“MY LORD REGENT, Unto zour Grace maist humblie menis and complenis I zour servitour, Arthour Sinclair of Ayth in Zetland, upon Laurence Bruce in Cultemalindie, That quhair, in the month of Apryle last bypast, efter I had remanit certaine space in thir partis of this realme, in doing my lefull affairis and bussiness, I past hame to my native cuntrie, beleveand na harme nor scayth to have bein done to me be ony persoun. Nochttheless the said Laurence, upon the auchteint day of July next thairefter, come, accompanit with ane grit number of armit men, to the bankis of Scalloway, in Zetland, quhair I was for the tyme, on sett purpoise to have invadit and pursewit me for my slauchter; and causit sundrie of his servandis, to that effect, ly at wait for me in the hie way; quhairoff I beand advertissit by sum of my awin fryndis, was constranit, for feir of my lyff, to pass bak agane fra the schoir to ane place four myle thairfra, callit Quhytness. And the said Laurence beand certifeit thairoff, and findand him self disappoyntit of his first wickit interpryiss, rageand in his malice, and thirstand for my blude, come, accompanit as said is, to the dwelling houss of Magnus How, underfowde of Quhytness, bodin in feir of weir, with pistollatis, swourdis, daggis, and vtheris waponnis invasive; and thair serst and soucht me at twelff houris in the nicht, for my slauchter; lyk as thai had slane me indeid, giff I had chancit to have bein thair for the tyme: Committand thairthrow maist crewale and manifest oppressioun, aganis all law and order of justice, &c., as at mair lenth is contenit in the said bill.” Efter the production of the quhilk, the said Arthour, for probatioun of the samyn, producit at Tingwall, the fourteenth day of February 1576, the witnesses efter following—