that the voice might be stopped. It may
be suspected that some partisan of the King's [Darnley's] murder was
there. In that torment they held the poor man, till that often he cried
for God's sake to dispatch him; for he had as meikle gold in his awin
purse as would buy powder enough to shorten his pain. The famous King of
Carrick and his cooks perceiving the roast to be aneuch, commanded it
to be tane fra the fire, and the Earl himself began the grace in this
manner:--'Benedicite, Jesus Maria, you are the most obstinate man that
ever I saw; gif I had known that ye had been so stubborn, I would not
for a thousand crowns have handled you so; I never did so to man before
you.' And yet he returned to the same practice within two days, and
ceased not till that he obtained his formost purpose, that is, that
he had got all his pieces subscryvit alsweill as ane half-roasted hand
could do it. The Earl thinking himself sure enough so long as he had
the half-roasted Abbot in his own keeping, and yet being ashamed of his
presence by reason of his former cruelty, left the place of Denure in
the hands of certain of his servants, and the half-roasted Abbot to be
kept there as prisoner. The Laird of Bargany, out of whose company the
said Abbot had been enticed, understanding, (not the extremity,) but
the retaining of the man, sent to the court, and raised letters of
deliverance of the person of the man according to the order, which being
disobeyed, the said Earl for his contempt was denounced rebel, and put
to the horne. But yet hope was there none, neither to the afflicted
to be delivered, neither yet to the purchaser [i.e. procurer] of
the letters to obtain any comfort thereby; for in that time God was
despised, and the lawful authority was contemned in Scotland, in hope
of the sudden return and regiment of that cruel murderer of her awin
husband, of whose lords the said Earl was called one; and yet, oftener
than once, he was solemnly sworn to the King and to his Regent."

The Journalist then recites the complaint of the injured Allan Stewart,
Commendator of Crossraguel, to the Regent and Privy Council, averring
his having been carried, partly by flattery, partly by force, to the
black vault of Denure, a strong fortalice, built on a rock overhanging
the Irish channel, where to execute leases and conveyances of the whole
churches and parsonages belonging to the Abbey of Crossraguel, which he
utterly refused as an unreasonable demand,