ftone's) opinion then. I'll wait till I hear further from you, and then I'll

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do what I can. I believe all that appears comes from this. Your great

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oppofing Dukes, you may depend on it, will, tho poffibly not at first, be

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made fitting Peers, and poffibly at firft, for a promotion of 12* is talkt of, and they are pofitive at 24 (Court) that 244 (Roxburgh) fhall be one; and they talk of 242 (Tweeddale) too, which will be a paving the way for taking

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in of all fides. I ftill fee nothing you have to do but make an end, and fdug wxmo xr sodb come up, for, as I told you, if you were here you have one card still to play;

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if not, you muft fubmit. You'll hear of the reflections of Sir John Peckington on your Parliament, that you had been corrupted, and betray'd your own countrey, and were coming up to betray theirs. It was ftrange they fent him not to the Tower, and more ftrange that he who answer'd the other parts of his difcourfe joined with him in his reflections. But this humour will goe off with time. I fhall write to your friend next week. Farewell.

CLXXXIX. TO SECRETARY JOHNSTONE.

was of the 6th. You doe This day the House made

I HAVE your's of the 4th and 8th. My laft not mention the receipt of mine of the 25th paft. choice of members to the Parliament of Britaine; the lift as follows. The Peers were all in the Court lift, except Crawfurd, who carried by two against Rothes. The Commiffioner had promised that all the Lords of the New Partie should be chofen, and yet left out Hadingtone and Marchmont; nor did Roxburgh, &c., fee their lift till two hours before election; for, having secured themselves, they were in no concern to make their people vote for fuch of the Squadrone as were in their own lift, yea, feveralls of them were fuffered to be abfent, which made Rothes lofe it, and the reft verie near. Duke Hamilton and many of the Tories voted for the Ministrie, and feveralls in the Court lift, particularlie Roseberrie, for Tories. The New Partie neither gave nor had votes from them, but went in to the Court lift as to all, except Lothian, Roseberrie, and Isla; and this to make way for Hadingtone and Marchmont. It was in the New Partie's power to have excluded

* Evidently meaning twelve in number, and not the cypher 12.

the Ministrie by joyning with Duke Hamilton, &c., and the Lord Barons, who were diffatiffied that none of them were to be chofen; but this was not thought fafe. The Court's having been for any who voted for Tories, and that the Tories fhould have voted for the Ministrie, may be eafily underftood, unless the Whigs will be blind.

February 13th, 1707.

CXC. FROM SECRETARY JOHNSTONE.

February 25, [1]706-7.

My laft was of the 8th. I've been in the country for my health. I've fince had your's of the 6th and 13th, but never had that of the 25th. Tell 241 (Tweeddale) and 243 (Roxburgh) that I'll write to them as foon as I have any thing to write to them that they like to hear. Tell 284 (Rothes) that I've done thefe three days no other thing but made his usage underftood, and that when he does come in, I hope he'll bring 272 (Johnstone) in with him. I wrote of his inclination to be in before, and it's like your answer was in the letter that's loft, for I never had any answer. Now it's declared that there is to be no promotion, at least, say they, till two years hence, or at the calling of a new Parliament of Great Britain. I find 9 (the Duke of Marlborough) had long agoe told, in confidence, that there was to be none, tho' both he and 19 (the Lord Treasurer), gave it out that it was to be, and 18 (the Lord Treasurer) faid pofitively that 224 (Duke Hamilton), &c. were to be of it, as I told you; but it's now plain, which I then fufpected, that it was done to give credit to the report of a bargain with 47 (the New Party). 31 (The Whig Lords) now declare themselves against a promotion; and yesterday, in the Houfe, my Lord Nottingham, arguing that it feem'd by the Treaty the Queen could not make any of the Scotish Peers, after the Union, fitting Peers,-my Lord Hallifax answer'd, that he wished his Lordship would make that point out, for he was fure it would be better that it were fo; the Crown would be deliver'd of great importunities, &c. I'm apt to think no promotion will be for the credit of 48 (the New Party). 32 (The Whig Lords) indulge themselves mightily in vilifying 251 (the Scottish Nobility) for their part in 58 (the Union). My Lord Wharton owned yesterday, in the House, that he doubted much he could have been prevailed on to have parted with his birthright, had he been a Scotch Lord;

and, indeed, fuch are the times we live in, that I can fcarcely perfuade any body that fome have done it out of love to their country. There is a paper come out, called Vulpone, full of facts, to make appear that neither Succeffion nor Union, or any fettlement whatsoever in Scotland, were intended by the Ministry. It's evidently an English pen, and fhroudly written; but Scotchmen muft have furnished the facts: your friend is in no way concerned, directly nor indirectly. The bufinefs of the Abjuration, of Duke Queensberry and Earl of Marchmount, the general Indemnity, of opening the trade with France, of fubftituting the Union in place of the Succeffion, the A&t of Peace and War, the A&t of Security, the turning out the New Party for their zeal for the Succeffion, and after, Annandale for the fame cause, the baffling of the Succeffion in the hands of the New Party, by hopes of trade from London, the abandoning of the cause of the Succeffion in Argyle's Ministry, and a great deal more, is infifted on. It's publickly fold, and much talkt of, and yet, which is ftrange, no enquiry made after the author. We make no doubt here, neither in Parliament nor out of Parliament, but that, upon the Union, wine may be fent from Scotland; and therefore pray buy me two hoggfheads of the best bodyed claret that will keep, that you can get, and tell your friend, that if the lady's wine be fold, a hoggshead or two be bought for her. The Lords divided yesterday upon the 22d Article; 71 against 22.

