[Sidenote: Murray to Edgar]
This is the first opportunity I had to write since I left Paris
otherwise you may beleive I would not have failed to lett you
hear from me long e’er now. I received yours of the 22nd of
Novr. from Mr. Smith at London but as Mr. Rattrae has not been
in town not finding any sure hand the two enclosed papers are
still in my Custody, but I am informed he intends soon in this
place, when I shall take care to deliver them with the Cypher; I
am very hopefull his Majesty’s making choise of him will prove
a means of uniting them together as they have for some time ago
addressed him as the eldest of the Colledge to take inspection
of the Diocess during the Vacancy; I return you my most sincere
acknowledgements for your good advice as to my Behaviour with
them which you may depend upon I’ll strickly follow and by what
I wrote you of Mr. Keith’s[146] procedure you will be still more
convinced of the Necessity I am under to act cautiously with
them. I understand my Lady Clanronald lately received a letter
from L[ord] J[ohn] D[rummon]d with the contents of your last
to me which was immediately told Keith so that Mr. Rattrae’s
Election was known before my Arrival here. I am sorry L[ord]
T[ra]q[uai]r should keep such correspondence but there are some
people continue long young and consequently ought to be looked
upon as Children.
Upon my return to London having the fortune to be entirely
trusted by Coll. Cicel and Mr. Smith, I made it my business to
inform myself as particularly as possible of their grounds of
Quarrel with L[ord] Semple, when I found they both agreed in the
following Accusations, 1mo. That he had been employed by means
of the Dutchess of Buccingham and Coll. Cicel to transack some
little affairs and from that time had assumed to himself the
Character of Minister for the King’s friends in England. 2d. That
by his Behaviour to Or[mon]d and L[ord] Marshall he had entirely
disobliged them whose friendship he ought by any means to have
Cultivate. 3tio. He had been grossly deceived by the Cardinal
who had made him believe twenty things he had no intention of
Performing. 4to. He was so credulous in beleiving the Cardinal’s
assertions as to write from time to time in terms only fitt
some weeks before an invasion. 5to. He seemed to ack the part
rather of a French than Brittish minister. 6to. He seemed to
turn his politicks into a kind of Mechanicks and made a trade
of them. 7to. He contradicted himself not only in a different
but even in the same letter, by saying that the Cardinal was
so well satisfied with the offers made him and the information
he had gott that he desired no further and in the same letter
advises Coll. Cicel still to inform him further so that he might
determine the Cardinal more and more to act in his Majesty’s
favours. 8to. He acted imprudently by transmitting to Coll. Cicel
the Commissions sent him by the King to dispose of in so large
a Packet that Mr. Smith could not conceal them in the Ship and
at the same time wrote a long letter with a great many trifles
of what had passed betwixt him and the Cardinal in Closs Cypher
who, he insinuate, he entirely managed and all relating to the
Commissions in plain English. 9to. His coming over was not only
without the knowledge of but disagreeable to the King’s friends
in England, that my L[ord] Barramore[147] and he were vastly
uneasy about it and gave him all the Civil usage and fair Words
they could in Prudence so as to make him leave the place least
he should be taken up. 10to. He is not trusted by the King’s
friends in England. 11to. He was not even trusted by the Cardinal
notwithstanding he pretended he had so much to say with him and
given this instance that he, the Cardinal, sent a proposal to the
King’s friends by Mr. Bussie[148] at London of landing a body
of Swedes[149] in the Country which he seemed greatly surprised
at when told by L[ord] Barrimore and that he should afterwards
have greatly repented telling him, imagining when he went over
he would make a handle of this information to show how he was
trusted by the English. 12to. That Coll. Cicel told him at
parting that provided the Cardinal was explicite he would inform
him of everything that was necessary but as he saw that was not
like to be the case he never had wrote him anything which was
sufficient to show him he was not trusted and that he and L[ord]
Barrimore particularly complained of L[ord] Semple’s intruding
himself into the management of their affairs, and Lastly that he
was quite drunk with his ministerial office and acted so high
and mightily a part as even to intermiddle betwixt the King and
Dutchess of Buckingham. These so far as I can remember are the
sum of their Accusations, which I could have reduced into the
compass of a few lines were it not I thought it my duty to write
in as plain and minute a manner as possible whatever I have
learnt having an Eye to nothing but truth and to give the King
all the information in my power so that if I have acted out of
my sphere I hope you will interceed for my forgiveness. I only
beg leave to say that from the little knowledge I have of L[ord]
Semple I take him to be a man of great honour and possessed of
much greater abilities than any of his Accusors.[150]
I parted with L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r about a fortnight ago when he
sett out for London with a view to bring the English to Concert
matters so as to be able to act this summer. The Gentlemen of
the Concert are highly dissatisfied with their behaviour they
say they have been ready to act for some years past, putt to a
great expense in Cultivating a friendship and intimacy with their
Vassals, keeping a great many otherwise useless fellows in their
Grounds and often obliged to give very advantagious [terms] to
their tennants for fear of disobliging them, whereas on the other
hand they, the English, do nothing but make a noise and complain
of their Oppression.
