MR PITCAIRN's industry and research increase with the interest of his materials. This new Part of his work far surpasses in importance those which have preceded it. Among other things, it contains much valuable matter in the form of arguments respecting the relevancy of libels and the competency of jurors, which throw light on the notions entertained on these heads about the end of the 16th century; also, a curious notice of an early trial and condemnation for duelling without a license; and several witch trials, in one of which we think we observe a refreshing evidence of the progress of rational opinions-the parties throughout being only accused of pretending to skill in witchcraft. That, however, which gives Mr Pitcairn's labours their chief value, is the very complete collection of documents bearing upon the Gowrie Conspiracy, with a considerable part of which he presents us in this Number. We have been politely favoured with a perusal of that part which still remains unpublished, and have thus been enabled to take a view of the whole transaction more extensive and complete than we were ever able to take before. The result we have much pleasure in now submitting to our readers, and feel fully confident, that though this article may exceed our usual limits, its interest will be found sufficient to atone for its length.

The documents connected with the Gowrie Conspiracy may be divided into three classes:-I. The dittays of the persons brought to trial; the depositions of the witnesses examined by the Lords of Articles; and the record of the investigation conducted before the magistrates of Perth. These form a rich body of authentic information respecting the whole overt acts of the Earl of Gowrie and his followers.-II. The dittay and confession of Sprott; Logan of Restalrig's letters; and two letters of the Earl of Gowrie-illustrative of the characters and previous steps of the actors in the conspiracy.III. A large collection of contemporary narratives, orations, and correspondence, calculated to throw light on the views which different parties and individuals took of the event at the time. We shall make use of all of these in the remarks we have now to offer respecting the probable objects of the conspirators; to the right understanding of which, however, it will be necessary to prefix a narrative of the principal incidents which occurred during the eventful day of the Gowrie Conspiracy.

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proceeded immediately to the palace, where he met James in front of the stables. They spoke together for about a quarter of an hour. None of the attendants overheard the discourse, but it was evident from the King's laying his hand on the Master's shoulder, and clapping his back, that the matter of it pleased him. The hunt rode on, and Ruthven joined the train; first, however, dispatching Henderson to inform his brother that his Majesty was coming to Perth with a few attendants, and to desire him to cause dinner to be prepared. A buck was slain about ten o'clock, when the King desired the Duke of Lennox and the Earl of Mar to accompany him to Perth, to speak with the Earl of Gowrie. The Master of Ruthven now dispatched his other attendant to give the Earl notice of the King's approach; and immediately afterwards James and he set off at a rate that threw behind the royal attendants, who lost some time in changing horses. When the Duke of Lennox overtook them, the King, with great glee, told him that he was riding to Perth to get a pose (treasure.) He then asked the Duke's opinion of Alexander Ruthven, which proving favourable, he proceeded to repeat the story which that young nobleman had told him, of his having the previous evening surprised a man with a large sum of money on his person. The Duke expressed his opinion of the improbability of the tale, and some suspicion of Ruthven's purpose; upon which the King desired him to follow when he and Ruthven should leave the hall-an order which he repeated after his arrival in the Earl of Gowrie's house.

