12 JUNIJ, 1566.[845]
Schort after the speaking of these and the lyke wordis, the formar rankis joyned, for Huntleyis cumpany maid great haist. They war repulsed by the Maister of Lyndsay, and the cumpanyes of Fyffe and Anguss. Some of thame that fledd returned, and followed the Erle of Murray, but gave na straykis till that Huntleyis cumpanye geve back. In the front thair war slane about eighteen or twenty-foure men, and in the fleyeing thair fell ney a hundreth. Thair was tacken a hundreth, and the rest war spaired. The Erle himself was tacken alyve; his two sons, Johne foirsaid, and Adam Gordoun, war tacken with him. The Erle, immediatlie after his tacken, departed this lyiff without any wound, or yitt appearance of any strock, whairof death might have enseued; and so, becaus it was laitt, he was cassen over-thorte a pair of crealles, and so was caryed to Abirdene, and was laid in the Tolbuyth thairof, that the response whiche his wyffis wyttches had gevin mycht be fulfilled, whay all affirmed (as the most parte say,) that that same nycht should he be in the Tolbuyth of Abirdene without any wound upoun his body. When his Lady gatt knowledge thairof, sche blamed hir principale witche, called Janet; but sche stoutlie defended hir self, (as the devill can ever do,) and affirmed that she geve a trew answer, albeit she spack nott all the treuth; for she knew that he should be thair dead:[846] but that could nott proffeit my Lady.[847] Scho was angrye and sorye for a seassone, but the Devill, the Messe, and wyttches have als great credyte of hir this day as thei had sevin yearis ago.
The Erle of Murray send message unto the Quene of the mervalouse victorye, and humblie prayed hir to schaw that obedience to God as publictlie to convene with thame, to geve thankis unto God for his notable deliverance. Sche glowmed boyth at the messenger[848] and at the requeast, and skarselie wold geve a good worde or blyth countenance to any that sche knew earnest favoraris of the Erle of Murray, whose prosperitie was and yitt is, a verray vennoume to hyr boldened harte, against him for his godlynes and uprycht plainess. Of many dayes she bair no better countenance; whairby it myght have bene evidentlie espyed, that sche rejosed nott greatlie of the successe of that mater; and albeit sche caused execut Johne Gordoun and diverse otheris, yitt it was the destructioun of otheris that sche sought.
THE LADY FORBES HIR WOURDIS.
Upoun the morow after the disconfiture, the Lady Forbess, a woman boyth wyese and fearing God, cam amangis many other to vesytt the corps of the said Erle; and seing him ly upoun the cold steanes, having onlye upoun him a doublat of cammoise, a pair of Scottishe gray hoise, and covered with ane arrass-work,[849] she said, "What stabilitie shall we judge to be into this world: thair lyeth he that yesterday in the morneyng was holden the wyesest, the richest, and a man of greatest power that was within Scotland." And in verray dead sche lyed nott; for, in mannis opinioun, under a prince, thair was not suche a one these thre hundreth yearis in this Realme produced. Bott felicitie and worldlye wisdome so blynded him, that in the end he perished in thame, as shall all those that dyspyse God, and trust in thame selfis.[850]
Johne Gordoun,[851] at his death, confessed many horrible thingis, devised by his father, by his brother, and by him self. Thair war letteris found in the Erles pocket, that disclosed the treassone of the Erle of Sutherland, and of diverse otheris. Mr. Thomas Keir, who befoir was the hole counsallour to the Erle foirsaid, disclosed whatsoever he understoode myght hurte the Gordones and thair freyndis: and so the treassone planelie disclosed, whiche was, that the Erle of Murray with certane otheris should have bene murthered in Strabogye; the Quene should have bene tane, and keapt at the devotioun of the said Erle of Huntley.
1562.
MENIS JUDGEMENTIS OF THE QUENIS MARIAGE.
These thingis (we say) reveilled, the Quene left the North,[852] and cam to Dondye, Sanct Johnestoun, Stirveling, and then to Edinburgh.[853] The Erle of Huntleyis body was caryed about in a boat,[854] and laid without buriall in the Abbay of Halyrudhouse, till the day of his forfaltour, as after shall be declaired.[855] The Duck apprehended the Lord Gordoun[856] his sone in law, becaus that the Quene had straitlie commanded him so to do, yf he repaired within his boundis. Befoir he delivered him, the Erle of Murray laubored at the Quenis hand for the saiftye of his lyeff, which hardly was granted; and so was he delivered within the Castell of Edinburgh, the twenty-aught day of November, whair he remaned till the aught of Februare, when he was put to ane assise, accused, and convict of treassone; but was restored agane, first to the Castell foirsaid, and thairafter was transported to Dumbar, whair he remaned preasoner till the moneth of August, the year of God Jm Vc threscoir fyve yearis, as we will after hear.