The chiefs of Grant - Electric Scotland

171'.!.] DEATH OF JUS SECOND WIVE. 307
oxjiL'ctotl by liim. In a letter to liis sister, Mrs. Craiii of IjalliiiJalloch,
lie iiidicates the reasons of this anticijnitioii, and tlie ungrateful policy
of the Government. lie says. " I hourly expeet a Ijill of ease for voting
what ] thouu'ht. was ri'i'lit in relatiui: to Lord Ca(loi>-an the ot'or dav."' A
few d, \s afti'r receiving lln' inteiligence oi' his dismissal. ,i; a le.' ler to
Colo: .
that
i Grant,
he a-Min refei's to tii" subiecL, and in simila'- lenns, addiuf
]-.:• was not alone in being thu- disposed of by tlie King. He says,
"I own it was no surprise ujion me, because I expected it, and you '1 see
by the ])rints I'm not the only man turned out for my honesty, for I goe
in good company."'
In the letter of 15th June to his sister the death of his second wife
is ]-ecorded by Bi'igadier Grant. He felt the loss keenly, and expresses
himself as being doubly bereft :
"' My dearest sister may easily hnagine with
what a sorrowful lieart I talce the pen in my hand, when it is to tell you
that my wife dyed last Teusday in the evening. Shin-ely I am the most
misfortnnate creature alive, for there was nothing left me to wish for to
com])leat my happiness in a mai'ried state but that of children, and no
sooner was there a pruspect of that, then it has pleased the Almighty to
take both from me. She was brought to bed about two hours before she
dyed. This sulijeet is so melaneolly, that I shall only tell you lier body is
carryed out of town to be buryed to-moi-row at her father's burying-place
in the countrev."
Brigadier Grant now retii'ed into jirivate life ; and
being persuaded
to renounce a jir^ject ^\•hicl^ he had formed of going abroad, he wished
to devote himself to his duties as a landlord. Befn'e undertaking the
journey home, he went, at the earnest solicitation of his father-in-law, to
Tidworth, in Hampbhire, the residence of Mr. Smith, where he remained
for some time. Tlie letter to Golonel Grant was written from that place,
and in it he narrates his intentimis for the future. He says, " Tlier's a talk
as if tills Parliament were to l)e dissolved. If so, I shall be down very
soon. If otherways, I dont thinck of gcieing before nixt i\Iarch. I shall
be herewith Mr. Smith till Deeemljer; and you may imagin I will have
' Original Letter, ilateJ lotli .June 1717, at Ballin- - Original Letter, dated "Joth July 1717, at I'.alliii-
dalluch. dallcich.