CULZEAN 



at last tuik him and band him to ane furme [form], and sett 

 his bair legis to ane gritt fyr, and extreymly brunt him, 

 that he was ewer thairefter onabill of his leggis." 



Such is the chronicler's succinct account of the 

 roasting of the Abbot of Crosraguel ; to realise the 

 full extent of the Earl's heartlessness one should 

 peruse this unhappy cleric's petition to the Privy 

 Council for redress. At the first roasting, on 1st 

 September, 1570, the Abbot consented to renounce 

 his lands, but on the 7th, being asked to sign a 

 document giving effect to the renunciation, he 

 vowed he would rather die ; whereupon his tormentor 

 ordered the fire to be re-lighted, and his wretched 

 victim to be trussed for a second ordeal. 



"Then," declared the abbot, "being in so grit paine as I 

 truste never man was in. . . I cried, ' Fye vpon you ! will ye 

 ding whingaris [thrust swords] in me and put me out of this 

 world ? or elis put a barell of poulder vnder me, rather nor 

 to be demaned [treated] in this vnmercifull maner ? ' The 

 said erle, hearing me cry, bade his servant Alexander 

 Ritchart put ane serviat [napkin] in my throat, which he 

 obeyed. . . wha then, seing that I was in danger of my life, 

 my flesch consumed and brunt to the bones, and that I wald 

 not condescend to thair purpose, I was releivit of that paine ; 

 whairthrow I uill never be able nor weill in my lifetime." 



The brave abbot was rescued from duresse by 

 another Kennedy, laird of Bargany, and carried off 

 to Ayr, " brunt as he was." Cassilis got off pretty 

 cheap. Being too powerful a chief to offend with 

 safety, he was bound over to keep the peace 



x 169 



