Sone,--The letters I formerly sent you, tho replenished with the best
advyces that ather my reading or my experience and observatione or my
paternall affection affoorded, and in thesse important affaires they
handled, yet I conceive they might be the less effectuall that they had
no other authority to back them but my own. Theirfor I am resolved a
litle to trye another method, and so put thesse useful precepts in the
mouths of some of your ancestors as if they wer allowed for some tyme to
arryse from the dead and speak to those descended of them; and I shall
set befor you some of their vertues and illustrious actions for ane
pattern worthy your imitation, seeing there cannot be ane better
direction in the stearing the compass of our lyves then by reading the
lyves of good men, espccially wheir wee are nearly related to them, and
in the using of this prosopopoea I have no less examples to follow then
the prince of orators Cicero and the great Seneca who to give the
greater weight and authority to the moral precepts they delyvered to the
people of Rome they conjure up the ghosts of Scipio, Laelius, Cato,
Appius and thesse other worthies, and bringe them upon the Stage,
teaching their own posterity the principles of vertue which is observed
to have left a far greater impression, and have proselyted and convinced
the mynds of the hearers more than what the greatest philosophers
delyvered only as their own sentiments and opinions. And because it is
not usuall to wryte the lyves of men whyle[722] they be dead, Theirfor I
will begin with your maternall lyne and sett befor you some of the most
eminent transactions wheirin that excellent Gentleman, Sir Andrew
Ramsay, your grandfather, was most concerned in, with the severall
vertues and good qualities that made him so famous and considerable,
which ought to be ane spurr and incitement to all good and vertuous
actions, and to non so much as to his oun grand-chyld. And because it
layes ane great tye and obligation wheir on is descended of ane race
that never did anything that was base and unwurthy of a Gentleman,
Theirfor I will also shortly as I can give you ane account of his
pedegrie and descent befor I come to descrybe his oun personall merit
and actions. For tho the poet sayes true, _Et genus et proavos et quae
non fecimus ipsi, vix ea nostra voco_, yet to be of ane honourable
descent of good people as it raises the expectation of the wurld that
they will not beley their kynd as Horace sayes, _Fortes creantur
fortibus_, so they turn contemptibly hatefull when they degenerat and by
their vices blacken and sully the glory and honour their ancestors had
gained, and they turn a disgrace to the family and relations they are
come of. Bot to begin: Sr Andrew was the 3d sone of Mr. Andrew Ramsay,
minister of Edr., and Mary Frazer. He being a sone of the Laird of
Balmaynes, and shee a daughter of the Laird of Dores, and it being fitt
that a man should know his oun genealogie that wheir ane of them has
been signalized for vertue it may be ane motive to provock our
imitation, and if they have att any tymes been led out of the way of
vertue that it may serve for ane beacon and scar-crow to the descendants
to hold of thesse rocks and shelves wheir they may see the bones of
their friends as the memento of Lots wyfe to beware of thesse fatall
errors. And tho a man should know the history of his oun nation and not
be _domi talpa_, yet there is no part of that history so usefull as that
of his genealogie, and therfor I would give you some account of that
family of Balmayn and of some remarkable things have happened therin.
