The X Jewel; A Romance of the Days of James VI (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896. Excerpt: ... 264 CHAPTER XX. I NOW found that Captain David Brown was in a somewhat narrow shift. It was scarce likely that any would know him for Andrew Eviot; but, if David Brown were taken in Scotland, he would be delivered out of hand to my Lord Hunsdon, and if he were taken in England he would be hanged without ceremony. So on neither side of the Border could he well be comfortable. On the whole I judged it best to retire, until matters were more advanced, into the Earl of Bothwell's country; and there an asylum was cheerfully offered to me, without too much curiosity as to my reasons for seeking it. It was enough for my Lord that I preferred the air of Liddesdale for the present. From beyond the Hermitage I wrote to Mr Lion at Newcastle, and to my accomplice of St Serfs Inch, telling them where David Brown might be found, and entreating them to remember him when more serious work was in hand. I had no need to speak to them of the Wardens' meeting at Cocklaw, for men talked of nothing else for a month. Thereafter I fell into a low monotonous life, wandering daily about the Nine-Stane Eig; for time drifted, and I began to fear that nothing would come of the Cocklaw Eaid. On the 6th of August, the King rode out of St Andrews for Stirling. It was said that the Plague of Pestilence had grown apace, so that it carried off no less than 4000 persons, and that the Court became alarmed at the increased mortality. But I know not whether such was the true reason, for the house of Kinneil, where my Lord of Arran was ordered to reside, is at no great distance from Stirling. Moreover, my Lord had fitted out and kept in a readiness on the Western Sea certain ships for some particular of his own. Many designs were put to these ships; but there were some who said that they were m...