Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

cxlviii SIR JAMES JOHNSTONE OF JOHKSTONK, KNIGHT, 1.5S7-1COS.
is granted at the special command of tlie king, and in performance of liis
promise to the lords of council, accepts Sir James and his kin in hearty love
and favour. It was subscribed in presence of dohn, Earl of Montrose, lord
commissioner, Alexander, Earl of Dunfermline, and other members of the
privy council, and was afterwards inserted in their books.^
On the day the letter of Plains was presented to the council, and inserted
in their Ilegister, Johnstone entered in ward Cristio Armstrong of Barnegleis,
who was charged by Lord Maxwell with assaulting his ploughmen. Eut
Armstrong averred on oath that "with a bivk wand" in his hand he only
chased some of his lordship's servants ofi' his ground of Darduling, wliich
they were tilling. This tlie lords found was no breach of the assurance
given by Johnstone to ^Maxwell.- A decree was made in terms of this finding,
and the letter of Slains, which had been retained by the council until Sir
James should clear himself in this matter, was now formally delivered to
him, to be used by him as his own proper writ in time (ioming.^
The new treaty of peace guarded with such formalities only proved another
hollow truce. "Within the brief jjeiiod of a month from the date of the re-
conciliation Sir Jarncs Johnstone complained to the council that Lord Herries
and Alexander Stev/art of Garlies had given up friendship with him. When
questioned on the subject by the council, his lordship and Stewart, while
denying that they designed any violent deed against Johnstone, owned that
they would not be under any familiarity wiih him. The council bound
them to keep the peace under pain of £r>000.'' Sir James, however, was .still
so apprehensive of revenge on the part of Lord I>Iax^^ ell that he deeured it
necessary to adop>t additional means the better to secure his own and his
kinsmen's safety. It v."as impossible to obtain from Lord Maxwell any
J Register of the Pn\-y Council, vol. vii. ' Charters of this work, pp. 77, 78.
p. 64; Charters of this work, j'p. 76, 77. * 9th July 1G05. Register of the Privy
Council, vol. \-ii. p. 7S. Sir John Charteris
' Kcgi.ster of the Privy Council, vol. vii. of Amisfield became cautioner for Herries
p. 65. [Charters of this work, p. 80].