and my mistake must proceed from the arrears | family out of my great difficulties; but such is which it was impossible for me to calculate. Your very much obliged humble sert Far from useless were Lady Kenmure's heroic struggles with her embarrassments, for not only did she accomplish her object with respect to her son's property, but by a deed dated May 21, 1729, Lord Carnwath acknowledges a loan from " Mary, Viscountess of Kenmure, my sister," of the sum of £405 17s. 6d., but her life must have been a heavily burdened one. Lord Carnwath himself very narrowly escaped Tower Hill, and paid for his adherence to the ill-fated Stuarts by total loss of property. Here is one out of a number of let ters from him, to Mr. William Veitch, writer to the signet, who managed his affairs, and was the purchaser of his estate of Eliock in Dumfriesshire, disclosing a sad state of pecuniary embarrassment: London, Sept. roth, 1723. Dear William, the situation of my affairs here just now, as Dear Sir, Your most affect. humble Servant, The story of the final downfall of the house of Perth belongs to the rising of 1745, when the Duke of Perth, after commanding the Pretender's forces at Prestonpans, died on his way to France. But among the papers of William Veitch of Eliock, there are numerous letters from the duke, the duchess, and Lord John Drummond, showing clearly how severely, fered for their adherence to the Stuart even before that date, the family had sufThe following brief note is very cause. suggestive. JEAN PERTH. A dismal picture, the Duchess of Perth borrowing £25, and not able to I have now had both yours with respect to repay it under eleven months. It was the sale of my estates, and your descreet mannot alone, however, the adherents of the agement of that affair pleases me much, and I Pretender who suffered in those risings, am very thankful that you have done that so disastrous to Scotland in every way. favour for me. I design to leave this place as next Saturday, and take journey for Scotland James Veitch, advocate, better known as upon my own horses, so that I shall soon be at Lord Eliock, would seem to have been Edinburgh, to support what you have done as professionally engaged in the case graphwell as I can. I hope God and a good provi-ically set forth in the following letter, dence will assist me to extricate my poor which very clearly shows that heavy loss was not the guerdon of the vanquished | in Justice and Reason the Booty Retaken by party only. Perth, January 31, 1750. Dear Sir, I am much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken, and your concern in my affair with Mr. Dundas. The event of all affairs at law is very dubious, and I should choose to make up matters with him rather as come to a farther hearing. But as I am convinced I have justice on my side, and the instance you give Mr. Miller is not at all parallel to mine, I shall give you the full History of it as concisely as possible, and the same that was given Sir Everard Falconer long ago, at Mr. Dundas's desire, who then owned the justice of the Claim, though he pretended he could not pay without his orders. Abram and his men ought to be restored to them, otherwise they never would have proposed to make him a present of what was already his own. And if our Effects, rescued from the Enemy, are not to be restored to us, as in common Cases Goods stolen return to the Owners, I think it a very hard Case, and not accommodated to the wise Ends of Government, which are both to protect, and procure Restitution, if not Reparation, of all damages. But all this seems to be foreign to the present purpose, as you see this Meal was not taken in the Custody of the Rebells, but deserted by them in their Retreat, and for several Days in the possession of John with it, who are all friends to the Government, Anderson, and such people as he entrusted and from whom Robert Gardiner seized it. So that when he seized it it was not in Rebell's hands, but deserted by them, and ought to have returned to the Proprietors, as it would have And tho' Mr. done had he not interfered. Dundas's accounts be passed, and this very Meal made an Article of Credit to the Government, by his Accounts, I see no reason why he should not still be answerable for it, as it ap. will appear by the Memorial transmitted to Sir Everard Falconer, at his Desire, that I was not repaid, whatever may be said with respect to the other Gentlemen who have deserted me in this Case. When this country was under the oppression of the Rebells, they laid heavy Contributions on all the Gentlemen as they pleased, and £100 was laid on my Father, for his attachment to the Government, of which he was obliged