The situation of things are such at present that had they any
Resolution att all they would almost without stroke of sword
putt an end to the cause but in place of that they draw a cross
one another and run into little political partys so that if
they are not brought to engage heartyly so as to be able to
act this summer we give up all hopes of ever bringing them to
act in Concert with us. Had the King’s friends in a body used
means to favour the Restoration they could not have done it to
better purpose than the present Government. There are now 16,000
men out of the Country, 6 Regiments more partly gone, the rest
going, only about twenty thousand in England[151] nine parts
of ten of which are as raw and undisciplined as those to come
against them, The Duke of Hannover[152] going over and in short
every soul--Whigg and Torry, Republican, etc.,--disobliged and
irritated to the last degree, so that we to be sure are able to
do more of ourselves at this juncture then we could do with the
assistance of 10000 men were these Troops returned.
L[ochie]l with whom I have Occasion often to talk on this subject
gives it as his Opinion that the Highlanders have now for so
long time been in hopes of something being done and now seeing
so fair an Opportunity, will probably unless brought into Action
once this Summer or harvest give up all thought of ever seeing
a Restoration and he is afraid every one will do the best they
can by endeavouring to catch at part of his Country before she
sink entirely and I am really affraid it will be the case with
some of the least steady amongst them. He is thoroughly convinced
that with 20,000 Stand of arms his Majesty or the Prince with a
good General and some Officers att our head, Scotland is well
able to do the whole affair, and indeed it is not only his, but
the opinion of several others I talk to in this place upon that
subject, as in this case none would be exempt from carrying arms
and things are now quite changed from what they were formerly
when a simelar proposal[153] was made. This I could not fail
acquainting you with least L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r’s journey don’t
take effect and this irrecoverable opportunity lost by the
further delay of the English, and indeed any delay may prove of
the worst consequence as the death of either L[ord] L[ova]t or
Sir J[ames] C[ampbell] who are both old men will greatly weaken
if not entirely ruin the Concert as there are few to be found
who can fill their places. L[ochie]l desires me to mention the
great use General Keith would be off. The Highlanders having
got the same notion of him they formerly had of Lord Dundee.
Drumelzier and his Brother have been all this winter at Tangiers
and propose to pass all the Watters where General Keith and Lord
Crawford[154] were tho’ some people imagine D[rumelzier] will
come home upon account of his Lady’s death,[155] they give it out
here that Mr. Hay is very well. I wrote a letter two weeks ago to
L[ord] Marshall a Copy of which with the Motives that induced me
to write you shall have first occasion but the bearer being ready
to sett out putts a stop to my doing of it at present.--I am,
Yours, etc.
The ship not sailing as soon as I was made believe I took the
opportunity of writing Mr. Edgar the reason of my writting to L[ord]
Marshall I shall here subjoin with a Copy of the Letter I wrote his
Lordship.
[Sidenote: Murray to Edgar]
SIR,--When Mr. Smith and I happened to be frequently together at
London he took reason to complain of the letter my L[ord] Semple
had wrote to L[ord] Marshall and particularly of that paragraph
where my L[ord] hints that possibly the Scots folks were offended
with my L[ord] Marshall not taking sufficient notice of them in
proportion to the regard they had shown him he insisted greatly
an invincible attachment his Lordship had for the King....
