Page 41 - Scottish Alchemists

were all in the Earl’s own handwriting. Indeed, he told Rhynd that he had
copied them himself.”12

The younger brothers of the conspirators, William and Patrick Ruthven,
several years afterwards were distinguished for the same researches. Of
William, Bishop Burnet remarks, “It was given out that he had the
philosophers’ stone”; and of Patrick the alchemical commonplace book still
exists, which testifies to his skill in the hermetic science.

At the time of the death of the Earl of Gowrie and his brother Alexander,
on the occasion of their conspiracy, their brothers WiIliam and Patrick were
“at the schools” in Edinburgh, and were resident “in the dwelling-house of
Alexander Adamson in umquhile Mr Thomas M’Calyean’s Close.” On
receiving the news of the calamitous end of their brothers, the two youths
with their tutor immediately took to flight, and proceeded to the house of
their mother at Dirleton, about twenty-five miles from Edinburgh. This was
on the morning of the day after the explosion of the conspiracy. The same
evening a band of horsemen, headed by the Master of Orkney and Sir James
Sandilands, arrived at Dirleton to effect their apprehension. Their mother the
Countess, however, had the opportunity of receiving intelligence of the party
sent by the king, and the youths with their tutor escaped to Berwick, where
they gave themselves up to the English governor, Sir John Carey. From
Berwick they went south, and are said to have, with the consent of Queen
Elizabeth, resided at Cambridge with their tutor for two years. In 1602 they
ventured to return to Scotland, but this had the effect of raising suspicions in
the mind of the king that they had come to carry out some dangerous plot
against him. They therefore returned to England, and were in that country
when the death of Elizabeth placed King James on the throne of England.
One of the first acts of the king when lie entered upon his new dominions,
was to issue a proclamation for the arrest of these young men. William made
his escape to the Continent, whence lie never returned; but Patrick was
seized and imprisoned in the Tower. There he languished for a period of
nineteen years, without trial or even an accusation formally brought against
him.

In 1622 Patrick Ruthven was liberated by his Majesty’s command, on
condition that he should confine himself to the University of Cambridge or
six miles from the same; and a pension of L500 was settled upon him,
payable out of the Exchequer. He was, however, in the following year
permitted to reside in Somersetshire. After regaining his liberty he married
Elizabeth Woodford, widow of Thomas first Lord Gerrard; and his daughter,

12 Craik’s Romance of the Peerage, vol. ii. p.153.

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