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Court; but either Mornay—seized by an inward scruple
—failed to give the sign agreed upon, or else the
king retired before the dance, or even prohibited it
altogether, since it did not seem safe to admit the Scots
“with bare swords” into his presence.1 Another report
has it that Ruthven, Balfour, David and James Murray,
Michell, and other Scottish officers were to crave a
private audience and murder the king in his bed-chamber.
However this may be, the murder did not take place,
though the sword-dance was actually performed at a
brilliant banquet which the king gave at the Palace of
Stockholm on the fourth of October, and at which he
himself, the Court, the members of the Riks-Råd and of
the nobility with their ladies, as well as the Scottish officers,
were present. In examining the voluminous record of
the conspiracy trial, nothing strikes the reader more than
the incomprehensible conduct of the king. Did he really
not suspect the Scots ?—why, then, did he hasten their
departure? Did he suspect them, then why did he admit
them into his presence with or without “ bare swords ” ?
Why did he continue to give them proofs of his favour.1 2
Soon, however, all doubts should be set at rest. There
was a traitor in the camp. One Hugh (or Peter) Cahun,
who bore Ruthven an ill-will, and had accused him of
having appropriated some part of the pay due to the
soldiers, disclosed the secret plotting of Mornay and the
Scottish officers to the king. When this became known
a perfect storm of indignation arose. Mornay especially
demanded the immediate arrest and punishment of Cahun,
1 Sven Eupfsson, Paralipomena in Handlingar angående Skand. Hist.,
xii. 193.
2 On the 8th of September 1573, Ruthven received a gold chain worth
160 gold crowns, and Balfour, on the 30th of the same month, a
silver-gilt cup, embossed, weighing fourteen ounces.
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