The first of them was John Ramsay, sone to the Laird of Corstoun in
Fyfe, who being ane handsome young boy was made choyse of to attend Ki:
Ja: 3d att the Grammar School. Their was pains taken for another
Gentleman's sone, who had been bred in the high-school of Edr. and both
read and wrote better, yet the young King thinking John had more the
mean of ane Gentleman preferred him, tho choyses of such princes being
lyke Rhehoboams, not so much founded upon merits as fancy and ane
similitude of humor, and I have observed friendship and acquaintance
contracted betwixt boyes att schooll to be very durable, and so it
proved here, for K.J. 3d made him on of his Cubiculars and then Captain
of his guards, with this extravagant priveledge that non should wear a
sword within two myles of the Kings palace without his speciall warrand
and licence, which created him much envy and hatred, that for supporting
him against the same, he first knighted him and then gave him the lands
of Kirkcanders in Galloway, Terinean in Carrick, Gorgie in Lothian, and
Balmayn in the Mernes. All which lands his posterity hath sold or wer
evicted from them by recognitions, except Balmayn. And tho wee doe not
find him taxed as on of the bad counsellors that made ane discord
betuixt the said K. James and his nobles, att least not so much as
Cochran, who from being his Master Mason he had made E. of Marr, and
other mean people about him whom he had advanced, yet it was impossible
for him to be in so much favour with his prince without drawing the
emulation and envy of great and auntient families, who thought non
should come between them and their Soveraigne. For you will find from
our Chronicles that this King was on of the worst of all the James's and
came to ane fatall end by his variance with the Nobility, whom he
studyed to humble as factious and tumultuary, bot they thought
themselves slighted and disobleidged by his making use of mean men in
all offices about him. Bot to return to Sr. John Ramsay. It shewes the
Kings great affection to him att Lundie bridge when Archbald E. of
Angus, called bell the cat (the reason wheirof you know), and the other
barons seazed upon Cochran and the bad Counsellors and hanged them over
the bridge, and some of them apprehending Ramsay for that same end, the
King grasped him in his armes and plead with them to spare him as more
innocent than the rest, which was yealded to by the Kings intercession.
Bot after this he created him E. of Bothwell, ane title that hes been
funest and unluckie to all the three possessors of it, viz., the Ramsay,
Hepburn, and Stewart, and which the Ramsay bruiked shorter then any of
the other two. For after the killing of the King in Bannock-burn myln
when he had fled out of the battell, the parliament did annull that
title of honour, and from that tyme they have only been designed Lairds
of Balmayn. Some say he was killed with his master in that feild, bot I
have two unansreable arguments agst it. The on is that in severall of
K.J. the 4ths parliats. I find him on of the Commissioners as now but
joyned two or three in ane deputation. Neither had thesse offices att
that tyme such splendour and greatness annexed to them as now, and by
this it appears the K.J. the 4th durst not resent his fathers death, yet
he took speciall nottice of those freinds who had faithfully adhered to
him. Instance the iron belt and bitter repartee he gave the Lord Gray.
The second is, That Mr. Andrew Ramsay his great grand-chyld, in his
Latine epitaph made on him, printed amongst his Epigrams, affirmes that
he was killed att the battell of Floudan with K.J. 4th, which, if true,
he has out-lived J. the 3d 25 years. I find the said Sr. John Ramsay's
sone hath lived till about the year 1567. For in the Sederunt books that
year there is ane gift of tutory dative mentioned, making Sr Robert
Carnagie of Kinnaird tutor to Wm. Ramsay of Balinayne, left ane minor by
the death of his fayr., and this Sr Robt. did afterwards bestow
Katharine Carnagie his daughter upon the said Wm. Ramsay. The present
Earles of Southesk are lineally descended of the said Sr Robt. bot wer
not nobilitat for 30 years after that. Of this Wm. Ramsay and the said
Katharine Mr. Andrew Ramsay was their second sone, and being educat in
literature, wes sent abroad by his parents to the famous protestant
University of Saumur in France, where he gave such eminent specimens of
his great knowledge that in 1600 he was created professor of theologie
yr. And I have seen that printed Latine oration he had att his
inauguration, and tho the Scots wer soouner preserved in France than any
other strangers, yet it behooved to be extraordinary merits that
adjudged the divinity chair to him befor so many candidats and rivals of
their own nation. Bot being desirous to improve the talents heaven had
bestowed on him in his oun countrey, he returned home, and about the
year 1608 married that vertuous Gentlewoman, Mary Frazer, daughter to
the Laird of Dores, and wes by Sr. Alexr. Arbuthnot of that ilk her
uncle by the mother called to his Church of Arbuthnot in the Mernes, bot
he being ane star of ane greater magnitude than to be consigned to so
obscure ane place he wes, in 1613,[723] invited to the toun of Edr. to
be on of their ministers, which he accepted, and continued their till
1649 that he was laid asyde by that prevailling remonstrator faction in
the church, because he wold not dissown the engadgement undertaken by
James Duke of Hamilton the year befor for procuring K. Ch. the first's
liberty, and so continued solaceing himself with that _murus ahæneus_ of
a good conscience till he resigned up his blessed soule into the hands
of his merciful creator in the end of that year 1659, having, lyke Moses
of[724] Mount-pisga, seen the designes and inclinations of this Island
to bring back their banished King which he had much promoted by his
prayers; and so this good man, lyke ane sheaff of rype corn, was
gathered into his masters barn in the 86 year of his age, a man who for
his singular piety and vast reading was the phenix of his tyme as his
manuscripts yet extant can prove, so that his memory is yet sweet and
fragrant, but especially to those who are descended of him who are more
particularly oblidged to imitat his goodness, vertue and learning. Bot
befor I leave Balmaynes family I shall only tell on passage because its
remarkable of David Ramsay of Balmayn, the said Mr. Andrews nephew.
