The Council has done everything towards securing the succession as by law esteablisht. There is a letter wrote and signed by all present of the Councill to the Elector, acquainting him of the Queen's condition. and desireing him to make haste over. The Esteats of Holland are also to be acquented with it by my Lord Strafford. Thers a squadron ordred out, and yachts to attend him, and the troops from Flanders are sent for. In a word every thing that way goes smooth here. God direct the people of our country to behave themselves right, and to prevent makeing it a field of blood and confusion.

I have writen another note by this pacquet to Duke of Athole, which you wou'd take care to forward saif.

THE EARL OF MAR to his brother, the JUSTICE CLERK.

1714, August 7. Whitehall.-I hope you will get out of him (Lord Haddo) who those Tories are he said were to leave me. "Tis ten to one but he was to lead them himself; but that game is past now, and if they know their intrest, which I confess they seldome do, they will at this time stick together, and that may save them, which nothing else can do. Tho' I say it who should not, I can make as good terms with the other side for myself as any of them, and I will not be made the fool of the play; tho' they shall not have me to complean of first. That of Jacobitisme, which they used to brand the Tories with, is now I presum out of doors, and the King has better understanding than to make himself but King of one partie, and tho' the Whigs may get the better with him at first, other folks will be in saifty, and may have their turn with him too. I know very well people have been at pains to represent me very unfavourablie to the King for some years past, but as that was all calumnie and out of partie designs, he will find in time that there was nothing in it; and one prince seldome likes a man the worse for serveing his predesessor faithfully and with zeal. For severall reasons I do not expect to continue in the post I now hold, but if I be payed of my ariers, which I have reason to hope I will, I shall not much regrait that loss. And then I must do the best I can for myself. Lord Oxford had done more like a friend by me had he left me less in arier, but I do not take it that his doing so proceeded from unkindness to me particular, and he did no otherwise by me than he did by severall others of his friends. You'll be surprized when I tel you ther's upwards of seven thousand pounds owing me. There is considerable owing to most of the late Queen's servants, but there is more owing to her out of the fonds they should have been payed with than are owing to them, so we have reason to expect the King will pay us. It was not so when King William died, he being owing more by much than was owing him, which was the reason the Queen did not pay his debts. It is impossible to tel how things will shape til the King come, but I belive it is pritty certain

that the two parties will be contending who shall be most in his favour, and it must be time only that can show who will be togither. It is thought here that there will be a new Parliament called as soon as this has settled the King's revenue, and done some other necessare things. The Whigs here are said not to be very well just now amongst themselves, but they will cover anything of that as much as they can. I wish the Tories were as unite as they are.

THE EARL OF MAR to his brother, the JUSTICE CLERK.

1714, August 10. Whitehall.-This letter to Duke of Argyll tels also of Glendaruels comeing at night to Edinburgh, and going away to the Highlands nixt morning without seeing anybody. I was askt if I had heard anything of this. I told I had had just the same account, and that my corespondant said that if it was so he thought him a fool; and so I was dismist. I can tel you little news from this just now. There is no word yet come from the King, but expected to-night or to

morrow.

The Duke of Montrose came last night, and was swore, and toke his place amongst the Lords Justices this morning.

THE EARL OF MAR to his brother, the JUSTICE CLERK.

1714, August 16. Whitehall.-I had yours of the 10th by the flying pacquet last night at Twittinhame, where the Lords Justices had alowed me to be for some dayes. It conteand so many things only design'd for myself, that I could not send it to be laid before the Lord Justices; so I sent a letter I had from Mr. Carnagie to be laid before them, giveing an account of the letter you write of from severall nobelmen and gentelmen to the Lords Justices desireing more troops in Scotland, and likewise teling of a proclamation for proclaming the King, which came down there under the great seal. I came to toun this morning, and have wrote to the Solicitor, by the Lords Justices direction, an answer to both these points.

