Latest / Grey Man / 49 - Grey Man by S R Crockett

Transcript

49 - Grey Man by S R Crockett · Grey Man

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: By us Our Crockett, Chapter forty nine, The Great day
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: of Trial. At last, however, the trial was set, and
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: we all summoned for our evidence. It was to be
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: held in the High Court of Justiciary, and was a
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: right solemn thing. A hot day in midsummer it proved,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: with the narrow, overcrowded bounds of the town, drowsed with heat,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: and yet eaten up with a plague of flies. The
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: room of the trial was a large one, with a
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: dyis for the judges at the end, the boxes for
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: the prisoners, and a tall stool with steps and a
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: bar on which to rest the hands for the witnesses.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: And in the long, dark, low oak paneled room, what
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: a crush of people. For the report of the monstrous
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: dealing of the murrors and the strangeness of their crimes,
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: had caused a mighty coil in the town of Edinburgh
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: and in the country round about, so that all the
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: time of the trial there was a constant hum about
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: the doors, now a continuous murmur that forced its way within,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: and now a louder roar as the doors were opened
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: and shut by the officers of the court, also in
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: order to show themselves busy bodies. These pot bellied striped
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: jackets went and came every minute or two, pushing right
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: and left with their halberds, which the poor folk had
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: very peaceably to abide as best they might. But the
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: disposition of the rabble of the city was a marvel
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: to me. For being stirred up by the barghiny folk
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: and by the Earl of dunbar Muir's well wisher, it
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: was singularly unfriendly to us, so that we were almost
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: feared that the criminals might after all be let off
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: by the overawing of the assize that sat upon the case.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: But finally, as it happened, those who were chosen as
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: size men were mostly landward gentlemen of stout hearts, and
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: no subjection to the clamor of the vulgar such indeed,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: as should ever be placed upon the hearing of justice,
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: not mere bodies of the luckinbooths, who, if they give
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: the verdict against the popular voice, are liable to have
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: their shops and stalls plundered. And James Scrimgore of dud Hope,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: a good man, was made the chancellor of the jury.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: There were many of the great lords of Session on
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: the bench for or a case so important and notable
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: had not been tried for years. And the Lords of
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: Secret Council appointed my Lord President himself to be in
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: the chief place in his robes, as well as five
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: other justices in his company, that the detail might be
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: heard with all equaled mind and with great motion of solemnity.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: It was eleven by the clock when the judges were
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: ushered in, Sir John Fenton of Fentenbarne's Lord President, coming first,
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: and sitting in the midst. Then the crier of the
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: court shouted way for his majesty for King James the
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: Sex to make way, and all the people rose up.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: While King James was coming in, he sat upon the
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: bench with the justices, indeed, but a little way apart,
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: as having by law no share in their deliberations. Nevertheless,
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: he was all the time writing and passing pieces of
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: white paper to them, whereat they bowed very courteously back
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: to him. But whether they took any notice of their
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: import I know not. Then the prisoners were brought in.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: John Muir, the Elder, with his gray hair and commanding presence,
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: looked out from beneath his eyebrows like a lion, ignominiously beset.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: James Muir the younger came after his father, a heavy, loutish,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: ignorant man, but somewhat paled with his bloody handling. At
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: the instance of the Lords of Secret Council. Also in
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: accordance with the promise of Earl John in the matter
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: of the finding of the cave, James Bannatyne of Chapel
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: Donan was not set up for trial along with them,
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: which was a wonder to many and an outcry to
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: some of the evillly affected. Then the court being set
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: the dettae was read solemnly by a very fair spoken
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: and courteous gentleman, Thomas Hamilton of Buyers, the King's Advocate.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: He spoke in a soft voice, as if he were
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: courting a lady, and whenever he addressed a word to
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: the prisoners, it was as if he had been their
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: dearest friend and grieved that they should thus stand in
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: jeopardy of their lives. Yet, or so it seemed to me,
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: John Muir was ever his match, and answered him without
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: a moment's hesitancy. Then, after the advocate's opening the evidence
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: was led. They called upon me first to arise, and
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: I declare that my knees trembled and shook, as they
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: never did before the shock of battle, so that only
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: the sight of Nell's pale face and my mother holding
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: her hand at all gave me any shred of courage.
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: But nevertheless I went, with my tall, blue banded hat
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: in hand and my Damascus sword by my side, through
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: the stance, and there I told all that I had
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: seen first of the murder at the chapel of Saint Leonard's,
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: with the matter of the gray man who sat his
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: horse a little way apart among the sand hills. Yet
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: could I not declare on mine note that I knew
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: of a certainty that this man was the accused John
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: Muir of Achandraine, though as between man and man, I
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: was wholly assured of it. I told also of the
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: sending of the letter, and of the confusion of the
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: lad upon his return from the house of Achendraine, and
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: of all the other matter which came under my observation,
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: even as I have detailed them in this history. But
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: more briefly, then, a tall, thin, leathery man, Sir John Russell,
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: the name of him, advocate for the murrs, stood out
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: and tried to shake me in my Avermence. But he
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: could not no nor any other man, for I wasted
