a very great alarm here. The first effect that this produced was, a run upon the Bank, which is now happily stopped, by the numerous Association of the principal Merchants to receive & make payments in Bank Notes; and by it the publick credit is re-established.

The King has ordered a very large body of troops, Dutch & English, with a train of Artillery, to march directly to Scotland. They are upwards of 9000, and are to be commanded by Marshal Wade; besides, it is probable that more will be sent to join them, as all the British troops are to come from Flanders. Who could have imagined that the P.'s son landing in Scotland with 7 or 8 people, & joined by such people as Kenlock-Moydart, cou'd in two months have been in possession of Edinburgh, and have occasioned such an alteration in the affairs of Europe as the recalling of our troops must necessarily produce.

Lord Loudon was to set out from Berwick some days ago; but as he might be some time at Newcastle before he cou'd find a Ship for Inverness, I hope your Lop in this time of danger will act by yourself if any opportunity offers. When he arrives, he will ease you of much trouble, and I dare say will on every occasion be ready to follow your advice.

As the motions of great Bodies of Troops, under old & cautious Generals, is always very slow, I own I cannot help flattering myself, that in case the Highland Rebels shou'd march into England, leaving only a small or moderate guard to blockade the Castle, that your Lordship may have the honour of recovering the City of Edinburgh, and of relieving the Castle; but of this your Lop can much better judge: I speak only, what I wish.

Every body here is sensible of what service your Lop's presence has been in the North. Your influence has prevented many from rising; and if, notwithstanding the present unhappy situation of Affairs, your Lop shall be able to raise the Independent Companies, so as to act before the Arrival of the Troops, you will have done the most essential service to the Government that has in my memory been performed by any subject.

I need not mention to your Lop the unfortunate situation of this Country; a divided and a diffident Ministry; the rage of Party still so strong, that they are more animated against each other than against the common enemy.

Your Lop must be sensible that the late mark you have had of his Majesty's confidence has already occasioned some reflections from a quarter, that I believe wou'd rejoice if you was not able to raise one man; but I hope your Lop's prudence, interest, and address, will be superiour to all difficulties, & at last confound the malicious schemes of those who wish well to themselves only. I have time to add no more, but that your success is the constant prayer of,

Beaufort, 7th October 1745.

I WAS very glad to hear, by my Cousin Macleod, that your Lop was in your ordinary good Health, notwithstanding of the fatigue that you must undergo in these

confused & troublesome times.

I send your Lordship a letter from my dear Cousin, and your real friend, the Laird of Macleod. And if it will be agreeable to your Lop, as it is truly to me, I shall be mighty

GG 2

mighty glad of it; and I shall steadfastly observe & stand by the Terms of that letter; and whatever turn the Affairs of State may take, I shall always live with your Lop as a Neighbour, Relation, and real Friend ought to do, & will never forget the obligations. I owe to your Lop and your family.

There has been several villainous, malicious, and ridiculous reports, that vex'd me very much; but as there was nothing ever out of Hell more false, I despise them and the Scoundrels that invented them; and since the whole business, trade, and conversation, of many in Inverness is, to invent and tell lies, I hope your Lop will believe no ill or mean thing of me, till you have a real and infallible proof of it; as I am resolved that this shall be my conduct towards your Lop. And if your Lop pleases, let us live together as we did since you came North, communicating to one another what news we hear, & inquiring for one another's health.

If it was not for the excessive pains that I have in my knees and limbs, I would certainly have paid my respects to your Lop at Culloden before now, notwithstanding of all the villainous lying stories & reports that have been going, much to my disadvantage, & a little to your Lop's; and I am very sure that it is the advantage of my family and person to be in friendship with your Lop, and I am resolved to observe that friendship inviolably, if your Lordship does not reject it, which I by no means apprehend. I shall long for an answer of this letter; and I ever am, with a very great Esteem & Respect, My dear Lord,

Your Lop's affectionat Cousin, & most faithful Slave,

P.S. I salute my unkind relation Duncan Fraser of Achnergairn.

LOVAT.

My Lord,

No. CCLXXVI.

The Lord President to Lord Lovat.

Culloden, 5 at night. 7th Oct 1745.

I HAVE yours incloseing Mac Leod's. Both Letters breathe what I should expect to meet with from both, stark love & kindness. I have spent my time ill for many years past, if your Lop is not convinced that I wish in a very uncommon way well to your family; & the drumly times in which we now live may perhaps show it, more than perhaps would be imagined. If Mac Leod has told you all he knows, he has given you a strong instance of this; & I do once for all assure you, that no accident that can hapen will divert me from pursueing the resolutions which I was possess'd of, as you well know, with respect to your Lop, 30 years ago. I mightily approve of your purpose of conforming yourself to the resolutions of the friends you speak of; as you know for them I have the greatest respect. The tales you have been told ought not to make any impression on your Lop, as they have made none upon me, further than to induce me to take that sort of care of myself, without which I should have been laugh'd at. I was very sory to hear that the cold weather had affected your Lop. Upon the sudden change you ought to have been more carefull; but the cold bath, & abstaining from cold air, will certainly remove your complaints. If you have any occasion for the lazy D', tho' I have some occasion for him, he shall attend you. If I hear any thing that is new, which I do not look for for some days, as the communication is intercepted, you shall hear from me. My Compliments to my Pupill the Master. I am, with wishes that have remain'd almost from my Cradle,

Yours, &c.

No. CCLXXVII.

My Lord,

No. CCLXXVII.

The Lord President to Lord Lovat.

Culloden, 11th Oct 1745.