_The rest of this page not legible._
Upon this I thought I should be greatly to blame if I lost
any opportunity that occurred to better his Majesty’s affairs
by endeavouring to reconceal and unite his friends so that as
I imagine his Lordship authorised Mr. Smith to talk upon a
suspicion that there might be some grounds for what L[ord] Semple
advanced and thereby to reconceal himself to his countrymen I
was resolved as we say to putt a Thorne in his foot as he knows
I am instituted by the King’s friends here and would not advance
anything contrary to their Sentiments. You will be surprised I
should write this to you in so closs a Cypher....
_The rest of this page not legible._
After reflecting upon what you had been so good as to inform me
off I could not fail to write the enclosed as I have all the
reason in the World to believe you my friend, so I take the
liberty to beg that after perusal in case you find it not too
assuming and in a stile sufficiently respectly you will be so
good as take the trouble to deliver it with an appology.... [_Not
legible._]
(_Signed_) J. BROUN.[156]
[Sidenote: Murray to Earl Marischal[157]]
MY LORD,--I heartyly regreted it was not in my power when so near
as London to do myself the honour of waiting upon your Lordship
for Reasons I beg Mr. Smith to give and at the same time assure
your Lordship that without the honour of being known to you
there was none who had a more hearty and sincere Regard for your
Lordship’s property.... [_Not legible._] my Lord, abstracting
from your many private Virtues makes you dear to every true
Scotsman and from what I could easily learn gives your Lordship
great weight with the English. This, my Lord, encourages me to
suggest of what use you may be att this juncture to his Majesty’s
affairs by uniting those people together who to my great concern
I found (so far as I could judge) quite inactive, diffident
of one another and distrustfull of those they employ. Your
Lordship’s being so near them will I hope make the work short
as well as Effectual, and in my poor Judgement were there any
unanimity, any harmony and concord amongst them it would easily
be in our power to shake off the yoke of Bondage and Slavery we
now groan under; this, my Lord, I propose with great submission
to your Lordship’s serious reflection and experience, I shall
only add that as I have no other in any thing I do but to promote
the real Interest of my King and Country so I have all the reason
in the world to believe that healing the wounds and cementing the
differences now subsisting amongst our Neighbours is the greatest
ambition of our countrymen and must render their gratitude to
your Lordship for so great a work unalterable. I begg your
Lordship will pardon my presumption in writing without being
asked and believe I am with the most sincere regard and esteem,
My Lord, etc.[158]
These two preceding letters I gave to my L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r on the 5th
of Aprile 1743, the day before his Lordship sett out from his own house
to London which he was to show Mr. McGregar who told my Lord that this
was not a time to send such letters and besides that the letter to Lord
Marshall was not such an one he proposed, by which means they never
went. I shall here mention what occurred to me what was the reason for
Mr. McGregars stoping them never having any further reason given than
the above and not knowing even that till L[ord T]raq[uai]r’s return
to Scotland, during the short stay I made att London after my return
from Paris in company with Mr. McGregar as I said before I made it my
business to learn of Coll. Cicel and Mr. Smith all the Complaints they
had against Lord Semple and Mr. McGregar which I generally communicated
to him being then fully perswaded of their Honesty and Abilitys. Upon
telling him what Mr. Smith had said in relation to Lord Marshall he
purposed I should write to his Lordship a Letter in the same Stile
Lord Semple had done, purposely to let him know how little he was in
favour with his Countrymen and show him how much their liking depended
upon his being well with them two, and att the same time to acquaint
him that his Countrymen’s regard went no further than so far as he
should act entirely conformable to the King’s will, he saying that
Lord Marshall pretended to stand entirely upon his own legs from the
great Number of Admirers he had in Scotland, and imagined that unless
he was the sole manager of the King’s affairs his Majesty’s subjects
would not be brought to act for him, in short that he looked upon
the King’s interest to depend upon [him] alone. I suppose he thought
by my writing in this stile to draw something from Lord Marshall
undervalueing of his Countrymen whereby to hurt him with the generality
but particularly with those of the Concert who had first employed and
still supported him, whereby he might verify to them what he had so
long advance against his Lordship, but this was a thing I refused for
many reasons; first that it must hurt the King’s affairs to create
differences amongst his friends of which their then subsisted too many;
secondly it was running myself headlong into a party quarrel, a thing
I ever had the worst oppinion off; and thirdly, not to be too tedious
in giving many more, it was a thing I had not the smallest tittle to
do. But on the contrary I thought it was a fair opportunity of uniting
people together and commencing a Correspondence with Lord Marshall
whereby if I gain his friendship and confidence I [should] thereby be
enabled to inform the King of the pleas of both partys without letting
either of them know of it, which is acting a part some people may think
odd as it is seemingly playing with both hands, but in my Eyes not
only honourable but my duty, when for the King’s interest, I receive
from time to time letters from L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r when att London
informing me in his way of his success with the English; but as there
was nothing material in them and that they were signed by himself I did
not care to keep them in case of accidents. Some time in the month of
June I received the following letter from Mr. Edgar with two enclosed
from the King himself in answer to two I had wrote when at Paris.
