Sir George Munro of Culrain, who is very fit to be in his Majefties counsel, for he is a man of long experience, and very affectioned to their Majefties and the present cause. I am, my Lord, your Lordships moft humble and obedient fervant,

H. MACKAY.

43. MAJOR-GENERAL MACKAY TO LORD MELVILL.

MY LORD,

Edinbrugh, the 22d Octobre 1689.

I have given my oppinion in my former leters concerning the forces, and how I apprehended that a caffation might give occafion to prolong the civill disturbances of this nation, by hardning the rebells against the government, and perticullarly that I was not of oppinion any of the hors and dragouns fhould be licenciat for this winter, nevertheleffe not knowing what raifons his Majestie might have to the contrarie, I have delay'd to make a finall difpofition of both hors and foot to their winter quarters, till I know whether the King will keep the whole, or what parte of them he shall be pleased to intertaine in his pay and fervice, which refolution I wish your Lordship wold procure, and fend down with all speed upon the forfaid confideration. I am of oppinion that a battaillon of the Earle of Angufes regement ought to be intertained fo long as his Majeftie may have occafion for fuch, because they behaved well against the rebells at Dunkell, as a testimony of his Majefties efteem, but they ought to be a man of fervice put upon their head, for at this tyme they shall scarcely make up the number of fix hunder men: nixt I doe judge that my Lord Strathnavers, and the Laird of Grant's regements are the best and compleeteft; Barganys is compofed of good men, but most of them Scots Irish, who came over laft fomer. Argils regement needs mending, which he promised to doe; the reft I wrote to your Lordship of by my leters in answer to your last; the distance to garde from the rebells attempts is very fpacious, from Dumbarton to beyond Inderneffe, and the motions of forces from one place to another, not only uncertain, but many tymes

impoffible in the winter faifon, as it hath been now for ten or twelve dayes together for the great rains and fpets, and beleeve me, my Lord, that it is power and not affection that makes many in this kingdom fubmit to their Majefties hapy government, which fhows by what spirit they are led, and that the Jefuits have gone a great length to attaine their deffeyn of wiping all confcience of religion out of the hearts of the inhabitants of this island, that theirs might find the more eafie ingreffe with them, for furely of the vast number of difcontented fpirits, we have raifon to beleeve that very feu of them wold prefer the Proteftant Religion even to their eftates, though their lyves were not in hazard thereby, fo that fuch as have acces to his Majestie, and are refolved to ftand or fall with and for his government, ought to advise him to fuitable measures, without regarde of being at som extraordinary expence till things be beter fecured, for arms are journaliere, fo that his Majefties forces elfwhere (by many accidents which all the humane prudence in the world fomtymes cannot prevent) might happen to receive fom efchec, without indangering much the generall intreft of his fervice, if men be garded against them, which otherwyfe might prove of a facheous fuite, if men were not provided against the deffeyns which a litle difadvantage wold fet our ennemys upon from all hands; nevertheleffe this is but my judgement, the value of which, I hop, wee fhall not have occafion to efflay. There is no newes here as yet of the Danish forces of which I admire extremely, the wind having been very good of a long tyme, and now at the wryting of this lyke to change. The English forces from here are landed in Ireland, and I wish ther were fo many that the Duke were in condition to difpute for his winter quarters mere foutherly, before either fieckneffe or the rigour of the weather oblidge him to make use of such as are behind him. My Lord, I preffe yet as the intreft of the Kings fervice, the putting Sir George Munro with a penfion of S00 lib upon Privy Councell, in doeing of which, befydes the forfaid confideration, your Lordship hath that of your fon, the Earle of Levens, being the first officer in rank in this kingdom in my abfence, who, (though he be a perfon of as much capacity and firmity as can be found of his age and fervice

the

among his Majefties fubjects, yea, and beyond men of much longer fervice in diligence and defcretion, without flattering your Lordship) wold never the leffe be much the better of the folide directions of fuch an old and experienced fouldier and statsman; he is alltogether a Proteftant, and for their Majefties government, and though he be more a Prefbiterian, as I beleeve, then Episcopall, yet not bigotly attached to a rigicie in either, which, in my oppinion, is the more raifonable notion of the mater as to Scotland, if things could be concerted there, a fetlement of a church government wold be very requifit in this kingdom. I pray your Lordship to let mee have affoon as poflible his Majefties pleasure upon fom of those heads, and beleeve mee allways, my Lord, your Lordihips moft humble and obedient fervant,

