It was also enquired, whether Sir George or his Lady had given her at any time provocation to this malice? But it was well known, they had been courteous to her: and, upon her complaints, had rebuked some for spreading bad reports upon her name, as not appearing sufficiently well-founded to a conviction. Only upon the 14th of October, above specified, before Sir George went to Glasgow, he had called before him a servant in Pollock-town, that had broken his orchard in harvest last, who confessed the fact, and that Hugh Stewart, a son of Janet Mathie’s, was his accomplice. But a by-stander declared, That he was not now in Pollock land, but in the Darnly. To whom Sir George replied, I hope my fingers may reach him in Darnly. This was all which could be thought a provocation to Mathie. No harm being done in the meantime to her son, whom Sir George to this hour doth not so much as know by the face, but hath suffered him all the time of his sickness to live in his mother’s house, even since her imprisonment. In the meantime Mathie remaining obstinate, was searched for insensible marks before the Sheriff-depute of Renfrew, and many famous witnesses, at Paisley, and very many found upon her. After the finding of the picture of wax foresaid, there was some abatement of Sir George’s sickness, but not to any observable degree, so low was he brought. But upon the 4th of January following, his sickness recurred with that violence, that for four or five days, his friends and relations had no great confidence of his life. But they were more amazed on the 7th of January, being the Sabbath-day, when they had an express from the dumb girl, who was at Pollock-town, but could not get over the water to the house, the river being so swelled at that time, signifying, That John Stewart, Mathie’s eldest son, had four days since formed an effigy of clay, for taking away Sir George’s life. And when she was called for, she declared, it was in his house, beneath the bolster, among the bedstraw.