Meantime, Henderson, on his arrival at Perth, found the elder Ruthven in his chamber, speaking upon business with two gentlemen. Gowrie drew him aside the moment he entered, and asked whether he brought any letter or message from his brother. On learning that the King was coming, he took the messenger into his cabinet, and enquired anxiously in what manner the Master had been received, and what persons were in attendance upon his Majesty. Returning to the chamber, he made an apology to the two gentlemen, and dismissed them. Henderson then went to his own house. When he returned, in about an hour, the Earl desired him to arm himself, as he had to apprehend a Highlander in the Shoe-gate. The Master of the household being unwell, the duty of carrying up the Earl's dinner devolved upon Henderson. He performed this service about half past twelve; and afterwards waited upon the Earl and some friends who were dining with him. They had just sate down when Andrew Ruthven entered, and whispered something in the Earl's ear, who, however, seemed to give no heed. As the second course was about to be set upon the table, the Master of Ruthven, who had left the King Early on the morning of the 5th of August 1600, about a mile from Perth, and rode on before, entered and Alexander, Master of Ruthven, with only two followers, announced his Majesty's approach. This was the first Andrew Henderson and Andrew Ruthven, rode from intelligence given to the inhabitants of Gowrie-house of Perth to Falkland, where King James was at that time the King's visit, for Gowrie had kept not only his coming, residing. He arrived there about seven o'clock, and stop-but also the Master's visit to Falkland, a profound secret. ping at a house in the vicinity of the palace, sent Henderson forward to learn the motions of the King. His messenger returned quickly with the intelligence, that his majesty was just departing for the chase. Ruthven

The Earl and his visitors, with their attendants, and some of the citizens among whom the news had spread, went out to meet the King.

The street in which Gowrie-house formerly stood runs

During these proceedings, the King had found himself rather critically circumstanced. Alexander Ruthven, having locked the door of the gallery chamber, led the way to the round closet. James was not a little astonished when, instead of the captive he expected, he saw a man armed at all points except his head. He was more astoHen-nished when the Master, putting on his hat, drew the man's dagger, and presented it to his breast, saying, “Sir, you must be my prisoner! Remember my father's death!" James attempted to remonstrate, but was interrupted with "Hold your tongue, sir, or by Christ you shall die!" But here Henderson wrenched the dagger from Ruthven's hand, and the King, then resuming his remonstrances, was answered that his life was not what was sought. Master even took off his hat, when the King, who, amid all his perturbation, forgot not his princely demeanour, reminded him of the impropriety of wearing it in his preHe then requested James to give him his word not to open the window, nor call for assistance, whilst he went to bring his brother, the Earl, who was to determine what farther should be done. Ruthven then left the closet, locking the door behind him; but, according to Henderson's belief, went no farther than the next room. This is more than probable; for, by the nearest calculation, Ramsay must have been at that time still in the gallery. The Master re-entered, therefore, almost instantly, and telling the King there was now but one course left, pro

wished. Of their authenticity little doubt can be enter- are inseparably connected, and have been rendered more tained, when we consider the number and respectability interesting, by a late attempt to implicate the Presbyteof the witnesses who swore positively to their being in rian party in the Earl's guilt. We are not a little astoLogan's handwriting. It appears from these letters that nished that such an attempt should have been made at Gowrie and Logan had agreed in some plot against the this late period, when we recollect, that notwithstanding King. It appears, also, that Logan was in correspond- all the ill odour in which the Presbyterian clergymen ence with some third person who had assented to the en- stood at court, not one of the thousand idle rumours to terprise. It would almost seem, from Logan's third letter, which Gowrie's enterprise gave birth tried to direct that this person resided at Falkland: "If I kan nocht suspicion towards them. The sole grounds upon which win to Falkland the first nycht, I sall be tymelie in St such an accusation can rest for support, are the facts,— Johnestoun on the morne." And it is almost certain That Gowrie's father was a leader among the Presbytefrom the fifth letter, that he was so situated as to have rians, and his son strictly educated in that faith; that oral communication with Gowrie the Master of Ruth- shortly after his arrival in Italy, he wrote one letter to a ven : "Pray his lo. be qwik, and bid M. A. remember Presbyterian minister; and that some of the Edinburgh on the sport he tald me." It does not appear, however, clergymen manifested considerable obstinacy in throwing that any definite plan had been resolved upon. The sea discredit upon the reality of the conspiracy. The two excursion, which Mr Lawson, in his History of the former are of themselves so weak, that we pass them over, Gowrie Conspiracy, supposes to have been contemplated the more willingly, that we shall immediately point out with the design of conveying James to Fast Castle, was the motives from which Gowrie acted, and the sort of only meant to afford facilities for a meeting of the con- assistance upon which he really relied. The conduct of spirators with a view to deliberation. Logan's fifth let- the clergymen admits of an easy explanation. James, ter is dated as late as the last day of July, and yet it does whose perception was nearly as acute as his character was not appear that the writer knew at that time of the Perth weak, was fully sensible of the ridicule to which he had project. Taking these facts in conjunction with the hair-exposed himself, by allowing his desire of money to lead brained character of Gowrie's attempt, it seems highly probable, that although some scheme might be in agitation with Logan, and perhaps some other conspirators, the outrage of the fifth of August was the rash and premature undertaking of two hot-blooded fantastical young men, who probably wished to distinguish themselves above the rest of their associates in the plot.