I have wrote too by their lordships orders a letter to you of the Justiciary concerning the disorder at Glasgow in rifling the meeting-house, which was a very foolish thing, and in my oppinion it were good for the Presbiterians that that meeting there were again set up in a peacable way. I am very glade you are so well with those who have of late given themselves the air of being zelots for the Protestant succession, and I wish they may be sincear to you. You did very right about. directing the flying pacquet as you did, since those wise men were of that oppinion, and thought it of consequence.

As for that you write of my not waiting on any of the Hanover ministers here since I was last in office; it is very true, but the fault was on their side, for all forigne ministers here first viset the Queen or King's immediat servants, and I was the only one of the Queen's servants who they did not viset.

This lookt so particular that I acquented the Queen with it, who absolatly discharged me to go near any of them til they inquir'd for me; which I obeyed, as was my duty.

And when Mr. Harley and Lord Clarendon went to that court I informed them of the thing, and Lord Clarendon was to mention it to the Elector by the by, tho' not to make any formall complaint of it. But I suppose by the Queen's dieing so soon after he came there, he did little of what he went about or had in charge. As I wrote to you formerly, I doubt not but I have been as ill represented to the King as could be; but as I do not deserve his displeasur I am the less concerned about it, and he shall find me a faithful subject to him. I knew very well that upon partie account I shall have enemies, enew espetially amongst those of our own country who pretended to be zelots for the succession, and others thinking I had long stood in their way; but I must do the best I can for myself, and I am not quitt without friends here more than in my own country. My greatest loss is my want of the language the King understands, and I am very glade you are to be here to speak for me. As for peoples pushing at me I am not much afraid, and tho' people may be out of favour, I hope we are under a constitution where people are saif if they do nothing that the law makes criminall; and I am not contious to myself of haveing done anything to make me have a less tittle to the King's favour than others. I do not apprehend any comotions in the Hilands, and I have done all in my power to make them quiet there.

As to your continueing I take it to be pritty uncertain, but it is absolutly fitt you should be here, and I wish you may come soon (tho' not post). The King is to be at the Hague Saturday nixt, where we suppose he will not stay long. The Prince comes with him.

ALEXANDER Ross, clerk substitute of the Court of Justiciary. to the JUSTICE CLERK, at London.

1714, August 24. Edinburgh.-On Fryday last a letter came from the Earl of Mar on the 16th instant, addressed to the whole Lords, acquainting them that the Lords Justices, haveing receaved information of some late dissorders committed at Glasgow in pulling down the Episcopall meeting-house there, rifleing Mr. Cokburn, the Episcopall minister, his house, and abuseing his wife and children, his Lordship was directed to signifie the pleasure of the Lords Justices that the Lords of Justiciary would examine the fact, and as they found cause show all disscountenance to such dissorderly and riotous practises. My Lords Roystoun and Polton being occasionally in town, broke open the letter, and in pursuance thereof signed and transmitted a warrant to my Lord Pollock, Sir James Hamilton, Raploch and Blythswood, or any two of them, as justices of peace in that shire, to meet at Glasgow with the first conveniency, and call befor them such persons as were

best known to the above facts, of which they are thereby directed to make a full and impartiall enquiry, and report the same to their lordships to be transmitted to the Earl of Mar, in order to be laid befor the Lords Justices; and ordered Lainshaw to attend them, of which they acquainted my Lord Mar by that post, as my Lord Ilay was by my Lord Roystoun.

THOMAS ERSKINE, younger of Pittodrie, to the LORD JUSTICE CLERK.

1714, August 25. Pittodrie.-Since my last of the 21st instant, ther has nothing happned in the North worthie your Lordship's notise; a few thifts, but no appearance of other disturbance. The Shirreff-deput told me he aquainted your Lordship he had proclamed the new King with all the form and sermonie necessarie. The Magestrats of Inverourie, Kintore, and Aberdeen asisted in ther respective brughs, and at Aberdeen Sir Peter Fraser and the Lairds of Eight made a parte of the cavelcade.

SIR WILLIAM GORDON to the JUSTICE CLERK.