H. MACKAY.

44. MAJOR-GENERAL MACKAY TO LORD MELVILL.

MY LORD,

Edinbrugh, the 31st Octobre 1689. I have pray'd your Lordship in my last to dispatch down his Majefties finall refolution as to the forces (which shall be keept on foot for this winter,) to the end I may order them in quarters as shall be judged most convenient for repelling the Rebells attempts, and keeping the ill-affected in aw, till the tyme of the yeare be propre for their finall reduction with Gods bleffing upon their Majefties arms fo well here as elfwhere. As I faid before, my oppinion is, not that they fhould be much retrenched in number, till things be further advanced and fecured in Ireland, and I beleeve that the readyeft wayes for supplying of them with money for fom mounths wold be, to ingadge fuch branches of the Kings revenues as doe not deppend of a gift of Parlement, to such persons as wold advance money upon them till they be repayed of what foums they fhall advance, that being the most neceffary charge which his Majestie can be at here; I was founding fom perfons allready upon the head, who doe beleeve money might be had thereby; I propofed nothing of it in counfell, neither doe I

oblidge the officers to recrute, but doe cause pay them upon the foot of their present strength, till his Majefties further pleafur be known, which wold be sent without delay; the very name of braking of forces at this tyme (our ennemys knowing that maters are not fo very cleare in Ireland as yet) wold make them more infolent, every litle appearance being ready to make them big with hops. Your Lordship hath never answer'd mee as to my propofition concerning Sir George Munro; I have no other intreft in it but the Kings fervice, and I doubt whether any that shall advyfe your Lordship to the contrarie do mind it fo fincerely, at least I can boldly say, that none in Scotland is in this cause and their Majefties fervice leffe interested in any thing that I fhall advance touching the maters of this kingdom, where I have fo much occafion to discover mens partiality generally; all that I can fay as to the perfon I faid before, and though I were to be confined allwayes to this countrey, (which shall never be with my confent longer then the neceflity of their Majefties fervice fhall require) I wold be very defyrous of the advyce of fuch a man, I pray then, my Lord, let me know the Kings pleafur concerning it, for I wold gladly leave his fervice here in as great fecurity as I can, holding for granted, that his Majeftie will permit mee to fee my family this winter if the Dains were paft ons.

My Lord, Sir George Gordon of Edinglaffie, having distinguished himfelf in affection and readyneffe upon all occafions to ferve his Majestie, and the intreft of the Proteftant religion, and the Pryvy Counfell upon the reiterat reports which I made of his unwearyed zeale and pains for the advancement of their Majefties fervice, having recommended him to the King for the first vacant troop among the hors or dragouns; and now the Laird of Blair being dead, I pray your Lordship to recommend him for his troop; it will fhew others that his Majeftie is not infenfible of honeft mens fervices, and be more ferviceable in his hands then any two of the reft, for he is a brauve flurring man, befydes, my Lord, that he hath got a confiderable loffe in his hous and lands, which were intirely plundered, when I was oblidged to make a retreat of 2 or 3 dayes this foumer before the Highlanders to joyn more forces, at which tyme he abandoned hous

and all to cum joyn mee. I pray you, my Lord, let it not goe by him; the old man that commands it provifionally is not fo fit; I can affure you none in Scotland will do more fervice upon the head of it then hee; I pray you alfo to be myndfull upon occafion of the mafter of Forbes, tis a family that hath been keept at under these many yeares upon th' account that it was judged more Prefbiterian then Epifcopall, though allways very moderat, as is also this gentleman, one of the most generous youths and moft throughly ingadged for this intreft of any I know in the kingdom, without the leaft regarde of what may follow, refolving to finck or swim with it. I recommend then, my Lord, fuch to your Lordships care, and to the gracious marks of the Kings favour. I am, my Lord, your Lordfhips moft humble and obedient fervant,

H. MACKAY.

45. LORD MELVILL TO MAJOR-GENERAL MACKAY.

I receaved your's of the 31 paft, and did communicat the famyn to his Majefty, as I allwife faithfully did all that you fent to me, but that you have not gott fuch returns as you defired or expected, feverall interveening accidents may occafion the fame. But you may affure your felff I was allwayes cairfull both to reprefent what you defired and exactly to follow his Majefties commands in making returns to you. His Majefty read every word of this laft of yours, but was fo weary that he gave no orders thereanent, therefor yow gett not a full anfwere; but before this come to your hand yow are accquainted with the Councils letter and additionall inftructions to yourfelff, Sir George Monro, and my fon; I fent alfo your comiffion for being Generall Major of all his Majefties forces in Scotland, all which went away on Sabbath morning. There is great difficulty in difbanding either horfe or dragoons; want of money is a great hinderance to his Majefties affairs. By the aditional inftructions you have a greater latitude. In confidering the difficulties you tranfmitted here, you give a