to pay part to prevent Military Execution; and in order to protract the time as long as possible, and in daily expectation of Relief, he promised to pay them Meal. But no relief pearing, and Military Execution being already begun on several, and particularly threatened to him, he sent in 39 Bolls on the 24th of December, 1745, which was lodged in their Girnel at Perth, and was among the first that was put into that Girnel, what was contributed afterwards being put above it, and not taken out again (the Rebells getting their meal then from Balhousie Girnel), till the Monday or Tuesday of their Retreat, when John Anderson, Merchant here, to keep them from destroying it or carrying it off with them, as he says, advanced them £30 upon it, and removed it out of their Girnel, into three different Girnels, kept by persons entrusted by him with it; from whom, on the Friday or Saturday after the Duke came to town, it was seized by Mr. Robert Gardiner, Dundas's Clerk, by a pretended order from the Duke, or General Hawley, and by him given in Charge to two persons, who sold it for him, and have accounted to him for the price. From this short Narrative you'll see the Difference between the two cases, tho' indeed, to me, the Case of the County of Fyfe, in 1715, seems to have been a very great hardship, as it was the same with a Ship taken by the Enemy, and retaken by our Fleet, which has always been adjudged to the Owners, Salvage money excepted. In the early ages of the World, when the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha were robbed by Chedorlaomer, and his Confederates, they seem to have been very sensible that I hope you'll excuse this long Letter, on account of Ancient Friendship, and join in the Cause when it comes before the House, as I have writ Mr. Craigie by this post to see to procure an Act, before Answer, for examining four of the most material Witnesses, who are to be in Edinburgh next week, at the Instance of Mr. Dundas, and Hixon's Creditors, about his plunder in 1746; from whose Examination the strength of the plea will appear. - I am, Deare Sir, Your most humble Servant, ADAM DRUMMOND. These losses and pecuniary embarrassments, together with the total ruin of many of her noblest families, a ruin involving trouble and disaster to many besides the actual sufferers themselves, must have seriously retarded social progress in Scotland during the greater part of the century. In the second of the two previous pa pers on Scotland in the eighteenth century, a terrible picture is drawn of the state and administration of the law. The alleged fact that money was all-powerful receives some confirmation from the fol- | Sunday. lowing letter to William Veitch. Sir, Terregles, 21st January, 1734. Madam,- This I had ordered Nanse to send Express to Preston Hall when she could get up in the morning. But out of her frugality she did not send it, Robert having told her he was to be in town on Monday. Any exception I could take from Grizzy's behaviour, or yours, I am ashamed of, and hereby I solemnly forgive it, as I wish to be forgiven for any resentment I foolishly made in my Liquor. What happened upon that, I thought I acted a prudent part not to give any more trouble to your family, And therefore resolved to walk it in to town. Wm. Corrie, in Clunie, my tenant, had a making of malt in his barn foor, which was seized, no doubt upon Information; and being prosecuted before the Justices, was sent pris oner to Kirkcudbright, where he now remains in prison, and it is informed he is to be sent to Edinburgh, in order to transportation. Tho' the manadgers of the Revenue are made believe he is rich, yet it is quite otherwise, for he won't have as many effects as will pay me, A very significant episode! To a womwhich are all made over to the factor. John Corrie, Wm's friend, was sued before the Ex-an of rank and position a man considers it chequer, and being Innocent is likely to get sufficient apology for some impropriety costs, which he offered to discharge, upon his committed at her house, to explain that friend Wm being released. But this is refused. be was drunk at the time. But the old James Smith, who writes to Mr. Erskine, will yellow letter, as it lies before us, suggests give you further Information in the matter, far more than the actual words thereof, in and I desire you will doe him what service you print. The first part of the letter is such can in getting him released, haveing a small an unsteady scrawl, as compared with the ffamilie. I have wrote my Lord of Linton, firm close writing of the postscript, that who is now with you, by this post. one cannot but think the wary housekeeper had her own reasons