AS you desired I might give you notice of any thing new that comes to my knowledge, I send you this Note to let you know that E. Loudon came hither last night: a Frigate brought him to Cromerty yesterday morning. All the News he brings is, that, besides the auxiliary Dutch, & the ten British Battallions already landed, 8 inore Britt. Batt's & 9 Squad. lay actually embark'd at Williamstad, waiting a wind for the north of England, befor he left Newcastle. That 2000 men from Ireland are landed at Chester; that the Troops are in full march northwards, with some Reg" of Horse & Drag, all to be commanded by your old acquaintance M. Wade; that there is a prodigious spirit up among the Nobility & Gentry of England, severall of whome are by permission levying Troops & Reg" of Horse at their own expence; & that the anger conceived at our unhappy Countrymen who have given this disturbance is extreme. what my Lord says is truely his belief, I do not at all doubt; & I must confess, I further believe that what he says is true. I heartily wish your faith were such as mine is; it is not yet too late. Nothing can equall the concern I have for your Lop's family, but the Joy it would give me to be the instrument of saveing & doing it good. I write this freely, because you, I hope, believe me a sincere well-wisher. My service to the Master. I hope to hear that your Complaints are vanished. I am, without ceremony, Yours, &c. To my L Lovat.'

That

My dear Lord,

No. CCLXXVIII.

Lord Lovat to the Lord President.

I RECEIVED with great pleasure the honour of your letter; & I'm exceeding glad to know that your Lop is in great health and spirits. I am so unlucky that my Condition is the reverse; for I have neither health nor spirits. I have intirely lost the use of my Limbs; for I can neither walk nor mount a horseback with the help of three or four men, which makes my Life both uneasy and melancholy. But I submit to the will of God.

I am very glad that my relation and friend the Earl of Loudon is come safe back to this Country, after the great danger he was in. I have great reason to love and honour him; for, besides his own merit, I was in intimate friendship & comeradship with my Relations the Earl of Loudon his Father, who was certainly a wise and great Man; and with his worthy Uncle, the General, with whom I liv'd as with a Brother; so that I have great reason to wish this Earl very well; and I humbly beg of your Lop to make my Compliments to him. I am sorry that my faith is not the same with your Lop's; but I hope our friendship for one another will always be the same; that is, full of sincerity and affection. As to the Earl's news, I am sorry that the people of this Country will give it only such Credit as your Lop will give to the News that I send you from the Highland Camp. A man told me yesterday, that he saw a Gentleman immediately come from the South, who assured that there were 10,000 French landed in England, and the Chevalier's second Son with them. This is an Article that I truly do not believe myself; but there is another piece of news, that I had from pretty good authority, That the Duke of Beaufort, Sir Watkins William Wynne, and Morgan of

Tradagan,

Tradegan, have put up a Standard, and are already 6,000 strong, to join the young Adventurer. This I know your Lop will not believe, tho' the Earl of Loudon must have heard of it. That there is a great spirit through all Scotland for this young Gentleman, is very manifest. All the Gentry in the Shires of Bamf, Aberdeen, Perth, and Stirling, are in motion to join the Prince, as they call him. Your Cousin, old Lord Pitsligo, was last week at Perth, with 100 Gentlemen well equipp'd, going to join the Highland Army. There are four squadrons formed already at Edinburgh, all of Gentlemen and Freeholders, to be a Life Guard to their Prince, commanded by Lord Elcho, whom I never saw, tho' he is my very near Relation. Sir James Campbell, of Auchinbreck, and other Gentlemen in Argyleshire, have march'd with 1200 Men to join the Highland Army; and without all doubt the Spirit of the most of Scotland is manifestly for that young Adventurer; so that he is much wiser than I, nay I think he must be a real prophet, that can tell which of the sides will carry. I am very sorry that this spirit is come to so great a height in this Country; for the Clanchattans rendezvousing to go and join the Highlanders has so intoxicated my people, that I find it morally impossible for me to stop them. The oldest Men, that are substantial Tennants, say, that they will not stay behind, to be upbraided with cowardice by their Neighbours. Your Lop may remember that I had a vast deal of trouble in keeping my Men from rising at the beginning of this Affair; but now the contagion is so universal, by the late success of the Highlanders, that they laugh at any Man that would dissuade them from going; so that I really know not how to behave. I wish I had been in any part out of Britain these twelve Months past, both for my health and other Considerations. As a true friend is always best known in time of great need, I humbly beg that your Lop will give me your best advice, & forgive this freedom, which I would use with no other Man but your Lop. And believe that I am, in all situations of Life, w a sincere Esteem & great Respect,

Beaufort, 11 Octor 1745•.

My dear Lord,

Your Lop's most affect Cousin,

& most faithful Slave,

LOVAT.

No. CCLXXIX.

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The Lord President to Lord Lovat.

My Lord,

Culloden, 18th O& 1745.

I WOULD have acquainted your Lop sooner of the idle attempt that was made on this house in the night between Tuesday & Wednesday last, by my relation Foyers, & some others, whome your Lordship acquainted me some time ago you could hardly govern; but that I very well know it would give your Lop more pain than it did me; tho' no Man of common equity, who knows that they carry'd off my Sheep, robb'd my Gardener, & the poor Weaver who is a common benefite to the Country, & carry'd off some of my tenants Cattle, will immagine that there was the least countenance from any one about your Lop to this transaction; nor should I now give you any trouble on a subject so disagreeable, but that I am teased every hour with reports, that the Gentlemen who fail'd of their principal aim give it now out, that they are to pillage, burn, and destroy my innocent tennants. These reports, I confess, I give no credite to, knowing that I never deserved any such usage at, the hands of those who are said to intend it; but as things very unforeseen now-a-days happen, I have judged it proper to acquaint your Lop with what I hear, in full confidence that you will take as much