many events be extremely necessary and useful; and I shall not fail to acquaint His Majesty with the Motives that induced you to undertake that Journey at this juncture. I own, I have never been alarmed with the Reports of the Pretender's Son's landing in Scotland. I consider it as a rash and desperate attempt, that can have no other consequence than the ruin of those concerned in it. However, in the present Situation, the smallest appearances ought not to be neglected; and I am hopeful that if Sir John Cope does speedily obey the Orders he has received, to put in execution the Plan concerted at Edinburgh with your Lordship and others of the King's Servants, we shall hear no more of that affair. I am sensible of the want of a legal authority in the Highlands to call forth the King's friends to action, in case there should be occasion for them; but your Lordship will remember the difficulties that occurred about naming Lord Lieutenants of certain Counties at the Time of the last Invasion, which were the reasons that prevented any Nomination being made at that Time. Arms are already ordered to Inverness, and a Credit is sent to Sir John Cope. When I mentioned the expediency of supplying your Lordship with money for procuring Intelligence, and other Services to the Government, M Pelham assured me, that whatever Sums you advanced he would certainly repay;* I hope, therefore, your Lordship will have no difficulty on this head. I must desire your Lordship will from time to time acquaint me with what you hear in the Course of Intelligence; and I hope you will freely suggest whatever may occur to you, that you think will be of use for His Majesty's Service. As there are few Officers of Rank in Scotland, His Majesty's Servants think of sending Major General Blakeney thither. He is an old Officer of service and experience. Yesterday afternoon we had Notice that Ostend had capitulated upon honorable Terms. General Chanclos, the Governor, made a brave defence; but the place was not tenable. The Yachts are already sailed, and we expect His Majesty very soon. I am, with great regard and esteem, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient And most humble Servant, No. CCLIV. The Lord Advocate to Lord Lovat. TWEEDDALE. My Lord, Edinburgh, 15th August 1745. THO' I have not had the honor of any Epistolatory Correspondence with your Lordship for some time past, yet I think it my duty at this Juncture to trouble your Lordship with a Letter. The Government hath certain intelligence, that a Sloop from France hath lately arrived upon the west Coast of Scotland, with certain Gentlemen, friends of the Pretender, on board; some of whom are landed in Scotland, and are stirring up a rising among the Clans. I have not forgot your Lordship's services in the [year] 1715, your Zeal for the Government, and your power and influence in the Highlands; and whatever grounds of *It is, however, certain, that the President ruined a large fortune in this Rebellion (independent of what his brother John expended in 1715), and was not rewarded or repaid. EE complaint complaint you may have against particular persons, that they may have ungrateful memorys, yet I cannot doubt but that your Lordship retains the same spirit and regard to the public peace as in former times; especially that now you have so great a Stake in this Country. I am sorry to be informed of your bad state of health; but I know you have a Son, who, conducted by your Councils, will be able to supply any defect that way. The Duke of Argyle is expected in Town in a few days. I shall be very glad to be assisted with your information with respect to the State of the Highlands. I have the honour to be with the greatest respect, My Lord, My Lord, Your Lordship's most Obedient most humble Servant, No. CCLV. Lord Lovat to the Lord Advocate. I RECEIVED the honour of your most obliging and kind letter, for which I give your Lop a thousand thanks. Your Lop judges right when you believe that no hardship or ill usage that I meet with can alter or diminish my Zeal and Attachment for his Majestie's Person & Government. I am as ready this day (as far as I am able) to serve the King and Government as I was in the Year 1715, when I had the good fortune to serve the King in suppressing that great Rebellion more than any one of my rank in the Island of Britain. But my Clan & I have been so neglected these many Years past, that I have not twelve stand of arms in my Country, tho' I thank God I could bring twelve hundred good Men to the field for the King's Service, if I had arms and other Accoutrements for them. Therefore, my good Lord, I earnestly intreat, that, as you wish that I would do good Service to the Government on this critical occasion, you may order immediately a thousand stand of Arms to be delivered to me and my Clan at Inverness; and then your Lop shall see that I will exert myself for the King's Service. Altho' I am entirely infirm myself these three or four Months past, yet I have very pretty Gentlemen of my family that will lead my Clan wherever I bid them for the King's Service. And if we do not get these arms immediately, we will certainly be undone. For those Madmen, that are in Arms with the pretended Prince of Wales, threaten every day to burn and destroy my country, if we do not rise in Arms and join them; so that my people cry out horridly, that they have no Arms to defend themselves, nor no protection or support from the Government. So I earnestly intreat your Lop may consider seriously on this; for it will be