Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

cxxxviii SIR JAMES JOHXSTONE OF JOnXSTOXE, KNIGHT, 1587-1608.
whom he had for some time kept in ward were directed to submit their feuds
to arbitratiou,—the king to be oversman. Several bonds of assurance to Sir
James Jolmstone, and an attempt to compel Lord Slaxwell to subscribe one
to him, v.^ere the only outcome of this direction so far as known.
CHAPTER TIIIED.
Sir J;',mos restored to honour, June 1600—Re-appointed Warden in August same year-
Mutual bonds of assurance passed in 1600 and 1601—Lord ISIaxwell meditntes an
atrack upon Sir James—King's visit to Dumfries, ICOi!—Letter of Slains to Jolmstone
—Remission tu 1dm, 1605— Story of his slaughter, 1608—Lord Maxwell's trial, 1G09—
His execution, 1613—Inscription on Johnstone's tombstone—Lady Sara Maxwell,
his Tviio.
Sir James Johnstone continued for tlie space of two years denounced as
perjured and infamous for (he alleged violation of an assurance whicli lie had
granted to Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig, noticed in the foregoing chapter.
The vindication of himself wliich he wrote shows the keen manner in wliicli
he felt his lioncsty being called in question in such a way. But beyond
writing and communicating to the proper authorities this vindication, \intil
28th June IGOO he does not aj)pear to have taken any stej) to be relieved
from so odious a sentence. On that date, however, he supplicated for an act
of council to be passed in his favour granting him that relief In his su]ipli-
cation he defended himself from the charge of breaking any assurance which
he gave, grounding the sentence passed upon him not upon that crime,
but upon the contempt and indignity wliich he had done to the ki)ig
in presuming to give up an assurance to his ^lajcsty, and under pretence
of it revenging hhnself upon the king's subjects. The king and council
adopted this view of the case, and passed an act in liis favour declaring that,
" notwithstanding the said decree pronounced by his Majesty against Johnnes-
toun, he has not, in any point, broken the assurance to the party, and has not
incurred the said pain of perjury or defamatioun, which was only irrogat to
him for his offence done to his ."Majestic, and therefore restore him to his fame