and another, came out and cutt the cords that the prisoner was tyed with and all of them took presentlie a mosse.

For the Right Honourable

The Earle of Erroll

Lord High Constable of Scotlande

These.

VIII.

J. HAY TO LADY ANNE DRUMMOND, COUNTESS OF ERROLL.

Madam

I had a letter on Sunday last from the provest of Edinburgh, wherin he wrytes from Windsor that the hospitall busines was only delayed till he got a return from my Lord Chancellar(1) of a letter he had writt to him. I went on Monday to my Lord Chancellar, and his lordship told me he had writtin the ansuer already, and befor now it was at the provests hand; and yester night meeting with Sir Thomas Kennedy, the last provest, he told me the papers wer signed by the King. But I shall wait for the confirmation of this by the nixt post.

I have heard nothing of Northesks people since my lord(2) went from this, nor haue I seen Claverhous since except at a distance. The last news lettre, I mean the last weeks, did bear that his grace the Duke of Gordon had alterd his resolution of going abroad and kissed the Kings hand in order to coming home, and its said my lady Dutchess stayes some tym behind him. Besyd the ordering of the militia as I haue writtin to my lord, if any appearance of invasion be, beacons ar appointed to be sett on in sundrie places, and all between sixty and sixteen to ryse upon advertisment by the cross.(3) I caused my wyffe buy the sattin and flannen your ladyship ordred which James Body is to send by this bearer. They ar the best of both she could get. The last gazet is the only news can at present be had to be sent your ladyship by, Madam,

Your ladyships most humble and most obedient servant

J. HAY

Edinburgh 19 September 1688

(1) [The Countess' brother, James fourth Earl of Perth.]

(2) [The Countess' husband, John twelfth Earl of Erroll.]

(3) [That is, The Fiery Cross.]

IX.

WILLIAM HAY TO THE COUNTESS OF ERROLL.

May it please your honor

Madame

I have been so much hurryed this whyle bygone, that I have been forced in some pairt to delay the performing your ladyships commands, bot, God willing, quhairin I have failled I shall endevour to supply in my vigilance of observing your ladyships commands heirafter. I am overjoyed to be confirmed of my lords finall transaction with the town of Edinburgh, quhich wes performed on Thursday last in Blairs', wher my Lord Chancelar wes with my lord, and quhair both were treated by the town, and pepers exchanged; so that now blessed be God the Earl Erroll hes as frie ane estate of any incumberance as any Scottish man. It is like your ladyship may have seen the attestation of witness anent the Prince ;(1) houever having it, I reckoned it my duty to send it. I have seen this day a Delaratione from the King anent the Prince of Orange importing that he had invaded England, had taken on him the regall style, had many specious pretexts, among the rest to call a frie parliament; which assertion of his is opposed in the Kings declaration thus, that ther is nothing more he desyres then that, and in order thairto hes restord all corporations to their ancient priviledges, and that the only means to obstruct a frie parliament would be the Prince, by his having ane army over their heads: And this declaration gives accountt that the Dutch consists of about ten thousand foot, quhairof Maccay, Balfour and Talmash are the only native collonells, and about three thousand six hundred horses. Quhether true or not I know not, we are oblidged to beleive the King. This day in obedience to the privy councill the commissioners having mett (altho a few, being bad weather) have imposed thirty-six shillings Scotes for every footman outreicht in Aberdeenshyre, quhich with fourteen shillings and twelve shillings formerly imposed makes up fourty dayes the fourth part detachment. Wee are told heir that the Shireff of the Merns and young Craigivar have fought, and that the Shireff is wounded, and two or three men killed quho entered the quarrell. The whole militia is to be again detached to three thousand foot and six hundred horse. The Master of Forbes is

· . . . .

(1) [The infant Prince of Wales.]

captain over the Bamf Aberdeen and Merns horses, Camphel-Forbes his lieutenant, and William Burnet, Leyes brother, his cornet, in place of those formerly named. Duffus hes the comand of the north countrey horse. It seems no news can come to this place by reason the pacquet is now always seased on, by what means is not discovered. They tell me that privat lettres bear the Dutch to be fourty thousand men; we shall scarce have any sure account this eight dayes. Your ladyship hes certanly letter accountts then this place can pretend to, bot thus far I thocht it my duty to give your ladyship accountt, as a testimony, in so far, that I am sensible that it is my duty to all intents and purposes to be,

November 20 [16]88

May it please your ladyship,

Madame,

Your ladyships most obedient and
most faithfull servant

WILL: HAY.

Your ladyship hes heard of the new election of the magistrats heir,(1) quhich as I am informed wes done by a list sent from Edinburgh to the old councill by ther dictator Bailyie Edie: Alexander Gordoun, provest; George Seton, Jon Gordoun the provests son, Jon Lesly the late provests son, and Robert Cruickshank of Banchory, bailyies; Andrew Burnet, dean of guild; a young man called Robert Gordon thesaurer. I have given your ladyship accountt by Mr. William Nisbet of the goods brought by Andrew Burnet, quhich I shall repeat to your ladyship: A cabinet with standard, a chest of drauers with standard, tuo tables, tuo mirrours, tuo pair stands, all of fyne mosaik or indented work, with thirty dozen bottels, and eighteen or twenty four peuther dishes, and five or six dozen trenchers.

