James VI and the Gowrie Mystery
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87
Border Calendar, vol. ii. Willoughby to Cecil, January 1, 1599.
88
Pitcairn, ii. 405–407.
89
See Thorpe’s Calendar, vol. ii., s. v. ‘Mowbray, Francis’ in the Index.
90
He had sold Nether Gogar in 1596.
91
Some of the papers are in the General Register House, Edinburgh.
92
The evidence for all that occurred to Sprot, between April and July 1608, is that of a manuscript History of the Kirk of Scotland, now in the Advocates’ Library. It is written in an early seventeenth-century hand. Calderwood follows it almost textually up to a certain point where the author of the MS. history says that Sprot, on the scaffold, declared that he had no promise of benefit to his family. But Calderwood declares, or says that others declare, that Sprot was really condemned as a forger (which is untrue), but confessed to the Gowrie conspiracy in return for boons to his wife and children.
93
Vol. ii. pp. 282–7.
94
Letter I is a peculiar case, and was not, perhaps, spoken of by Sprot at all.
95
Laing, Charters, Nos. 1452, 1474–76, 2029.
96
Hatfield Calendar, iv. 659.
97
Pitcairn, iii. Appendix vii.
98
Border Calendar, i. 486, 487.
99
Privy Council Register, viii. 150–2, 605.
100
Pitcairn, ii. 287, n 2.
101
Neville to Cecil, Paris, Feb. 27, 1600. Willoughby to Cecil, Berwick, April 22, 1600. Winwood Memorials, p. 166. Border Calendar, ii. 645.
102
The peculiarities of spelling are those recognised as Logan’s, and easily imitated by the forger.
103
He had not the letter before him at this moment, and may have forgotten.
104
Spottiswoode, vol. iii. pp. 274, 282.
105
Cromarty, An Historical Account, &c., 92 (1713).
106
Calderwood, vi. 780.
107
In the Auchendrane case (1615), the public, partisans of the murderers, wished the only witness to be hanged, just to see if he would persevere in his confession.
108
Melrose Papers, vol. i. pp. 72, 73.
109
Pitcairn, ii. 289–290.
110
Ibid. ii. 292.
111
State Papers, Venice, R.O., No. 14, 1608–10. Hill Burton, History of Scotland, vol. vi. pp. 135, 136. Note. Edition of 1870.
112
This information I owe to Mr. Anderson, with the reference to Crawfurd, and other details.
113
Burnet’s History of his Own Time, vol. i. pp. 24, 25, mdccxxv.
114
Papers relating to William, first Earl of Gowrie, p. 30. (Privately printed, 1867.)
115
Sanderson, p. 226.
116
Scott, pp. 282, 284.
117
Border Calendar, vol. i. p. 491.