Their is ane sheett of paper in form of ane testament wheron their is no
word written bot only this, Lord, remember the promise thou hes made to
thy servant David Ramsay such ane day of such ane moneth and such ane
year, and then he adds, Let my posterity keep this among their
principall evidents and subscrybes underneath it his name, and which
paper is yet extant and keeped by Sr. Charles the present Laird, bot
what the revelation was I could never learn. Now to give you but on word
of the maternall descent, they wer aunciently Thanes of Collie, and were
come of the great Frazer, who was named by the parliat. on of the
governors of Scotland be-north Tay with the Cummings till the
controversie should be decyded betuixt the Bruce and the Ballioll in
1270.
Of thir parents was my Lord Abbotshall born in May 1619, being their 3d
sone, and from his very infancy promised good fruit by the airlie
blossomes of ane sharp and peircing witt, and his two elder brothers
having been bred schollars, providence ordered him to be educat ane
merchand, bot by his oun industry in reading and his good converse he
supplied that defect in his education, and haveing been elected youngest
Bailzie of Edr. in thesse troublesome tymes of the English invading and
subdueing our nation in 1652, he behaved so well that Provost Archbald
Tod comeing to dye in 1654, he was not only recommended by him bot was
lykewayes by the toun counsell judged fittest to succeed him; a step
which few or non hes made to ryse from the lowest to the cheiff place of
Magistracy in the burgh without passing throw the intermediat offices,
and which station he keeped till Michaelmass 1658. Dureing which tyme
the toun haveing many aflaires to negotiat att London with Oliver the
protector, and those whose estates wer sequestrat haveing addresses to
give in ather to have the sequestration taken of or are part allocat for
their aliment, they all unanimously agreed to employ provost Ramsay as
the fittest, which he discharged with great dexterity to all their
satisfactions; which made some reflect upon him as complying too much
with the usurper, bot when a nation is broke and under the foott of ane
enemy, it has alwayes been esteemed prudence and policy to get the best
termes they can for the good of their countrey, and to make the yoke of
the slavery lye alse easy upon our necks as may be: and the toun was so
sensible of his wise and equall administration that they after tryall of
severall others brought him in again to be provost in 1662, which he
keeped for eleven years together more then what any had ever done befor
hira, Chancellour Seton haveing continued for 10 years. When he entered
upon this second part of his government he found the toun at the brink
of ruine by the cruell dissentions then sprung up betuixt the merchands
and trades about their priviledges, bot he lyke ane skilfull Chirurgeon
bound up and healled their wounds; and being lykewayes sunck under the
burthen of debt he procured such gifts and impositions from his Mat'ie
upon all sorts of Liquors that he in a short tyme brought doun their
debt from eleven hundredth thousand merks to seven hundredth thousand:
and being thrcatened by the Lord Lauderdale to erect the citadels of
Leith in a burgh Royall, which wold have broke the trade of Edr., for
preventing therof he purchased the same and annexed it to the toun, and
finding that Sr. Wm. Thomson their Clerk by his influence upon the
deacons of trades nominated and elected the Magistrats att his pleasure,
he in 1665 caused the toun Counsell of Edr. depryve him, and
notwithstanding all the pains he took by brybery of the then Statsmen
and other wayes to reenter to his place, yet he was never able to
effectuat it, and then he procured Mr. Wm. Ramsay his second sone to be
made conjunct Clerk of Edr. Bot his death att Newcastell some few years
after made the designe of this profitable place abortive.