him into so shallow a device as Ruthven's. In addition to this, he wished, upon all occasions, to appear as much of the hero as possible. The consequence was, that his edition of the story was so dressed up, as to render it inconsistent, first, with his well-known character; secondly, with the most distant possibility of his having been deceived with the Master's pretences; and, thirdly, with the depositions of the witnesses. Inconsistencies so startling were sufficient to justify some preliminary scepticism; and if ever there was an occasion, where it was allowable openly to call a king's word in question, it was when James demanded, not merely that his party should hypocritically profess a belief which they did not entertain, but that they should, daringly and blasphemously, mix up this falsehood in the solemn services of devotion. A short time, however, was sufficient to convince the most incredulous of the truth of the conspiracy, stripped of the adventitious circumstances which the King linked with it; and the obstinate recusancy of Bruce the clergyman is sufficiently accounted for, by James's insisting upon prescribing the manner in which he was to treat the matter, and by that individual's overstrained notions of the guilt incurred by a minister, who allowed any one to dietate to him concerning the mode in which he was to conduct public worship.

The very scanty information that we possess respecting the character and previous habits of these two brothers, is quite in accordance with this view of the matter, and goes a good way to corroborate it. They are allowed, on all hands, to have been men of graceful exterior, of winning manners, well advanced in the studies of the times, brave, and masters of their weapons. It is not necessary surely to prove at this time of day, how compatible all these qualifications are with a rash and headlong temper, completely subject to the control of the imagination-a turn of mind bordering upon frenzy. A man of quick perception, warm feeling, and ungoverned fancy, is, of all others, the most fascinating, when the world goes smoothly; but he is of all others the most liable, having no guiding reason, to err most extravagantly in the serious business of life: being "unstable as water," he is easily irritated and lashed into madness by adverse circumstances. How much Gowrie was the dupe of his imagination, is evident from the fondness with which he clung to the delusions of the cabala, natural magic, and astrology. Armed (according to his own belief) with powers beyond the common race of man, doomed by his stars to achieve greatness, he laughed at danger, and was ready to neglect the calculations of worldly prudence alike in his aims, and the means by which he sought their attainment. The true state of his brother's mind is pourtrayed, incidentally, by Logan, in his first letter:-" Bot incase ye and M. A. R. forgader, becawse he is somqhat consety, for Godis saik be very var with his rakelese toyis of Padoa; ffor he tald me ane of the strangest taillis of ane nobill man of Padoa that ever I hard in my lyf, resembling the lyk purpose." This suggests at once the very picture of a young and hot-blooded man, whose brain had been dis-only "for the revange of that cawse." The only mem. tracted, during his residence in Italy, with that country's numerous legends of wild vengeance. Two such characters, brooding conjointly over real or fancied wrongs, were capable of projecting schemes, against which the most daring would remonstrate; and, irritated by the coldness of their friends, were, no doubt, induced to undertake the execution alone and almost unassisted.

