Earles men rid the Earle their maister out of h…s hands: wherby he was cast behind the rest, as is said: and missing the company, & hearing the said Sir Iohn Ramseys voice vponupon the Turn-peck head, ran vp to the said chamber, & cryed vponupon the said Sir Hew Hereis & another seruant to follow him: where, méeting with the said M. Alexander in the Turn-peck, he ended him there, as is said the said M. Alexander crying for his last words, Alas I had not the weight of it. But no sooner could the said Sir Thomas, Sir Hew, and another seruant win into the Chamber where his maiestie was, but that the said Earl of Gowry, before they could get the doore shut, followed them in at the back, hauing cast him directly to come vp that priuy passage, as is before said: who at his first entry, hauing a drawn sword in eue…y hand, and a stéele bonet on his head, accom…anied with seuen of his seruants, eueryevery one of them hauing in like manner a drawne sword, cryed out with a great oath, that they should al die as traitors. All the which time his maiesty was still in his chamber, who séeing the Earle of Gowry come in with his swords in his hands, sought for M. Alexanders sword which had fallen from him at his out shutting at the doore, hauing no sort of weapons of his own, as it is said … but then was …hut back by his own seruants that were there, into … little study, and the doore shut vponupon him: who hauing put his maiesty in safe…y, re-encountred the said Earle and his seruants, his maiesties seruants being only in number …ure, to wit, Sir Hugh Hereis, and Sir Iohn Ramsey, & one Wilson, a seruant of Iames Erskins, a brother of the said sir Thomas, the said E. hauing 7. of his own seruants with him: Yet it pleased God, after many strokes on all hands, to giuegive his maiesties seruants the victory, the said E. of Gowry being striken dead with a stroke through y• hart, which the said sir Io: Ramsey gaue him, without once crying vpō God, & the rest of his seruants dung ouer the staires with many hurts, as …n like maner y• said sir Tho: Erskin, … Hugh Hereis, & sir Iohn Ramsey, were all thr… very sore hurt and wou…ded.
But al the time of this …ight, the D. of L…nnox, the Earl of Mar, & the rest of his Maie…ties traine, …ere striking with great hammer… at the vtter doore, wh…rby his maiesty pa…t vp to the chamber with the said M. Alexander which also he had lockt in his by-comming with his maiesty to the chamber: but by reason of the strength of the said double doore, …he whole wall being likewise of boords, and yéelding with the strokes… it did bide the… … space of half an houre & more, before they could break it … hau… entre…e: who … with his maiesty, found (beyond their expectation) his Maiesty deliuered from so imminent a perill, & the said late Earle the principall conspirator lying dead at his Maiesties …éet. Immediatly thereafter his maiesty knéeling down on his knées, in the middest of his own seruants, & they all kneeling round about him: his maiesty out of his own mouth thanked God of that miraculous deliuerance and victory, assuring himselfe, that God hath preserued him from so dispai…ed a peril, for the perfecting of some greater work behind, to his glory, and for procuring by him the weale of his people, y• God had committed to his charge.
In the first beginning of the Kings Maiesties raign ouer England, William Watson, & William Clarke Seminary Priests, and George Brooke, brother vntounto the Lo: Cobham, had most traiterously deuised a plot, whereby the Kings person should hauehave b…en surprised, and the whole kingdome ouerthrowne, and they had entised to the imbracing their trayterous Machinations: Anthony Copley Gentleman: Sir Griffin Markam Knight, the Lord Cobham,▪ the Lord Gray. Sir Walter Rawleigh, and others: But before they had brought their Conspiracies vntounto …ffect: the Lord of his accust…med goodnes, and carefulnes ouer his Maiestie made all their Conspiracies apparant vntounto the King and his Councell, and about the middest of Iuly, in the first yeare of his Highnes raigne, proclamations were made out for the apprehension of them, whereby they were taken, and in Nou…mber after they were all condemned of High Treason: and the nine and twenty day of Nouember, the two Priests were executed: and sir dayes after George Brooke was …eheaded, and the ninth of December Sir Griffin Markam, and the Lord Cobham, and the Lord Gray, after they had been seuerally brought vponupon the scaffold, in the Castle of Winchester, and had made their Confessions, and prepared themselues likewise seuerally to die, vponupon the sudden, the Kings warrant written with his own hand, was there deliuered vntounto Sir Beniamin Tichborne, high Sheriffe of Hampshire, commanding him to stay execution: these three and Sir Water Rawleigh, were returned pri…oners vntounto the Tower, the fifteenth of December.