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: no thought on what I ought to say, but out
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: with the plain truth, so that he could not break
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: down the impregnable wall to the thing that was, neither
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: make me say that which was not. Then there came
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: one after the other, the Dominie, meg Dalrymple, Robert Harburg,
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: and lastly my own Knell. But they had little more
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: to tell than I had told it the first till
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: the herald of the court cried out for Margery Mure
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: or Kennedy called in the pleas, the younger Lady of Achandraine.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: Then pale as a lily flower, is pale, clad in white,
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: and with her hair daintily and smoothly braided. She rose
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: and gave her hand to my Lord Cassilis, who brought her,
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: with all dignity and observance to the witness. Stand. So
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: firmly she stood within it that she seemed a figure
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: of some goddess done in alabaster, the like of that
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: which I had once seen at the entering in of
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: the King's Palace at holy Rood House. There was the
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: stillest silence while Margery told her tale. The King stood
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: up in his place, with his hat on his head
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: to look at her. The judges gazed as though they
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: had seen a ghost. But in an even voice, she
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: related all the terrible story, making it clearest crystal, till
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: there stood out the full wickedness of the unparalleled murders.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: You are the wife of James Muir, the younger prisoner,
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: said the man of leather, the advocate Russell. How then
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: do you appear to give evidence against him? I was
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: first the daughter of Thomas Kennedy of Coulaine, whom these
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: men slew, said she, and this was her sole answer.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: The lawyers for the defense, as was their duty, tried
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: to make it out that her evidence was prejudiced, and
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: so to shake it. But the King broke out upon
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: them no more than we are all prejudiced against foul murder.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: So they were silenced. But the judges were manifestly ill
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: at ease, and shifted in their seats, for even the
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: King had not liberty of speech in that place. Yet
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: no man said him nay, because he was the king,
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: and save it were Master Robert brid Bruce. Not many
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: cared to Brook. His sudden, violent, rageous then was entered
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: James Bannettyne, who had been brought to confession, in what
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: fashion it boots not to inquire? And he, in his
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: turn detailed line by line all the iniquity. So it
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: seemed that now the net was indeed woven about the
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: cruel plotters. But my Lord President, by the King's authority,
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: was instant with the prisoners to confess the murdering of
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: Sir Thomas and of the other yea, even offering his life,
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: but no more to either of them, who would reveal
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: the matter and tell who were complices in the conspiracy.
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: And I think James Muir the younger was a little
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: moved at this offer, for I saw him very plainly
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: move and shift the hand that was upon his head.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: His father watched him with a sharp eye, and once
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: set his manacled wrist upon his son's shoulder, as it
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: had been to encourage him to remain firm. He himself
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: stood erect and undaunted all the time of the trial,
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: like a tower of ancient strength, while his son sat
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: upon a stool with his back against the bars of
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: the box, as it seemed, careless of the crimes which
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: were alleged against him. He had not even lifted his
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: eyes when his wife Marjorie went into the place of witnessing.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: At last it was all over, and the men of
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: the jury spoke earnestly together, while John Muir watched them
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: with his lion like eyes shining from under his hassock
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: of gray hair. The King sat impatiently, drumming his hands
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: upon a rail. He would have liked I could see
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: to go over to confer with them, but even King
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: Jamie had hardly dared so much as that. After a
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: short space for consultation, their President of the size, Sir
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: James Scrimgore, stood up in the body of the court
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: with a little paper in his hand. King's Liegius, All
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: are ye agreed in your verdict, asked my Lord President.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: We are, said Sir James firmly, and what is your finding?
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: There was a great and mighty silence, so that the
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: anxious tapping of the King's fingers on the wooden bench
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: could be heard. We find them both guilty, said Sir James.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: He would have said more in due form, but there
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: was a thunderous shout from all the Westland folk that
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: were in the hall, so that no more could be heard.
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: But the King was seen upon his feet, commanding silence,
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: and the macers of the court struck here and there
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: among them that shouted. Then, when the tumult within was
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: a little hushed, my Lord President rose to pronounce sentence.
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: But he had scarce opened his mouth when there came
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: through the open windows the angry roaring of the mob without,
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: for the news had already reached them, and Dunbar and
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: others were busily employed stirring them up to make a
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: tumult on behalf of the murderers. My Lord President had
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: a noble voice, and the words of condemnation came clear
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: and solemn from him, so that they were heard above
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: the din by every ear in the hall eye, and
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: even as far as the outer port we discern in
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: a judge John Muir of Achandraine, and James Muir, his son,
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: an apparent heir to be tained to the Murcot Cross
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: of Edinburgh, and there their heads to be stricken from
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: their bodies, as being culpable and convict of many treasonable
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: and heenous crimes, which is pronounced for doom. And when
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: the officers had removed the prisoners, Marjory Kennedy walked forth
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: from the hall of Judgment, as silent and composed, as
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: though she had been coming out of the kirk on
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: a still summer's morning with her Bible in her hand,
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: end of Chapter forty nine,