Farewell.

Write to the other addreffes fometimes. Pray let me know what is done in adjusting the publick debts that are to be fatiffyed by the equivalent; and if I am to be paid, which I need more than I thought I should ever do; for my houfe will fall.

CXCI. FROM THE SAME.

March 4, [1707].

My laft was of the 25th to you, and of the 1ft to your friend, to whom I have written too, this day. I defired you to buy me two hoggsheads of wine, and pray buy too, a hoggfhead of small cahors, fuch as I brought up for my Lord Poulet. I apprehend tricks, but it will be fhameful to break the Treaty the first month. 19 (The Lord Treasurer) fays that the effects

of 58 (the Union) will be trouble at prefent, whatever they may prove hereafter. Both he and 14 (the Duchefs of Marlborough) pretend to apprehend disorders now more with 59 (the Union) than they did without it. 27 (The Court) is mighty uneafy: they do not diffemble that 60 (the Union) confounds them, by difjointing all their measures. As they speak, there is to be a third Secretary; I know not whether your Commiffioner or Chancellor. 31 (The Whig Lords) run you all down, particularly your nobility, who, they declare, might have had better terms, if they had prest for them, and that they themselves were afhamed that they made themselves fo cheap, and therefore they must take care of promotions, for what are not fuch men, fay they, capable of, who parted with, &c. My answer is, that they parted with nothing but names and fhadows. We talk much of a peace, of which the propofitions, we fay, are ready at the Hague, waiting for the Duke. This is highly probable, for the French are not preparing for a campaign. Pray let me know what you have done in adjusting the publick debts, and how 275's (Johnftone's) concern is fettled, both as to the year's falary and the order for the money for charges, which should be put among the debts; for tho' he will not claim it here upon that head, he'll claim it for his lofs in the ratifications and fairs, &c.

Farewell.

CXCII. TO SECRETARY JOHNSTONE.

YOUR'S of the 7th inftant, mine of the 13th paft; fince which the Committee has been upon the ways of difpofing the equivalent for the uses mentioned in the Treaty. Their report about the coyn and African Company is past the House,—the latter with severall alterations. The House goes on the publick debts to-morrow; when that's over, it's thought the Parliament will rife. Yefterday the Exemplification of the Treaty was read, and order'd to be kept in the records. Little else of moment has paffed fince my last, which made my writing needlefs. The Court having of late bungled the reports of the Committee in ane odd way, the Old and New Partie are not fo much at one as when the Union was carrying through. I and others of the New Partie have thoughts of feeing you shortlie; by my next you shall know when.

March 20th, 1707.

CXCIII. FROM THE DUKE* OF ROXBURGH.

London, Aprill 25th, 1708.

THIS night 227 (Orkney) has been with me, and tells me † has told him to-night, that if 7 (the Whig Lords) will bid him joyn 30 (the New Party) in 139 (the Elections), he is willing to do it in their own manner; but if they will not bid him, 228 (Orkney) has given [reafon] to believe he will join 34 (the Old Party), who have already [made] offers; for this reafon I have afked 250 (Somers) to-night when I might see him,

and fhall write to you

.

171 (Montrofe) went away this day, and on Tuesday feven-night I defign to leave this place; in the meantime I must tell you 36 (the Scottish Ministry) are like to do what they please in 2 (Scotland). Adieu. I fhall be glad to know how you are.

I had almoft forgot to tell you that 237 (Dalrymple) is in very ill humour at 192 (Queensberry), who has taken pains to make him believe that 32 (the New Party) has been the occafion of his being shoved by; fo pray undeceive him; and I believe there is no one of 30 (the New Party) that would ever thought of preferring 202 (Seafield) to him.

[Addreffed on back.]-To Jervifwood.

CXCIV. FROM THE SAME.

WHAT I wrote of to you laft I think is as good as done, for when 160 (Roxburgh) spoke to 250 (Somers), he seemed pleased with the thing, and faid he would speak to 7 (the Whig Lords) about it, and that then 160 (Roxburgh) fhould have an answer. So last night 256 (Sunderland) and 261 (Orford) were with 160 (Roxburgh), and afterwards 261 (Orford) went ftreight to 187 (Duke Hamilton); and it is now come to this, that 8 (the Whig Lords) are to let 189 (Duke Hamilton) know what are the proper

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means for him to take in order to be liberated, which 8 (the Whig Lords) are to connive at, but dare not openly appear in, because of appearances; and indeed there is reafon for this, for if 36 (the Scottish Ministry) should

* This title was conferred on 27th April 1707.

+ The cypher here used is illegible; probably it was 187, Duke Hamilton.