rtddffc fhould fucceed him, but have no fure ground for it. It would be a great confequence to know whether 55 (Annandale) and 51 (Leven) are so high dntsu 16th January 1705. BEFORE yours of the 9th, 46 (the Treasurer-Depute) had a letter from 35 (Roxburgh), with much the fame propofall about 38 (Argyll) and 54 (Annandale†), and gave him for answer, that such a motion from XX (the Treasurer-Depute) might be ungratefull to 50 (Tweeddale), and that I conceived it would come better from above as a Court measure, however; upon which 45 (the Lord Register) wrote. I have fince difcourfed him upon it at a distance, but did not find BBB (Tweeddale) fo tractable as I expected, and as unwilling to understand as I was to explaine too much. I conceive cf hsbcf qsnkfdu lfbrtsf it's not eafie for one to degrade himself, and this project would have done better at firft; tho', after all, without fome fuch change, it will be impoffible rtqqnsu dgbohf xfbi effamf for us to fupport ourselves here. The administration is weak and feeble, 50 (Tweeddale) being no wayes qualified for his poft; and if 52 (Ormiston) knzofr ptbmkekfc gkr qnru ebmm joynes with 41 (Leven), 54 (Annandale), &c., we shall foon fall with our xfkhu owne weight, now that Whitelaw is dead, and that 43 (the Lord Advocate) ustrufc is not to be trufted, and that 49 (Montrofe) and others unprovided for will not attend. It would make all eafie, and would tend much to 50 (Tweed dale's) honour, that he came off by being Commiffioner; but how far by this matters will frame to our purpose, I'm not able to judge, or whether we shall qtsqnrf second is 6. The figures may have been 36, meaning Seafield, who was at this time one of the Secretaries of State for Scotland. There exist, in Baillie's handwriting, fragments of copies of two other letters written by him to Johnstone during this month; but they are so much decayed that no connected passages can be transcribed from them. The one is dated 6th, and the other 17th January 1705. + 54 denotes Treaty, but it is apparently used by mistake for 55 (Annandale) in this and some subsequent letters. not lofe [by] 00 (Argyll) being Commiffioner, if AAA (Montrose) be not nqqnrf provided; for in that cafe he will certainly oppofe, and you know he wants not intereft of his owne, which will prove the more confiderable should he joyne with 39 (Duke Hamilton). But if BBB (Tweeddale) be the man, he knzof hn bmnoh qbrrktf lbo may perhaps be induced to go along, or at leaft to be paffive. I wish A (the sfrnmtukno Queen) would come to fome refolution as to 21 (Scotland), that we may determine what measures are to be followed, for XX (the Treasurer-Depute) is pofitivelie of opinion, that we ought not to ferve as the tail. I confefs rnlf sfintfr it's but prudent to confent to fome removes, that we may not be answerable ftfou tnck lfn qmbdfr ekmm for the event; but if they should void more places, and fill them with 37 enmir (Queensberry's) folks, whereby we shall become dependers upon them, I see What's proposed about 38 (Argyll), &c. will free us from the firft, and not fubject us to the laft; but this must even dnorfou cktckf mnru rfstf be done by confent, for if we once divide, all will be loft, and if it should take here and above, LL (Roxburgh) muft not think of refufing to ferve with FFF (Annandale*), as he seems to infinuate in his laft, though at the fame time he be clear for the project. 54 (Annandale) is already haling at the Affembly, and has spoke to me about it. 53 (Marchmont) was the perfon I would have wifht to it, but if the other fhall be thought more proper yet, nothing must be done in it till our people be brought over to the other qsnkfdu brrflamz dnorfou asfbi qfsno project; for if they do not confent we muft not break with them, and if 25 Iffu (the Scottish Parliament) meet foon, that point must be determined before meeting of the Kirk, which is not to be till the end of March, and then perhaps he will not ask it. Jervifwood defires me to tell you that he has a brother John carries armes in M'Kartnie's regiment. A pair of colours procured for him would be a kindness. * Here, and in some subsequent letters, the cypher FFF (Treaty) is obviously employed instead of the next number GGG (Annandale), in consistency with the writer's practice of using 54 instead of 55, as remarked in the preceding note. XXXVII. TO THE SAME. I HAVE nothing to write but what you'll have from Roxburgh, and now that Tweedale has yielded to what was defired, that matter would be managed were and the Queen at least brought to employ Montrose before the Parliament, or all will not doe. Befides, without him we shall make but a mean figure, fhould Argile, &c. venture to defert us, and I know of nothing can tie them to us but our having of Montrose, for with him we can keep a ballance. [Addressed] To Register. January 30th, 1705. XXXVIII. FROM THE EARL OF ROXBURGH. 