Ludquharne, we haiff delt and yitt sall dell quhat in ws lyis to satisffeye my lord Erroll his lordschipis desyir, prowyding we cut nocht my Lord Merschael his lordschipis thrott: and to that effect will desyr yow to meitt ws the morne be tene howris, quhair we sall abyd your cumming, at Stirwelin hill, and thair att lengtht we sall ressoun forder nor we cane presently wreitt. Sua resting thairto I committ yow maist hartlye to the protectioun of the Almychtie. Innervgye this Sonday Youris maist luffing brothir To the rycht honorabill and his maist luffing brother J CRYCHTOUN IV. THE LAIRD OF DRWM AND YOWNG FRENDRACHT THAIR LETTER TO BALQUHINE OF THE TENT OF JULIJ MDCII CONSERNING THE ERLLIS OF ERROLL AND MERSHALL. Rycht honorabill and hairtlie beluffed brother / Efter our hartliest commendatiouns, pleisse heirwith to resaiff ane copie of the decreitt we ar to consent in the blank betuix the Erlis off Erroll and Marschell: quhilk we haiff formit for our ingyn in termis leist offensiue to Erroll, quhairbe ye mycht the mair hairtelie join with ws (as we stand nothe in doubt bott off duetie ye vill) in this mater tuiching sa neirlie thair veilfairis and concord and our honesteis. And sa itt sall pleisse yow to reid the same and to retourn itt vith the berar towardis ws, and to certefe ws off your consent be your letter heirto as is sett doun: for seing we are jonit in all deuteis we desyr nothe we suld deuyd in this, wthervayis we vilbe forcit, fering our schame and thir nobill men thair onquyetnes, to pronunce be our selffis: albeitt we visse vthervayis, that we suld gang coniunctle togidder, seing no iust reson to distract ws. Attour, itt sall pleisse you, for clering off this mater betuix my Lord Erroll and Ludquharn, to resaiff on the bak off the said decreitt the very just copie of George Hay his band: quhairbe ye vill aiselie considder that the Erle of Marschall can na vayis releiff him selff off the perrell of his bandis to Ludquharn and Alex ander Keyth, bott be your randering off that band or discharge grantit to Erroll be Ludquharn, or be my Lord his decreitt to be pronuncit in finall conclusioun off thais ilestis: quhairin seing we find your part sum thing heauie, in respect ye procurit that discharge and on quhilk conditionis ye knaw best, wald ather conseill you to mak that be dischargit bak to Erroll, or then we will be forcit off reson to conclude in sentence vith Marschell: and na thing mair nor ye condescendit to your selff, seing Marschell hes no other band off thairis to releiff him be, And to bind him. to them in ane mater vthervayes concludit we think itt nothe the best. Itt sall pleisse you, sir, to meitt ws on Mononday, be nyn houris befoir noun, on the ground: quhair ye sall be partner or witnesse of the conclusion in that erand, as ye pleisse: and quhosoevir ye be dispositt vill pray your presence maist hartlie as ye sall heff ouris at command. And sa our humbill duetie rememberit to my Lord and Laydie, thair committis you maist hartle to God, this x off Julij 1602, Youris luffing brether at pouer assured To the Richt Honnorabill A IRUIN yr off Drum The Laird off Balquhyn V. THE LAIRD DRUM HIS ANSWER TO MY LORD OF ERROLLIS LETTRE CONCERNING THE SUBMISSIONES BETUIX THE ERLIS OF MERSCHEALL AND ERROLL AND LUDQUHARNE. XI JULY MDCII. My lord, Efter our hairtliest comendatiouns of seruice, pleiss we heff this day resaued your lordschipis letter, off ane onacquentit styll baith in respect off our luffing dueteis touardis your lordschip, and your lordschipis accustumat courteseis touardis ws/ Being be thais menis inducitt in thir snares we ar sore we can nothe expeid our selfis but your lordschipis miscontentment, or our avin schame / . . . . off off your lordschipis courtoisies to ws, and our hartliness to your lordschip in all humble degrie, we haiff chosin rather, be our doingis to committ our selffis to your lordschipis wounted courtoisie be satling off thir debaitis for our poware / nor to the sklander off the wardill miserabill and bestle, to leff your lordschip vith thais (ye augcht for sindre respectis to luff best) in luggis, as the prouerb is. Sa we protest befoir God, quhosoeuer we be no vichis, our villis ar bent to baith your lordschipis veilfairis / And sa in hoip that God vill assist ws, be mitigating off baith your lordschips myndis touardis vtheris and ws, conforme to charetie, we intend, God villing, to sattill your lordschipis baith, as far as we off powar may. And quhair in your lordschipis letter your lordschip vald accuss ws off partialitie, we ar nothe to contrare your lordschip / Yit doubtis nothe, bott the Lord, quha knavis the secreittis off all men hartis, heirefter sall mak our pairt discouerit, to sum better contentment and commendatioune. Quhair your lordschip affirmis, bee thais spak to your lordschip from ws your lordschip wass informit we war to reiect all resons proponit be your lordschip quhilkis mycht nothe eleid the Erle off Marschall his lordschipis decreit of cognitioun in this we think we faill nothe, with your lordschipis pardoun: seing, in your lordschipis avin pressence al tymis befoir, and then, giff itt had bein permittit to ws be your lordschipis freindis, we war abill off resoun to