James VI and the Gowrie mystery . ian crime, pondered overan Italian plot till it seemed feasible, and communi-cated his vision to the boy brother whom he foundat home—the mystery would be transparent. As to Kino- James, we krirhv him well. The babe ^—^ ( _ f f wronged in hi$\mothers w-bnib,; threatened byconspirators before his birth; • terrified by a harshtutor as a child; bullied; preached at; captured ;insulted ; ruled now by debauched favourites, nowby godly ruffians ; James naturally grew up a dis-sembler, and betrayed his fathers- murderer with akiss. He was frightened intodeceit: he co
James VI and the Gowrie mystery . ian crime, pondered overan Italian plot till it seemed feasible, and communi-cated his vision to the boy brother whom he foundat home—the mystery would be transparent. As to Kino- James, we krirhv him well. The babe ^—^ ( _ f f wronged in hi$\mothers w-bnib,; threatened byconspirators before his birth; • terrified by a harshtutor as a child; bullied; preached at; captured ;insulted ; ruled now by debauched favourites, nowby godly ruffians ; James naturally grew up a dis-sembler, and betrayed his fathers- murderer with akiss. He was frightened intodeceit: he could becruel; he became,as lar as he might, a tyrant. But,though not the abject, .coward of tradition, James(as he himself observed) was never the man to riskhis life in a doubtful brawl, on the chance that hisenemies might perish while lie escaped. For him atreachery of that kind, an affair of sword and daggerfights on staircases and in turrets and chambers, o in the midst of a town of doubtful loyalty, had I ] £• c t- c. VI. // t tt Site , /trtttrrft/f>f/~firi/~.//i/// //-//. THE MYSTERY AND THE EVIDENCE 5 certainly no attractions. Moreover, he had a senseof humour. This has been the opinion of our besthistorians, Scott, Mr. Tytler, and Mr. Hill Burton;but enthusiastic writers have always espoused thecause of the victims, the Euthvens, so young, brave,handsome ; so untimely slain, as it were on their ownhearthstone. Other authors, such as Dr. Masson inour own day, and Mr. S. E. Gardiner, have abstainedfrom a verdict, or have attempted the via media ;have leaned to the idea that the Euthvens diedin an accidental brawl, caused by a nervous andmotiveless fit of terror on the part of the the question is unsettled, the problem is un-solved. Why did the jolly hunt at Falkland, in thebright August morning, end in the sanguinary scuffle inthe town house at Perth ; the deaths of the Euthvens ;the tumult in the town ; the Kings homeward ridethrough the dark and dri
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