It only remains to enquire what was the object which Gowrie proposed to himself, in his mad and treasonable attempt, and upon whose seconding he was to depend, suppose his design had succeeded? These two enquiries

But Gowrie relied upon the support of no faction, religious or political. His sole motive seems to have been a fantastic idea of the duty incumbent upon him to revenge his father's death. He is reported, on one occasion, when some one directed his attention to a person who had been employed as an agent against his father, to have said, "Aquila non captat muscas.' Ruthven, also, expressly declared to the King, when he held him prisoner in the closet, that his only object was to obtain revenge for the death of his father. The letters of Logan (except in one solitary instance, where a scheme of aggrandisement is darkly hinted at, and that as something quite irrelevant to the purpose they had on hand) harp on this string alone, proving that Gowrie and his friends seek

bers of the conspiracy who are known to us, are men likely enough to engage in such a cause, but most unlikely to be either leaders or followers in a union, where the parties were bound together by an attachment to certain political principles. The three conspirators are, the Earl and his brother, such as we have already described them, and Logan of Restalrig, a broken man—a retainer and partisan of Bothwell—a maintainer of thieves and sorners-a man who expressly objects to communicating their project to one who he fears" vill disswade us fra owr purpose wt ressounes of religion, qhilk I can never

abyd." And if any more evidence were required, to show how little Gowrie relied upon the Presbyterians, we might allude to his anxiety, that Logan should sound his brother Lord Home-a Catholic.

The animal, as if aware of its danger, instantly took to flight, but not quickly enough to prevent the ant-lion from seizing the bag of eggs between its formidable pincers; the mother made every effort to withdraw herself from her dangerous foe, and in her struggles, the bag became loosened, and was retained by her enemy. Instead, however, of saving her own life, which she could easily have done by running off, she instantly turned and seized the bag between her jaws, and struggled to retain her lost treasure; the enormous strength of the ant-lion was too great for her power, even though stimulated by the full force of maternal instinct, and the eggs were consequently drawn under the sand; she retained her hold, and rather than relinquish that, without which life was a burden, she suffered herself to be buried alive with her progeny. It was now that Bonnel compassionated her fate, and rescued her from the jaws of death, but he could not restore to her the bag of eggs so tenacious

In short, every thing leads us to the opinion we have already announced, that the Ruthvens were instigated to their enterprise by feelings of private revenge alone, and that they did not seek to make any political party subservient to their purposes. It is to this isolated nature of their undertaking-its utter want of connexion with the political movements of the period-that we attribute the circumstance of its history having so long remained unknown, and are satisfied that much of that history must ever remain a riddle. It is with it, as with the adventures of the Iron Mask, and that whole class of events which seem political, merely because they befall personsly held by the ant-lion. She lingered at the spot where the who rank high in the state. They generally appear more mysterious than they really are, because, if no chance unveils them at the time, they stand too far apart from all other transactions, to receive any reflected light from them.

The Family Library. No. VII. The Natural History of Insects. Volume first, pp. 313. London. John Murray, 1829.

THE publisher of the Family Library is (we speak it with reverence) like a man who has an immense store of information, and is in an immense hurry to utter it all, so does not wait to finish one subject before he begins another, but taking up half-a-dozen at once, weaves them all into one variegated chain of discourse. Like Cæsar, who could at one moment keep the fingers of four secretaries panting after him in vain,-or like a dear friend of our own, of happy memory, who could in one and the same breath, tell a sturdy capitalist the price of stocks, groan out to some yellow Nabob a remark on the liver complaint, and rehearse to an elderly lady a fragment of last Sunday's sermon, with a downward and austere drag of one extremity of his mouth, while the other was puckered up and sliding out an arch compliment to his blushing cousin, so Mr Murray pushes into your hand a history of Painters, and before you know what you are about, crams after it a history of the nation who were forbid to "make unto themselves the likeness of any thing in Heaven above or earth beneath," then tosses you a history of Napoleon Bonaparte, and while you are busy catching it, he all at once darts a history of Insects at your unguarded knowledge-box.

eggs were buried, regardless alike of her own danger and the efforts of Bonnel to remove her from her enemy, by pushing her off with a piece of twig."

