James VI and the Gowrie Mystery

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.