haiff excusitt our selfis and na less villing to haiff offerrit our selfis and vill, I assur your lordschip, to all the wardill heirefter, that nather in that haiff we committit errour throw ignorance [nor] yett vrang throw vilfulness or partialite. And for our mair assurednesse in our resolutione, we may say, that at our last [trysting] all being alledgitt that vass now proponit, and alyk friuolouss, it wass for delaying off our sentence then desyritt, that your lordschip mycht heff ane vther dyett, in the quhilk your lordschip suld propone peremptourlie in scriptis, ather to eleid or mitigatt the Erle off Marschell his lordschipis decreitt / quhilkis now nothe being performit, yea schairsli spokin off, we thocht it impertinent resoning and neuer tending to conclusioun, repetere principia, as the scoller sayis. On quhilk consideratione, we heff chosin rather barnlie to conclud charite, nor vyslie to foster discenttioun. Quhair your lordschip sayis it vill nothe vork our vissit effect Quod supra nos nihill ad nos, sa latt the Lord that creatit all, woork that at his heavinlie vill: bott giff it sall nothe fall vthervyis nor we propone or vissis, itt salbe alwayis to your honouris queyetnessis and contentmentis, and sa in ane cheritable fault we esteme no less nor ane mycht be apardonit As for your lordschipis passionat patience purposing heirefter to do and think to ws we newer deseruit yet sall God villing God grant your lordschip na gryter desyr to think or do to ws bott as to your lordschipis luffing freindis, nor we remain off stedfast resolutioune to honour your lordschip to our powar: And giff the conclusioun be nothe falsse / Quod intentio judicat hominem we hoip in God we sall be absoluit, seing our mening is good / As for this mater vith Ludquharn, itt may be your lordschip gett mair off your lordschipis avin vill nor your lordschip lookis for / And yett we esteme nothe bott heirefter, your lordschip sall find our mening in that nothe worst bott senss your lordschip is presentlie preocupijt vith choler against ws, thair restis nocht place to perswade your lordschip in quhatt we think we mycht baith off resone and honest affectioun touardis your lordschipis veilfair, quhilk God villing heirefter I hoip salbe mair sesonable and soner, giff we leiff, nor sevin yeris. Till quhilk tym vill pray your lordschip to continew your lordschipis wounted affectioune to ws, and we sall abyd your lordschipis euer as befoir reddie in seruice to be commandit for vnless your lordschip vill by custume disdain ws we intend never to alter our deuties / or at leist to continew for sevin yeiris as we ar, or quhilk tym itt may fall ane comle change / As for that part of your lordschipis letter tuiching the restitutioun off your lordschip to all vritis in my hand, becauss itt concernis me I ansuer for my selff God villing be ougcht I heff resauit, your lordschip nor nain heffing entress salbe preiudgit / seing, as thai ar committet to my credit, I sall preserve them till I present them in judgement / quhairin giff your lordschip or the parteis beis sueir, I intend to vss my avin diligence to heff them consignit, that I may be frie Quharin your lordschip sayis that your lordschipis trubbill or expensis will nothe mak our burdin the ligchter we knaw nothe quhatt your lordschip menis thairbe, seing we desyir nether trubill to your lordschip nor ony exoneratioune to our selfis of ony thing we ar to do, seing we intend to do itt befoir God and the wardill, in honest. . . . Sa resting to be tediouss, and nothe distrusting your lordschipis discretioune, committis your lordschip and all youris maist hartlie to God / the xi of Julij 1602 / Your lordschipis luffing freindis at powar assured to be commandit A IRUIN yr off Drum To our speciall good lord My Lord Erle off Erroll etc. J CRYCHTOUN VI. THE COPIE OF THE LAIRD OF THE CRAIGIS LETTRE TO MY LORD ERROLL. My lord, my maist hartlie commendationis rememberitt with service, pleis your lordschip, I haiff conferritt with my lord my cheiff, (1) quha is verrie glaid to meitt with your lordschip at Deir vpon Satterday cum aucht dayis, be sic tym your lordschip will appointt and with his lordschip he thinkis meitest the yowng laird Drum and Frendratt, and as your lordschip sall think meit agane to bring any luiffing freindis your lordschip pleissis As to my gwdwill it is als great as any vther, bot my credite is only in my pleane speiking. And the rest to sic occasioun as sall offer to meit with your lordschip, I committ your lordschip your bedfellow and sweit babis to the Lord of Hevinis protectioun. Wreittin this Frydday lait Your lordschipis to be commandit with service RAVINSCRAIG Your lordschip pleis appardoun me of this forgetfulnes, Mononday cwm aucht dayis is thocht maist convenient, and it contentt your lordschip. VII. A PERSON UNKNOWN TO JOHN TWELFTH EARL OF ERROLL. June 1683. Privat newes from Edinburgh. One James Smith going from the Cannongate, alledged to have been at Boddell bridg, convoyed with six of the Kings lyfguard of horse, to be tryed at the circuit of Glasgow, at a bridg near Kirkintillow ten men fyred out of a house on them, killed David Murray, wounded John Ballantine, (1) [The Earl Marischal.] |