an essential and singular loss to the Government, if any Clan and Kindred be destroyed who possess the centre of the Highlands of Scotland, and the Countrys most proper by their Situation to serve the King and Government. As to my Son, my Lord, that you are so good as mention, he is very young, and just done with his Colledges at St Andrews, under the care of a Relation of yours, M' Thomas Cragie, professor of Hebrew, who I truly think one of the prettiest and nost complete Gentlemen that ever I conversed with in any Country; and I think myself most happy that my Son has been under his Tutory. He assures me, that he never saw a Youth that pleased him more than my eldest Son; he says he is a very good Scholar, and has the best genius for learning of any he has seen; and it is by M' Thomas Cragie's positive advice, which he will tell you when you see him, that I send my Son immediately to Utrecht, and other places abroad, to complete his education. But I have many a one of my family now fitter to command than he is at his tender age; and I do assure your Lop that they will behave well, if they are supported as they ought from the Government. And I hope your Lop will procure that support for them. I hear that Mad and unaccountable Gentleman has set up a standard at a place called Glenfinnon Monday last. This place is the inlet from Moydeart to Lochaber; and I hear of none that join'd him as yet, but the Camerons and the Macdonells; and they are in such a remote corner, that nobody can know their number, or what they are doing, except those that are with them. I humbly beg to have the honour to hear from your Lordship in return to this. And I am, with all the esteem and respect imagineable, AFTER writing of my letter Yesterday, I conversed very seriously with the man I mentioned in my letter, who is a very sagacious, sly, cunning, intelligent man. As he professes great friendship for me, I examined him as narrowly as I could upon the affairs of the West; and he tells me, that they are not so desperate as we imagine. He says, that he does not believe that there are three Clans in the Highlands, but will send their Men to them, whether the Chiefs go or not. He told me, that Glengarry was to come back as last night from Athole, and that this day he was to rendezvous all his Men in order to march to the West: he says, that they expect succour from Spain and France every day. I have but melancholy news to tell you, my Dear Lord, of my own Country; for I have a strong report that mad Foyers. is either gone or preparing to go to the West; and I have the same report of poor Kilbokie; but I don't believe it. However, if I be able to ride in my Chariot the length of Inverness, I am resolved to go to Stratherrick next week, and endeavour to keep my people in order. I forgot to tell you, that the Man yesterday assured me, that they were resolved to burn and destroy all the Countries where the men would not join them, with Fire and Sword; which truly frights me much, and has made me think of the best Expedient I could imagine to preserve my people. As I know that the Laird of Lochiel has always a very affectionate friendship for me as his relation, and a Man that did him singular Services; and as he is perfectly well acquainted with Gortuleg, I endeavoured all I could to persuade Tam to go there, and that he should endeavour in my Name to engage Lochiel to protect my Country; in which I think I would succeed; but I cannot persuade Gortuleg to go; he is so nice with his point of honour, that he thinks his going would bring upon him the Character of a Spy, and that he swears he would not have for the Creation. I used all the arguments that I was capable of, and told him plainly, that it was the greatest service he could do to me and to my Country, as I knew he could bring me a full account of their situation; and that is the only effectual mean that I can think of, to keep the Stratherrick Men and the rest of my people at Home. And I am persuaded, that Lochiel would use all the interest he has to preserve my Country. He told me at last, he would take some days to consider of it, untill he comes out of Stratherrick; but I am afraid that will be too late. I own I was not well pleased with him, and we parted in a cooler manner than we used to do. Since writing what is above, I have got three or four Gazettes from good hands from the West; they assure me, that the Highland Army and their Pretended Prince were last night at Laggan Auchadroum, and that they will march this day to Aberchalder. Your friend the Old Chisholm told this to Culcairn this day, as he was cominge to dine with me; and I had it from others. What turn they will take afterwards, is what is not yet made public; but some think they will march over Corry Yearack, which I wish with all my heart they may do, that we might be fairly rid of them. Others say, that they will come down thro' Stratherrick, and destroy it, if they don't rise; and others, through Urquhart, to go to Ross. And it's my opinion, they don't yet know themselves what to do, or what they are doing. Do not think, my dear Lord, that I am glad when I tell you that some of your favorites the Mackenzies are gone to join the Pretended Prince. I spoke to two Men that saw them pass by yesterday at the head of my Country, and spoke to them; and your favorite, that spoke to Culcairn this day, will send his Men to join them, whether he go himself or not. You may depend on it, that Glenmoriston & the Urquhart people will likewise join in a day or two; so