The following duel between two bees reminds us strongly of the single combat between Burley and Bothwell; nor is the non-chalant attitude of the victor unlike Dandy Dinmont singing " Johnny Cope" over the prostrate body of Dirk Hatteraick:

"On those fine spring days, in which the sun is beautiful and warm, duels may often be seen to take place between two inhabitants of the same hive. In some cases, the quarrel seems to have begun within, and the combatants may be seen coming out of the gates eager for blows.' Sometimes a bee, peaceably settled on the outside of the hive, or walking about, is rudely jostled by another ( do you bite your thumb at me, sir?) and then the attack commences, each endeavouring to obtain the most advantageous position. They turn, pirouette, throttle each other; and such is their bitter earnestness, that Reaumur has been enabled to come near enough to observe them with a lens without causing a separation. After rolling about in the dust, the victor watching the time when its enemy uncovers his body, by elongating it, in the attempt to sting, thrusts its weapon between the scales, and the next instant its antagonist stretches out its quivering wings and expires. A bee cannot be killed so suddenly, except by crushing, as by the sting of another bee. Sometimes the stronger insect produces the death of the vanquished by squeezing its chest. After this feat has been done, the victorious bee constantly four front legs, and rubbing the two posterior ones toremains, says Reaumur, near his victim, standing on his gether."

We feel strongly tempted to lay before our readers some account of the wars and Olympic games of the ants: but being in a sentimental mood at present, we prefer quoting the description of the preparations made by the females of that industrious race for entering upon

in which she has flirted with a hundred beaux, to put on the plain household garb, and sit down the unsolicited wife of an honest man:

Somebody or other published not long ago " The Rothe duties of matronhood. And by our hopes of a good mance of History." It is a pity he paid so little attenwife we swear it, these gentle creatures seem to tear off tion to the history of insects, for theirs is a page in the their wings, the badge of maidenhood, with less reluctgreat volume, which, when traced by such a sympathi-ance, than a girl of mortal strain lays aside the gay dress zing hand as the author of the little volume now before us, outdoes every other in wild and varied interest. We are hurried in these pages from the calm creations of the architect, to the stormy workings of the marshalled host; "The females which escape are destined to found new and again from the fierce wars to the faithful loves which colonies, and at first do all the work of neuters; in this parmoralize the song. This is no exaggeration, as we shall ticular resembling the mother wasp: but prior to their conspeedily prove by a few stories, which if told of two-structing a new habitation, they make themselves voluntary legged "human mortals," would each have been of them- prisoners, by throwing off their wings. So extraordinary selves sufficient to have given interest to an "historical a dismemberment requires to be supported by the testimony novel." Take first a trait of maternal affection in that of an eye-witness. Accordingly Huber, who made the experiment, states, that having induced an ant to mount a most amiable and fascinating creature the spider: "A spider, to be met with under clods of earth, may fre- straw, he placed it on a table sprinkled with a little earth, and covered it with a glass bell: scarcely did she perceive quently be seen to carry a silken globe full of eggs, fixed to its body. The tenacity of affection exhibited towards this, extended her wings, with some effort bringing them before the earth which covered the bottom of her abode, when she its sole treasure, is truly touching; nothing, not even its her head, crossing them in every direction, throwing them life, is valued in comparison with this little globe. If an from side to side, and producing so many singular contorattempt be made to deprive it of this valued deposit, it stretions, that her four wings fell off at the same moment in his nuously resists: take it away entirely, and the insect remains motionless and rooted to the spot, stupified and mepresence. After this change, she reposed, brushed her corslancholy; restore it, and you restore the animal to life; it let, traversed the ground, evidently seeking for a place of eagerly seizes it, and runs off to place it in a securer spot. "Bonnel threw one of those spiders, to whose abdomen

shelter.'

For the benefit of those who love to trace nations the bag of eggs was attached, into the den of the ant-lion. | gradually advancing in civilization through the hunting