Copy Mr. Edgar’s letter, dated March 14th, 1743.
[Sidenote: Edgar to Murray]
SIR,--You will see by the enclosed I send you from our friend
Mr. Edwards (he means the King) that he leaves me nothing to say
in return to your two letters of the 18th and 25th of february.
This Packet is sent open to Lord Semple to forward to you, you
will see it is write in his Cypher, a Copy of which I know Mr.
McGregor left with L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r so I reckon you may easily
gett this read, for suppose you may have that Cypher in your own
Custody. You will be glad to know that the family is well, I
heartyly wish you all health and happiness and longing to have
the pleasure of Embracing you, I am with great Esteem, etc.
Letter from the Chevalier to John Murray.
[Sidenote: The Chevalier de St. George to Murray]
I received a few days ago yours of the 18th of February and am
far from disaproving your comming into France att this Time.[159]
The Settling of a Correspondence betwixt us on this Side of
the Sea and our friends in Scotland may be of consequence in
this juncture I hope you will have concerted some safe method
for this effect with Lord Semple before you leave him and
that once determined you will I think have done very well to
return home where you may be of more use than abroad. I shall
say nothing here of what’s passing in France of which you will
have been informed by Lord Semple, and you may be well assured
that depends upon me to induce the French to assist us as is
reasonable to hope they will if their be a general war. But if
they ever undertake anything in my favour, I shall to be sure
have little warning of it before and by consequence I fear it
will be impossible that General Keith can come in time into
Scotland how much soever both I, and I am perswaded himself also,
desires it because you will easily see that one of his rank
and distinction cannot well quite the Service he is in either
abruptly or upon an uncertainty. I remark all you say to me on
that subject and when the time comes it shall be my care to
dispose all such matters in as much as in me lys for what I may
then think for the real good of my Service and for my friends
Satisfaction also for in such sort of particulars it is scarce
possible to take proper Resolutions before the time of Execution.
I had some time ago a proposal made me in Relation to the Seizing
of Stirling Castle[160] what I then heard and what you now say
on that subject is so general, that I think it is not impossible
but that the two proposals may be found originally one and the
same project; I wish therefore you would enter a little more
into particulars that I may be the better able to determine what
directions to send. As to what is represented about the Vassals
I suppose what you mean is the same with what I have inserted
in a draught of a Declaration for Scotland I have long had by
me, viz., That the Vassals of those who should appear against my
forces on a landing should be freed of their Vassalidge and hold
immediately of the Crown provided such Vassals should declare for
me and join heartyly in my Cause. As this is my intention I allow
my friends to make such prudent use of it as they may think
fitt. Before you gett this you will probably have received what
was wrote to you from hence about the Scotts Episcopal Clergy
so that I need say nothing on that subject here more than that
I hope the steps taken by me will give satisfaction and promote
union in that Body.
It is a great comfort to me to see the Gentlemen of the Concert
so zealous so united and so frank in all that relates to my
service and I desire you will say all that is kind to them in
my name, I remark you have advanced one hundred pounds of your
own money[161] for Sir J[ames] C[ampbe]ll which I take very well
of you but I desire you would not give me any more proofs of
that kind of your goodwill towards me and as for what is past I
look upon it as a personal Debt and shall take care that it be
repayed, I remark what you say about the difficulty their is of
raising money I foresaw that would be no easy matter and think it
should not be insisted upon, I think I have now taken notice of
all that required any answer in what you wrote to me and Edgar
and shall add nothing further here but to assure you of the
continuance of any good opinion of you and that your prudent and
zealous indeavours toward my service shall never be forgott by me.
(_Signed_) J. EDWARDS.[162]
Dated _March 11th, 1743_.