im with all possible diligence to come unto him, for he was
strickin with a suddane seakness." In this meantyme, had the tratour
provided thre score men, with jackis and spearis, to lye in wate within
a myll and a half of the toune of Montrose, for his dispatche. The
letter cuming to his hand, he maid haste at the first, (for the boy had
brought a horse,) and so with some honest men, he passes forth of the
toune. But suddandlye he stayed, and musing a space, returned back;
whareat thei wondering, he said, "I will nott go: I am forbiddin of God:
I am assured thare is treasone. Lett some of yow, (sayis he,) go to
yonder place, and tell me what ye fynd." Diligence made, thei fand the
treassone, as it was; which being schawin with expeditioun to Maister
George, he ansured, "I know that I shall finysh this[352] my lief in
that blood-thrusty manis handis; butt it will not be of this maner."

The tyme approching that he had appointed to meit the gentilmen at
Edinburght, he took his leave of Montrose, and, sore against the
judgement of the Lard of Dune,[353] he entered in his jorney, and so
returned to Dondy; but remaned not, but passed to the hous of a
faythfull brother, named James Watsone, who dwelt in Inner Gowrye,
distant frome the said toune two myles, and that nycht, (as informatioun
was gevin to us by Williame Spadin and Johnne Watsoun, both men of good
credyte,) befoir day a litill he passed furth into a yard. The said
Williame and Johne followed previlie, and took head what he did. When he
had gone up and doune into ane alay a ressonable space, with many sobbes
and deape grones, he platt upoun[354] his knees, and setting thareon,
his grones increassed; and frome his knees he fell upoun his face; and
then the personis fornamed heard weaping and, as it war ane indigest
sound, as it war of prayeris, in the which he continewed neyre ane hour,
and after begane to be qwiet; and so arrose and came in to his bed. They
that awated prevented him, as thei had bein ignorant, till that he came
in; and than begane thei to demand whare he had bein? Butt that nycht he
wold ansuer nothing. Upoun the morow, thei urged him agane; and whill
that he dissimuled, thei said, "Maister George, be plaine with us; for
we heard your grones; yea, we heard your bitter murning, and saw yow
boyth upoun your kneis and upoun your face." With dejected visage, he
said, "I had rather ye had bein in your beddis, and it had bein more
profitable to yow, for I