1714, August 29. Fort William.-As soon as I arrived here I gave your Lordship both ane account of my dilligence and what I could learn of the state and inclinations of our neighbours. The lieutenant-generall haveing ever since in concert with me continued it to my Lord Marr, I had nothing new to add, so thought it needless to give your Lordship any trouble. The distance the several cheifs of clans have hitherto kept from us, tho' several times desyred by the lieutenant-generall to come in, in order to a better concerting of measures, as well as for more clearly evidencing the sincerity of their intentions to keep the peace, together with some information we had from severall discreet men, inferior heads of families, that if the Pretender should com in person amongst them, they were certainly resolved to join him and run his fortune, made us truly jealous of them, notwithstanding of the assurances they were giveing in general terms by their letters of their resolutions to keep the peace. However, the country is certainly as quiet as ever I knew it; and for my own pairt I begin truly now to hope that some of them are beginning to have right and just sentiments of things, as particularly Locheal, who at my desyre was pleased to meet me within two myles of this place. I found in company with him, unexpectedly, Glenderouell, from whom I had the enclosed, which he at first designed to have sent under Lieutenant-Generall Maitland's cover, bot not haveing waited on him as he passed, he choosed to charge me with it.

Addressed-To the Right Honourable my Lord Justice Clerk, to be left att the Right Honourable the Earle of Marr's house in the Privy Garden, London.

COLIN CAMPBELL OF GLENDERUEL to the JUSTICE CLERK. 1714, September 2. Lochiel.-I mett with Glengarie and Lochieall the 1st of September. Both of them hes signed a lettir to the Earl of Mar. Sir Johne M'Lean hes also signed it. It's from the cheifs of the clans to his Lordship; all of them are to signe it as I can gett thorow them. The tutor of M'Leod is readie to signe it; he is fourscoir meils from his place, and a verry ill road, so that it will take near eight days, or I can have his subscription and return this lenth. Then there is the rest of the leading men that is to signe it, lives at such a distans that it will take me six or sevin days more. Then I go straight to Edinbruch and takes post for London, for those gentilmen proposis I should goe with their lettir to London to the Earl of Mar to lay there concerns before him. The contents of their lettir is praying his Lordship may assure the Government of there dutifull and hearty resolutions to serve his Majesty King George, and in all things to concur with his Lordship, and to follow his directions in all things wherein they can be usfull to his sacred Majesty's service. I have sent this by ane express to Edinbruch to Mr Harry Mall, writter there, with a lettir to the Earle of Mar, in which I have inclosed ane doubill of the lettir the chiefs of the clans is to send by me to his Lordship, that by it his Lordship may prevent any ill impressions that may be given of them. They have alowed me to send it, yett they disayr it should be at present known only to such as his Lordship thinks necisarie. Sir James Campbell and Sir Duncan Campbell each of them writts his Lordship a lettir in there oun name, and in the name of others of Argyllshyre, in the same tearms that the lettir from the clans is, and it is in concert with the clans. There lettirs I also carie with me to his Lordship, butt its fitt nothing be said of there lettirs butt to such as my Lord Mar thinks it absolutly necisarie to impart it to.

THE EARL OF MAR to his brother, LORD GRANGE.

1714, November 20. London.-The accounts we have had latly from Scotland make people here belive that there is a designe in Scotland of addressing against the Union, and I am told the Court begin to apprehend it a good dale, and perhaps they have some reason for so doing; for if such addresses were universall, heartie, and soon from Scotland, I am apt to belive that the Parliament might go into it. I have reason to belive most of the Tories wou'd, most of the Whigs too who are out of humour, and several others of them who were formerly against it upon account of the Protestant succession not haveing then taken place. And by the situation of affairs 'tis probable there will never be a time so likly to bring about a dissolution as now, if our country push it heartily. All sides of our peers own that if the matter of our peerage be not sett right they wou'd wish a dissolution, and I am perfectly of that oppinion. tho' I thought the Union as good a thing as ever I did. Now as to that of our Peerage being sett right, I see now little