Our Statsmen being att that tyme under great animosities and prejudices
against on another, Lauderdale, Hamilton, and Rothes drawing three
severall factions, Abbotshall, who could make a very judicious choyce,
did strike in with Lauderdale, and upon his bottome reared up the
fabrick of his enshueing greatnes. For by his favour he was both
maintained in the provestrie of Edr., and advanced to the Session privy-
Counsell and Excheqr. This could not but draw upon him the Vatinian
hatred of the opposite parties. For they saw so long as Sr Andrew
governed the toun of Edr. they could not expect non of those large
donatives and gratifications which Lauderdale was yearly getting,
besydes the citizens longed to have ane share in the government of the
toun which they saw inhaunced and monopolized by Sr Andrew and his
creatures, so that it was no wonder after so longe ane sun-shyne of
prosperity their should come ane storm, that being alse usuall as after
a longe tract of fair weather to expect foull, and envy and malice are
alse naturall concomitants of greatnes and merite as the shaddow is of
the body, and it was never found that good offices done to are society
was ever otherwayes rewarded than by ingratitude. Themistocles,
Coriolanus and the old worthies of Rome and Greece are sufficient proofs
of this. And for compassing their end Sr James Rocheid Clerk, Sr
Ffrancis Kinloch, who aspyred att the provistrie, and sevll. other
burgers wer hounded out to accuse him in the parliat. held in 1673, and
money was largely contributed and given to the Dutches of Lauderdale,
and shee considering that his power was now so farr diminished in Edr.
that he wold not be able for to drop those golden shoures that formerly
he did, shee prevailled with the Duke her husband to wheedle Myn Lord
Abbotshall into ane dimission of all his offices. For Plautus
observes[725] in _Trinummus_ holds alwayes true that great men expect
that favours most be laid so many ply thick on upon another that rain
may not win through, which goes very wittily in his oun language,
_beneficia aliis benefactis legito ne perpluant_. It is true the Duke
designed no more by this dimission bot to ward of the present blow, and
promised to keep all those offices for his oun behoof till the speat and
humour of the people agst him wer spent and runne out, bot the Dutchess
and others about him did so violent him that he was not so good as his
word. They insinuating to him that it was not safe to trust a man of
sense and parts whom he had so highly enraged and disobleidged, and that
the bringing him back to power was but the putting him in a capacity to
revenge himself, and the truth is that has ever been the practice of the
inconsiderat mad world to runne doun any man when he is falling, as
Juvenal observes in the case of Sejanus, who brings in the mobile who
had adored him the day befor with Hosannas crying with displayed gorge,
_dum jacet in ripa, calcemus Cæsaris hostem_, and it is very fitt that
divyne providence tryst us with such dispensations. For if wee had
alwayes prosperous gales that is so inebriating are potion that lyke the
herb mentioned by Homer, it's ready both to cause us forgett our selves
and our dewty to God, and I speak it from my oun knowledge that
Abbotshall was rauch bettered by thir traverses of fortune, for it both
gave him ane ryse and opportunity with more leasure and tyme to examine
what he had done in the hurry of publick busines, and to repent and
amend our errors is in Seneca's _Moralls_ the next best to the being
innocent and not haveing committed thesse faults att all: the French
proverb being of eternall truth that the shorter ane folly be it is the
better; and tho' that physicall rule a _privatione ad habitium non datur
regressus_ be also true in politicks as in physicks that a man divested
of his offices seldome ever recovers his former greatnes, yet Lauderdale
being ashamed of the injustice with which he had treated Abbotshall, he
made him many large promises of reparation, but ther was never any more
performed bot the reponeing him again to his office as ane privy-
