Book II.] THE TURF IN SCOTLAND. 99 



injune, I599,the Turf engaged the attention of James VI. 

 and other persons of distinction across the Scotland, 

 border at this time. George Fenner, writing ^^^^• 

 from the court at London to a friend at Venice, tells 

 him, " There is much private talk in court and city about 

 a Scottish accident, which seems to trouble the State. 

 An Englishman, called Ashton, having been employed 

 by that l^ing (as it is thought) secretly in Spain, Rome, 

 and other places, some here in authority, wishing to 

 understand the particulars, and not finding other 

 means, plotted with the governor of Berwick and Sir 

 William Bowes, our ambassador there, to bring him 

 unto England, which was lately thus performed. The 

 king, with many of his nobles, was going to a horse- 

 race, and this Ashton preparing to go also, was invited 

 by our ambassador's secretary to go with him in the 

 coach. He accepted, and they soon turned the coach 

 another way, and came to a place where some light 

 horsemen from Berwick met them, and conducted 

 them to Berwick, where the man was committed to 

 prison. When the king heard of it, he took it so ill 

 that he commanded our ambassador to keep his house, 

 and has placed a guard about him, vowing he shall 

 have the same treatment there, as the other has here. 

 It is thought we shall pacify the king by money, or else 

 by fair means win the man to reveal what he knows, 

 and then dismiss him, as though nothing had been 

 done.* 



In 1585 Queen Elizabeth sent Mr. Edw. Wotton 

 to the young king with a present of some " noble 



* State Papers, Dom., Eliz., vol. 271, ZZ, MS., P.R.O. 