that my people are the only left in the Lurch; but I am very easy; for I have your Lop's word, that neither I nor my people will lose any thing, but that Government will make up our loss effectually. I will send an express tomorrow Morning to Gortuleg, and intreat of him, as he loves me, if he sees these Mad people coming to go & meet them, and expostulate with the Laird of Lochiel not to hurt my Country, but to preserve it from being destroyed: otherwise, that he may assure himself that I will make Reprisals, tho'. I honour much the Lady Lochiel, and that she is my Cousin German. I know Gortuleg has a vast regard for your opinion in any thing. I therefore humbly beg, My dear Lord, that you may write him two lines inclosed to me, & desire him to go and meet Lochiel and endeavour to persuade him to preserve my Country; and I truly think it will have a good effect every way. I shall eternally remain, with Zeal and Esteem, My Dr Lord, Your Lordship's most attach'd Cousin and faithful Slave, LOVAT. Beaufort, 24th Augst 1745. P. S. I am glad now to assure your Lordship, that honest Kilbokie has not stirr'd, and will do nothing without my consent; and I hope it's the same thing with the Stratherrick Men. I can now assure your Lop by people from that Country, that none of my people of Stratherrick or Abertaif, are stirr'd; this gives me great joy; and I have just now got a letter from Sandy Culduthel's Brother, confirming all that I have said, and that the Highland Army were last night at Mockomire, and only this night to be at Laggan Auchadroum; that they were yesterday 3,000 strong. He assures me that no Men out of Appin, Glenco, Stralachan, Glengarry, Knodart, or Glenmoriston, had yet joined them. My Dear Lord, you know that you engaged to me in honour never to give me as author for any Intelligence or Information that I give you; and I am persuaded that you will keep your word; for if you do not, the next thing you must do is to cut my throat; for of all things in the world, I hate to be called an Informer. I beg you may excuse the errors & blunders of this letter; for I never was in a worse state of health than since I began to write it. No. CCLVII. My Lord, No. CCLVII. The Lord President to Lord Lovat, Sunday 25th August, 12 o'Clock. ** were THIS moment I have received yours of last night's date. I am very glad to hear that your mind is easy on the subject of Foyers and Culbochie. I always thought that the affection of your people would preserve them from folly, especially when your interest so essentially requires prudence in them. Your directions to G** very right, and I am surprised he bogles at them; since the execution of them is, in my opinion, consistent with the strictest honour. A letter from me, advising what you directed, might (your Lop will on reflexion see) be improper; but it is farther surely unnecessary, because I, at Inverness, and at Culloden, delivered him by word of mouth the same opinion in the strongest terms, and I hope he will pursue it. I have no notice, that Lochiel, or any of the Gentlemen who know this Country, will think it advisable to exasperate Men who, being pushed too far, must, in self-defence, prove the instruments of their ruin. Suppose they should force individuals of a kindred to go alongst with them against the interest & inclinations of their Chiefs, must not they depend on it, that those will take the first opportunity to leave them. They cannot, at least they ought not to forget the desertion of your people from Perth in the year 1715; and therefor I imagine they must desist from such barbarous policy; but if they should unjudiciously do otherways I see nothing your people have to do, but that the Gentlemen should get the cleverest of the young fellows together, in the best trim they can, keep together, and avoid them if they are too many, & reserve themselves for your further service; trusting, that if, on no resentment, any dammage shall be done, it will be made good by the Government in whose service it was sustained. Should the Gentlemen who are now in Arms know this to be your disposition, I imagine they would think twice before they provoked you; for they must conclude, that the least Horse-play on their part would naturally dissolve any expectations which they might idly have entertained, concerning the conduct of some of their friends, and force them with a vengeance into the other side. What you have heard concerning the Kinsmen of those whom you call my favorites may possibly be the case; but if it is so, they lie impudently, and must soon feel the bad effects of it; but I incline to think, at present, you have been misinformed. I have considered your answer to the Advocate's letter, which is a very good one. As to what you have the goodness to communicate to me, rely on it, it is dead and buryed, and shall never rise again, unless it may rise at a proper time to do you service. This cursed weather has keeped me from the Kirk; and fearing it might play you also a trick, I dispatched the Doctor this morning to see how you did. Send him back as soon as you can, for I feel myself pretty much out of order. I rely on hearing from you dayly. I am most certainly yours, &c. My Lord, No. CCLVIII. The Lord President to Lord Fortrose, 26 August, 6 at night. SINCE noon I have received letters from Sir John Cope by Express, who was last Saturday's night at Trinifuir, & was to march next morning with a considerable body of Foot, Drags, and Artillery, to find out the unhappy people that have put themselves 12† in |