Counsellor to teach us how litle the favour and assureances of great men
are to be regarded, being lyke thesse deceiving brooks wherin you shall
not find ane drope of watter in the drougth of summer, and to teach us
to look up to God and to despyse the lubricity of this world and all its
allurements, which is _modo mater statim noverca_, and being blind,
foollish, and arrogant, renders all who greedily embrace her alse
foollish as herself, and instead of ane substance deludes us with ane
empty shaddow of are Junonian cloud, and playes with men as so many
tinnise-balls. I have oft blamed Abbotshall for his high manner of
doeing bussines relyeing too much upon the strength of his oun judgement
which, tho' very pregnant, yet in his oun concernes might be more
impartially judged by other by-standers. I have wisht him, with the
Marquesse Paulet, that he might have more of the complying willow and
lesse of the sturdy oak, bot he oft acknowledged God's care of him in
not suffering him to lose himself in ane false flattering world; and if
it had been lawfull for him to have taken satisfaction in the calamities
of others he had the pleasure in his lyfe to see Kincardyne, Dirltoun,
Carringtoun, Lauderdale, and his other enemies turned out of their
places more ignominiously than he. Thus wearied with troubles and the
death of many of his children come to age, he devotly payed the last
debt to nature in January 1688, being the 69 year of his age. This is
all I can get at present proposed to you for one pattern and example,
the sheat being able to hold no more.'
[722] _i.e._ until.
[723] Mr. Andrew Ramsay, Minister of the old Kirk in Edinr., was
Professor of Divinity and Rector of the University of Edinr. for six
years successively preceeding the 8th March 1626, att which time he
gave up both offices.--Note in MS.
[724] _i.e._ off, from.
[725] _i.e._ Plautus's observation.
Abbotshall was a man of great force of character. He was much respected by
Lauder, who, on his marriage with his daughter, was probably a good deal
indebted to him for his first start in professional life. For example, it
was no doubt by his influence that he was very early appointed one of the
Assessors to the town of Edinburgh along with Sir George Lockhart and soon
afterwards to the whole of the Burghs. To the facts of his life as narrated
in the letter it may be added that in the course of his career he acquired
extensive estates. Besides Abbotshall in Fife, he became the owner, among
other lands, of Waughton in East Lothian, a place often mentioned by
Lauder, where his brother-in-law, Sir Andrew Ramsay, junior, resided. The
eulogy in the letter is somewhat deficient in light and shade, more so than
some other passages in which Lauder mentions his father-in-law (see
Introduction, p. xxxvi). A good deal about Abbotshall may be read in Sir
George Mackenzie's Memoirs, the following extract from which (p. 246) will
help to supply the _chiaroscuro_.
'Sir Andrew Ramsay had, by obtaining 5000ll sterling to the Duke of
Lauderdale for the Citadel of Leith, and other 5000ll to him for the new
impositions granted to the town by the King upon ale and wine,
insinuated himself very far into the favour of his Grace; and by his
favour had, for ten successive years, continu'd himself Provost of
Edinburgh, and consequently Preses of the Burghs; by which, and by
having the first vote of Parliament, he was very serviceable to
Lauderdale; who in requital of that favour obtained 200 ll sterling per
annum settled upon the Provost of Edinburgh, and caused the king give
him 4000ll sterling for his comprising of the Bass, a rock barren and
useless. Thus they were kind to one another upon his Majesty's expenses.
In this office of Provost he had governed most tyrannically for ten
years, applying the Coramon Good to himself and friends, and inventing
new though unnecessary employments within the town, to oblige those who
depended upon him. But at last the citizens, weary of his yoke, resolved
to turn him out at Michaelmas 1672.'
The attempt failed at that time.
INDEX