176 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
and especially of U one bearing the manifest badge of Antichrist,” viz., his badge as a
knight of the order of Saint Esprit? They accordingly intimated to their congregations
a day of fasting and prayer on the occasion, which was duly observed, while the Frenchman
was having his farewell repast.
In the year 1588, the King sent Sir James Stewart, brother
of the Earl of Arran, to besiege Lord Maxwell, in the Castle
of Lochmaben, where he was believed to have collected a force
in readiness to co-operate with an expected army from Spain,
against the government. The Castle was rendered on the
faith of safety promised to the garrison by Sir William
Stewart; but the King, who had remained at a prudent distance
from danger, now made his appearance, and with characteristic
perfidy, hanged the most of them before the Castle
gate. He returned to Edinburgh thereafter, bringing with
him the Lord Maxwell, “who was warded in Robert Gourlaye’s
hous, and committed to the custodie of Sir William
Stewart.” Scarcely a week after this, Sir William quarrelled
with the Earl of Bothwell, in the royal presence, where each
gave the other the lie, in language sufficiently characteristic
of the rudeness of manners then prevailing at the Court of Holyrood. They met
a few days afterwards on the High Street, each surrounded by his retainers, when a
battle immediately ensued. Sir William was driven down the street by the superior
numbers of his opponents, and at length retreated into Blackfriars’ Wynd.’ There he
_.stabbed one of his assailants who was pressing most closely on him, but being unable to
recover his sword, he was thrust through the body by Bothwell, and so perished in the
afTray,-an occurrence that excited little notice at that turbulent period, either from
the citizens or the Court, and seems to have involved its perpetrator in no retributive
consequences.
The next occupant of note was Colonel Sempill, a cadet of the ancient family of that
name, and an active agent of the Catholic party, who “came to this countrie, with the
Spanish gold to the Popish Lords.’’ The Earl of Huntly, who had shown himself favourable
to the Spanish emissary, was commanded, under pain of treason, to apprehend him ;
and he also was accordingly warded in Robert Gourlay’s house, seemingly at the same time
with Lord Maxwell. In this case, it proved an insecure prison, for he (( soone after brake
waird and escaped, and that by Huntlie’s moyen and assistance; ’” and on the 20th of May of
the following year, Huntly was himself a prisoner, “wairded in Robert Gourlay’s h ~ u s e , ” ~
from whence he was soon afterwards transferred to Borthwick Castle. But not only was
this ancient civic mansion the abode or prison of a succession of eminent men, during the
troubled years of James the Sixth’s residence in Scotland; we find that the King himself,
in 1593, took refuge in the same substantial retreat, during one of those daring insurrections
of the Earl of Bothwell, that so often put his Majesty’s courage to sore trial, and drove
him to seek the protection of the burgher force of Edinburgh. LL The 3d of Apryle, the
Birrel’s Diary, p. 24. . ’ Calderwood, vol. iv. pp. 678-681. * Ibid, vol. v. p. 65.
YIQNETTE-carved Stone from Old Bank Close, in the collection of A. 0. Ellis, Esq.