36 (SEAFIELD) is prodigioufly out of humour at 50 (Tweeddale's) not biting; and I am pofitive if BBB (Tweeddale) don't acquiefce, and fo propofe it as of himfelfe, that MM (Seafield) will ftrike up with 37 klqbukfou (Queensberry); for, to my certain knowledge, he is impatient to be dgbodfmmnts bhbko Chancellour again; and yesterday he told 35 (Roxburgh) that fuppofe gboer the Court should put the bufieness in 58* (the New Party's) hands, which he was fure they durft not, that even then 58 (the New Party) would but ugflrfmtfr fwqnrf expofe themselves; for however it went, 58 (the New Party) would certainly ambfc riddffc be blamed; for if it did not fucceed, the cafe was plaine, and tho' it did, unnmr 58 (the Old Party) not being 6's (Whigs'), right tools, they would never ugfl reft till they got them out of all; whereas, if 59 (the Old Party) were rfuu Dntsu xkoufs ckrdntsrf fett up, it would make the Court eafy next winter, and turn the discourse upon 59 (the Old Party). 46 (the Treasurer-Depute) will fee what LL (Roxburgh) has wrote to 50 (Tweeddale); fo this being all I have to fay, I think I need not write to 51 (Rothes); only rather than have any 35+ * In the Cypher, 58 stands for the Old Party, and 59 for the New Party; but in this letter they are reversed, and 58 is intended to indicate the New Party, and 59 the Old one, and they are so decyphered interlineally in Baillie's handwriting on the original letter. + 35 stands for Roxburgh himself, the writer of the letter, and is probably used here by mistake for 55 (Annandale.) dnodfsofc dnllkrrknofs qmboubuknor concerned in Commiffioner, I had as leve go to the Plantations. I had almoft forgot to tell you that 55 (Annandale) must know nothing of this dnorfou matter; for I will never confent to his coming up before 25 (the Scottish lfbrtsf Parliament). Befide, if that measure were known, before 35 (Roxburgh) his* in W (Scotland), it would be very hard upon LL (Roxburgh); so when unmc gkl cfdmbsfc 38 (Argyll) is declared, it must be told him as if 35 (Roxburgh) and 36 ionx (Seafield) were not to know it till in 21 (Scotland,) and that then A (the cfufslk of Queen) would determine of it, and write to 50 (Tweeddale) and 36 (Seafield) upon it. London, 30th January 1704-5. Adieu. XXXIX. FROM SECRETARY JOHNSTONE. London, January the 30th, 1705: un ptku I ANSWERED your's of the 16th and 17th. I have had none fince. I am fenfible of all the difficultys you mention, and of yet greater ones, and am far from loving the project; but still I think it the least bad, and that ther is not room for choice. I agree that nothing is to be done but by consent with 50 (Tweeddale), and what is to be done should come from him, that being most honourable for him; nor should we agree to be the taill, which I own the project may make us, and no doubt would make us, if the inclination were not on our fide; but that being, as I take it, for us, and the burden on the event falling elsewhere, ther will be room for an after-game, at least to gett off with credit; otherwise I fee nothing to be done but to quit, which indeed is still 45 (the Lord Register's) mind with refpect to himself. But, befides that it would look like deserting at prefent, he has reafons of late that determine him to have patience. MM (Seafield) has difpofed D (the Duke of Marlborough) and E (the Lord Treasurer) to the project; and he diffembles not, that if it faill, he muft do for himself the best way he can. I'll endeavour to gett your brother John into my Lord Mordant's regiment. Captain Stuart has written to you about Robert. My fervices to my Lady Griffell. Mrs. Johnstone complains that her daughter is not come up; as for their meeting, fhe fayes fhe beleives London will be the place. Read and feal the enclofed. * Sic in orig.; but perhaps a mistake for is. F XL. FROM THE EARL OF ROXBURGH. I HAN'T had time to write to you this day till now, the opera being over; nor have I much to fay, only MM (Seafield) is, without doubt, Hsf bufru fkmmbko mfnufs the greatest villain in the world; for if 50's (Tweeddale's) brother had not come in the nick of time, 36 (Seafield) would have, to my certain know rustdi tq ledge, ftruck up with 37 (Queensberry) and 38 (Argyll); but this has determined him; only I wish MM (Seafield) be not too far engaged for NN Lfouknofc bqqsnqskbukno boz ancz ugkr cbz Atrkfofrr (Queensberry's) appropriation, and 5 (the Lord Treasurer) likewife; but A (the Queen) faid to 35 (Roxburgh) this day, that it was not reasonable. LL (Roxburgh) propof'd that 55's (Annandale's) business should not be mentioned to any body till 35 (Roxburgh) and MM (Seafield) were in cqfbi 21 (Scotland), except to OO (Argyll), with ftri&t orders not to speak nou to any till in W (Scotland.) 36 (Seafield) oppofed this both to A (the Queen) and E (the Lord Treasurer), without any reason, and afterwards faid he did not understand LL's (Roxburgh's) defigne in't; upon which 35 (Roxburgh) faid, that if MM (Seafield) had a mind to make a complement to 55 (Annandale), he might write to him; but for 35 (Roxburgh), he ugnthgu boz rnssz klbhkofc xskuf gkl dnorfoufc would be forry if he imagined any body thought he had confented to this Lfbrtsf measure. I am in the fpleen; fo good night. London, 1ft February 1704-5. XLI. FROM SECRETARY JOHNSTONE. Twickenham, 3d of February, [1]705. I HAVE had none from you these three or four pofts. Never came letters fo feasonably as yours on Wednesday laft. MM (Seafield) was quite off, and fomething in your letters had made him despair of 5 (Tweeddale's) yielding. This he had told to D (Marlborough) and E (the Treasurer), and others too. Houever, he was mightily pleased when he found himself deceived, for his inclination is not for NN (Queensberry). He knows A, |