for not sending it off, at least until her master had time to see in the morning what he had written, probably late at night. I am, Sir, Your most faithfull humble Servant, The quiet assumption in this letter that the man would be differently dealt with were it known that he was poor, not rich, is extremely significant; and about ten years later, Lord Carnwath writes on behalf of two sufferers for the same misdemeanor, to James Veitch, advocate, and openly begs him to endeavor to get the authorities influenced on behalf of the offenders, as, "they being very poor men, it will goe very hard with them if they are obliged to pay as the Law directs." To turn, however, to somewhat lighter topics. Some of these old letters give us strange glimpses of what was at least possible in the higher walks of society at the period, in Scotland. Here is a strange specimen of an apology for some indiscretion, addressed, "To The Honble. My Lady Preston Hall." I had the Honr. of Yours last Night, when I came home. The pounch at Preston is only answerable for my impertinences to your La' & Grizzy. No provocation could ha' brought it that Lenth in a state of Sobriety. But when one of my own make will be officiously an Interposer, and give me such Names as I never received before from anyone, I shall and will be excused to call that Gentln. to account for his Impertinences, otherwise I do'nt think my self worthy ever to see your La' or My Dear Grizzy more. Your La most obedient Servt., The coarseness of tone pervading this apologetic conciliatory letter, may well raise a momentary wonder to what lengths a man might have gone, in those days, had he intended to be somewhat the reverse. Later in the century we come upon another letter, a merely friendly one, which if not meriting to be termed positively coarse in tone, at least strikes us as bearing the impress of what, in these days, we should call exceedingly bad taste. letter is from Sir Hugh Dalrymple, to Mrs. Peter Cockburn, and begins in a manner rather startling to nineteenth-century ears. My dear Cockburn, The Chelsea, 27th June, 1748. You see every one, even Willy Hamilton, are getting wives. Now if I should not do the same I should be an oddity among my acquaintances. But if you knew how heart sick I have been for a year or two past of dancing and fiddling about in town and country, after what we call your fine women, you would think it no surprise to see the galley slave run away from his oar. You must know that in town here I was on the footing of a man of gallantry, or what you call a fine gentlemen, and found the duty so confoundedly hard that I was even glad to retire in the matrimonial way, for a quiet life. Not that I am married yet, but soon to be, to a woman I like, and who pretends to like me. Indeed, so she may, for she fairly brought me into the scrape, so that if it turns out ill I may thank God I had very little those who believe that feminine refinement went out with thin gowns, silk stock. ings, and satin slippers, and that manners generally known as "fast," came in with thick boots, woollen stockings, and warm clothing. hand in it. However, I run no great risk, for my friend, in the first place, does not love women's company, is very sweet tempered and sensible. As for her looks, she is not a beauty, but is generally allowed to be a pretty woman, her face having more smartness than loveliness in it. Her father and mother are two as good people as in the world, very sensible, generous James Veitch of Eliock took his seat on and rich, so that the best part of her fortune the bench by the title of Lord Eliock, on is in expectations from them, after their death. the 6th of March, 1760. The curious I shall receive at marriage but seven thousand. episode in his career, revealed to us by his I write you these particulars because I know incautious preservation of some private all women are curious, and I am at present letters, took place, therefore, within a few accustoming myself to indulge their infirmities weeks of his attaining the dignity of judge. as much as may be, looking on it to be my It is rendered the more curious by the easier way to submit, than to struggle with fact that as Lord Eliock was in the habit them. Alas, I am to be married. I know my of boasting that he was a priscus Scofather was, and many of my poor acquaintances are so, still this is no hint to you Madam. As tus, he must have been, at the very least, yet tho', I feel no difference in myself; only in his fifty-fourth year at the time of the when I first wake in the morning I am queerish, a little confounded, and somewhat longer of gathering my senses than ordinary. But, as I was saying, I am