REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 66. apply for their pardons. Gowrie, whose eyes were soon opened to his mistake in letting the King escape, at first refused. ' He was brought into such a passion,' wrote Sir Robert Bowes, ' that he cursed the time that he obeyed the King's letters to come to him seeing promises had been doubly broken with him and also accused himself of great beastliness, 1 by the which those mischiefs were suffered to spring, wishing himself rather banished than accept pardon for the act which his conscience testifies to be good.' 2 Afterwards seeing that he was in real danger he made a sullen acknow- ledgment of his fault, and withdrew 'from the Court. The ministers, as usual, stood their ground. They were required ' to condemn the act of Ruthven/ They said that the King himself had admitted it to have been good, and to have delivered religion from great perils; the Kirk had approved it in general as Bembly, and the judgment of the Kirk was law. They Were threatened, but they stood to their word. ' Sun- dry barons and chief burroughs ' were seen to approve of their answer, and the King, not wishing to provoke a further quarrel till Guise had arrived, controlled him- self, and let them go. It was at this moment, when Guise was watching for the Spanish sails, and Paget had stolen over upon his secret errand, that Walsing- ham was started at last upon his journey to the Scotch September. 1 ttise, folly. 2 Bowes to Walsiiigham, Au- gust 1727: MSS. Scotland. 8 Bowes to "Walsingham, August 22 September i, August 25 Sep- tember 4 : MSS. Ibid