X.

J. HAY TO THE COUNTESS OF ERROLL.

Madam

Upon Monday last (ther having been a tumult the night before), my Lord Chancellar called all the councellours in town, and others of the

(1) [Aberdeen.]

nobility, to Halyroodhous; and after he had spoken with them went away towards Drumond, having with him about ten gentlemen of his own freinds and forty militia hors. That night he went to the Earl of Callendars hous of Almond between Linlithgow and Falkirk. And in this place,(1) after he was gone on the Mondays night, ther was a terrible tumult and his lodgings rifled intirelie; and all thes of the Roman persuasion wer used in the sam maner, even old Lady Margaret Hay, Lady Lucie Hamilton, Mr Andrew Hay, the Laird of Niddrie etc. And towards the morning they cam to Blairs lodging and ruined everything within the hous, brak his cabinetts to shivers, treated his children very barbarouslie, and brunt his papers, in the floor of one of his rowms, and all other papers they got. Himself and his lady had withdrawn, and now he is out of town and his family to follow. I was fullie of your ladyships mynd as to my lords being heir, but it was both the Kings service and my Lord Chancellars securitie that he should stay; and though in resisting of tumults thers much of danger and litle honour to be won, as your ladyship sayes very right, yet even that danger cannot at some tymes by persons of quality be weel declyned. However, now my lord is on his way towards your ladyship, yet going by Drummond; which is the reason I have troubled yow with this account becaus himself thought the post would be at Aberdeen before him. As to the particular in your ladyships lettre I cannot in the disorder wee ar now in give any ansuer, for I was adwysed the last night not to keep my own hous, and so both wyffe and bairns went with me to seek our lodging elswher. So wishing God to comfort your ladyship for this

afliction of your dearest and nearest friends I shall ad no mor

Leith 12 December 1688 at half an hour after twelve at quhilk tym my lord took boat with a fair wind.

XI.

J. HAY TO JOHN TWELFTH EARL OF ERROLL.

My Lord

On Sunday last the thirty-first of March, imediatlie after the foirnoons sermon, which was preacht in the High Kirk by the Bishop of

(1) [Edinburgh.]

Murray,(1) the President of the Session(2) going home discoursed all the way with his brother Lord Castlehill(3) and some other freinds about the sermon, and that it was his admiration how he had nevir heard tell of so excellent a preacher before. At his closs head his brother took leav of him, and Daniell Lockhart was with him, when one Cheislie of Dalry (in whose affair about a difference betuixt him and his wyffe he had bin an arbiter, and had determined most justlie according to the opinion of all knowing men), coming in behind the President, before Daniell Lockhart, at the entrie of the closs head foirnent Peirsons turnpyk, he with a pocket rifald pistoll shot the President in at the back on the right syd, and the bullet came out before beneath his stomack toward the left syd, wherby he was killed dead, and carried home. The murderer was seized on, and taken to the guard, and afterward to prison. On Monday the Convention or Meeting of the Estates was called extraordinary, and gave comission to six of their number, Mr David Drummond, and me, and the Magistrats of Edinburgh to torture judge and try him. But wee thought wee could not medle without prejudging your priviledges, and thairfor with all discretion (least it should have interupted the tryall of so execrable a murder), made a protestation in the terms of the inclosed paper.(4)

So fell that great man who was your lordships particular freind; and his death is, not only a nationall loss, but extremlie to be regrated for the maner of it.

The murderer is sentenced this day to be drawn in a hurdle from the tolbuith to the scaffold at the cross, there his hand is to be cut off alyve; then to be hanged, and his body hung in chains at the Gallow Lee, his hand to be affixt on the West Port.

Edinburgh 3 April 1689.

(1) [Dr. William Hay, according to Bishop Keith, descended of the family of Park; according to another account, "son to Mr. William Hay, succentor of Aberdeen." Erroll MS. The same authority adds, that “though he maintained his just authority over his clergy, yet he was of a very mild and gentle temper, loving neither to persecute papists nor presbyterians. So he neither approved of the rigor of the penall laws against the one, nor allowed his clergy over much to vex the other; and they having once asked him. What then shall we do? for the schismatick preachers will prevail,' he answered, with much earnestness, Excel them in life and doctrine.' Having been ill of the palsy many years, he went to Bath for cure, but without success; so that returning home, he dyed at Inverness, at the age of sixty, March the ninth, 1707, and is buried in the church there, where his tomb is yet seen."]

(2) [Sir George Lockhart of Carnwath.]

(3) [Sir John Lockhart of Castlehill, one of the Senators of the College of Justice.] (4) [This paper has not been found in the archives at Slains.]