not yet married, I have only resolved to be so. I was told, Cockburn, you took it very ill you was not consulted in this affair. How could you? I was not much consulted myself, and that you do not like an English woman. I assure you she is a very good lass. Besides, I reasoned with myself thus: If I marry in Scotland, I continue in the hands of trustees, duns, and beggary. If I marry in England, I dismiss my trustees, get a little ready money, and discharge my duns. think I have judged well. I So God save the King, and farewell, The raptures of enthusiastic lovers are prone to meet with little sympathy, but surely the most exaggerated eulogistic flights would be preferable to the halfcontemptuous marriage à la mode tone of this epistle, with its sneering insinuation that the wooing had been chiefly on the lady's side. If she were what he described her, she deserved a better fate than to become the wife of a man whom it is hard to picture other than a cold, carelessly indifferent husband, at the best. That wooing might be a good deal more than half upon the lady's side; that some of those demure, staid young women of high degree, with whose unfailing propri. ety and decorum of conduct their more independent sisters of the present day are apt to be pelted, could occasionally conduct themselves in an extremely pronounced manner, is rendered abundantly evident by a very curious correspondence with which we will close this paper; and which we commend to the careful attention of occurrences set forth in the following letters. Therefore let all middle-aged bachelors, if, like Lord Eliock, they are of singularly handsome, commanding presence, take heart of grace, and not forget their votive offerings at the shrine of Eros. The main threads of the following letters to Lord Eliock, from his sister, are easy to follow, although the lady admits small wonder - that she is a good deal "jumbled" by the affair. Dear Jamie, Edinburgh, 16th February, 1760. I am about to write you the oddest story, with a good deal of reluctance, but I thought myself obliged to do it, so take it as fol lows: No doubt you remember Lady Harriott Gordon, Lord Aberdeen's sister. You'll also perhaps remember that I told you of an old Whitely, which is long ago over; and him courtship between her and Mr. Gordon of railing against her to every body, particularly her own relations, writing the ill treatment he had received from her to her mother and brother, and notwithstanding of which they are in the same degree of intimacy with him, and he is as frequently with them all as ever, except her. She rails at him in her turn, and runs out of a room as he comes in. Friday night, before you set out this winter for London, she keeping her Christmas. She called at our arrived from Glasgow, where she had been house on the Saturday night, where Miss Craik was. I got none of her history that night, Miss Craik and she tried who should sit the other out, but Miss Craik got the better, and Mrs. Baillie and Lady H. went away. I tell you all this previous to the main story that you may understand it the better. title Hahead or Hallhead,* who has an estate There is a man of the name of Gordon, his It was Gordon of Halhead. Among old papers of Lord Eliock's father, William Veitch, is one bearing Black in the proces at his Instance agst Gordon of Halthis docket: "Inventar of writes produced for John head, 1742." near Haddo House. This man, though no ploy his doer, Frazer, the writer, so she took papist, was born in Scotland, but has got his him and Mr. Millar the solicitor; Mr. Gordon education somewhere in France, and has been took Mr. Ferguson of Tillfour, and one Scot, there, and sometimes in Italy, since he was a a writer; so the papers are lying before these boy; that is to say he has been 16 years abroad, gentlemen just now. During the time these and is now 26 or 28 years old. He came from transactions are going on, her brother told her Nice last harvest, took London and Edinburgh he had often heard she had had a courtship on his way to the North, where his estate is; with Mr. Veitch; that had she employed him from thence he returned to Edinburgh, about to transact a marriage with him, he would the time Lady Harriott arrived from Glasgow have been more ready, and besides he knew as above at least she did not see him till she would have had the consent of all her some time after. He soon, I understand, be- friends. She told him she never had a courtcame her suitor for marriage. She so far ac- ship with Mr. Veitch; that she liked Mr. cepted of his proposal as to tell her brother Veitch much better than the man was seeking she would marry him, and desired him to write