274 



great disobedience of the Land mean now, while the king is present, 

 seeing some reverence was paid to his shadow, while absent r (allud- 

 ing to his own good management while the king was in Denmark.) 

 It meant the universal contempt of his subjects." " Therefore he 

 willed him to call to God, before he either ate or drank, that the 

 Lord would give him resolution to execute justice on malefactors:" 

 (meaning the popish lords^ " otherwise," said he, " you will not 

 be suffered to enjoy your crown alone, but every man will have 

 one." 



Notwithstanding this, he continued in great favour with James 

 till he wished for his concurrence to recall the popish lords who had 

 been banished, and particularly Earl Huntly, who was related to 

 the king. " I see, Sir," said Bruce, *' that your resolution is to 

 take Huntly into favour ; which if you do, I will oppose ; and you 

 shall choose, whether you will have Huntly or me, for us both you 

 cannot keep." This saucy answer, as the historian justly calls it, 

 lost him the favour of the king. 



The next of these documents (No. VL) is dated, July, 1599. It 

 is a license from the king and the commissioners of the General 

 Assembly, issued at St. Andrews, where the king was holding a 

 royal visitation on the university, and in particular, on the conduct 

 of Andrew Melvill. The signatures are autographs of the most 

 considerable men in the church. 



The Gowry plot took place in the year 1600, which began on 

 the first of January, the old style having been in use till then. I do 

 not mean to enter upon that mysterious subject, but I concur with 

 Robertson, that the design of Earl Gowry was to get the king into 

 his possession, as his father had done, for some political purpose. 

 Neither party could have any enmity against the other, on account 

 of the former transaction ; for it took place when James was only siii,-^ 



