o Falkland secret. {44c} The whole
purpose of all this secrecy was to hide the fact that the Ruthvens had
brought the King to Perth, and that Gowrie had early notice, by about 10
a.m., of James's approach, from Henderson. Therefore to make out that
Henderson had been in Falkland, and had given Gowrie early notice of
James's approach, though Gowrie for all that made no preparations to
welcome James, was almost necessary for the Government. They specially
questioned all witnesses on this point. Yet not one of their witnesses
would swear to having seen Henderson at Falkland. This disposes of the
theory of wholesale perjury.

The modern apologist for the Ruthvens, Mr. Louis Barbe, writes: 'We
believe that Henderson perjured himself in swearing that he accompanied
Alexander' (the Master) 'and Andrew Ruthven when . . . they rode to
Falkland. We believe that Henderson perjured himself when he asserted,
on oath, that the Master sent him back to Perth with the intelligence of
the King's coming.' {45}

On the other hand, George Hay, lay Prior of the famous Chartreux founded
by James I in Perth, deponed that Henderson arrived long before Gowrie's
dinner, and Peter Hay corroborated. But Hay averred that Gowrie asked
Henderson 'who was at Falkland with the King?' It would not follow that
Henderson had been at Falkland himself. John Moncrieff deponed that
Gowrie said nothing of Henderson's message, but sat at dinner, feigning
to have no knowledge of the King's approach, till the Master arrived, a
few minutes before the King. Mr. Rhynd, Gowrie's tutor, deponed that
Andrew Ruthven (the Master's other companion in the early ride to
Falkland) told him that the Master had sent on Henderson with news of the
King's coming. If Henderson had been at Falkland, he had some four
hours' start of the King and his party, and must have arrived at Perth,
and spoken to Gowrie, long before dinner, he himself says at 10 a.m.
Dinner was at noon, or, on this day, half an hour later. Yet Gowrie made
no preparations for welcoming the King.

It is obvious that, though the Hays and Moncrieff both saw Henderson
return, booted, from a ride somewhere or other, at an early hour, none of
them could _prove_ that he had ridden to Falkland and back. There was,
in fact, no evidence that Henderson had been at Falkland except his own,
and that of the poor tortured tutor, Rhynd, to the effect that Andrew
Ruthven had confessed as much to him. But presently