her, and were he on the place and would take to Wallyford,* to acquaint her mother of it. her yet she would marry him and not Gordon. Her brother argued with her against it, setting All the first part of this letter, to the last eight forth his bad state of health, it being thought lines, was told me by Lady Hallkerton and he was dying in a consumption, and wasted to Mrs. Baillie, the last eight lines by Mrs. Baila skeleton. But all was to no purpose. Lady lie; only she added, as of herself, that she A. came to town in the greatest rage against wished you was on the place; it would be in it, just this day see'night, for it has been on your power to put a stop to the marriage with the carpet only a fortnight. Her mother said Gordon. I told her that she had many times it would be a most ridiculous marriage, the given me such hints about Lady Harriott in man's want of health; his having a strict en- former times, but that I thought it very imtail on his estate, which would not admit of proper to take notice of it; that Lady Harrianything for younger children; his having ott deserved a better match, and a younger been so long abroad made him unknown to man; that for my own part, I wished Lady everybody; that she was well informed that Harriott very well, and if my brother and her he was in debt; that could he have raised had been pleased I would have been pleased £200 he would not have sought her or any- also. Mrs. Baillie then expatiated on her body, but gone directly again to Nice, to Gen. good qualities; how well Lady Harriott loved Paterson, who is his relation; and in short you; that she was sure, were you here, she abused her for thinking of it. All this conver- would instantly marry you without conditions, sation passed before Lady Hallkerton, who and let you make them yourself afterwards. told me Lady Harriott's answers. In the first I told her I had never spoke in particular with place she told my Lady that he was a gentle- my brother, with regard to Lady Harriott, and man, as good as themselves, that he had 500 could not tell what you thought of her; but I a year, and that if he could not give her 20c thought you and she was not well enough a year of fortune, she would be content with acquainted to go so rashly into a marriage, the interest of her own money, which is £2000 and that your circumstances had not been which bears interest, and 500 my Lord is what would have been felt suitable for the obliged to give her for wedding-clothes. That lady. This and every objection I could make, if he could not give a provision to younger such as her coqueting and hanging on every children they would not be quality, and so fellow she met with; and I condescended on could work for their bread. And if he was in Whiteley; one Robert Boggle, a nephew of a strait for a little ready money she had £200 Lord Woodhalls, now at London, who wanted in her pocket which she had just got from to have gone with you; and another boy, one Lord Aberdeen, for byegone interest, and he Gordon, I had seen with her at Mrs. Baillie's. should have that. As it is to be imagined, my Mrs. Baillie made light of it, and said it was Lady Aberdeen was exceedingly angry with through the innocence of her heart, and for her. She left Lady Hallkerton's, went imme- sport, that she diverted herself with these sort diately on the Sunday to Wallyford, and next of folks. This conversation only happened on day to Prestonhall, and has not seen her Thursday, when Lady Harriott went to Wallydaughter, nor desired to see her, since. In ford with Lord Aberdeen, so I minded it no the meantime Lord Aberdeen arrives in town. more, and went yesterday to dine with Miss She told him the same she had told her moth- Preston. While I was at dinner Lady Harriott arrives from Wallyford, and instantly despatches a servant to inquire for me, who was not to be found. I came home at 6 at night, when Mrs. Baillie was in the house almost as soon as myself, and fell immediately on the story, all of which I answered as before. how was I surprised, in about half an hour after, to see Lady Harriott come in, as it seems it had been concocted between them. She had not mentioned her story to me, and I had seen her but once during this time of ber courtship; .er. He went off for London, but took her the length of Wallyford, and left her there; but her mother being from home she got a horse in the neighborhood and came back the next morning, which was yesterday. In the mean time she wanted to employ Lawyers to look into his charters and entail. My Lord Aberdeen desired her, if she was for that, to em *It will be remembered by many readers that Wallyford House was burned down last autumn. But |