The manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of ... - Electric Scotland

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have occasion to send here, iff I be not att home, my wife will send
it safe, so I shall expect to hear frequently from you iff any thing occurs
off consequence to you, as you shall from me. Our interrest and
relation tys us to looke [to] our selves more nearly then others, and it's
like we will not willingly give up our interrests to Highlanders ; so
without further ceremony, adieu.
135. False alarm at Edinburgh—the Council order a levy of
Highlanders against the West.
Coppy of L. G. a letter to D. H. mentioned in this. [c. 27
October 1677.]
Ther wes a greatt allarom att Edinburgh that the West wes aboutt
rysing in arms. The bishops bleu the coill, and Earl Niths[dale] wes
cheaff informer, for he said ther wer conventickels keapt consisting off
over 3,000, wheroff 1,000 als weall mounted and armd as any in the
nation to his certen knouledg. Some others told that some'gentelmens
houses wer provyded with arms far abov the condition off pryvett
fameleis; that in some wer 20 pair off pistols, 20 carbyns, besyd
musquetts and fyerlocks. Bott the principall poynt wes moir considerable,
which is, that within this year or tlierby 7,000 horses ar
transported from Irland : hitherto non can geit account off them bott
that they ar in the hands off disaffected persons in the western and
suthern shyrs. Heirupon the Councell resolit that the 3 cassels bee
weell looked too, and provyded off all neceisors for ther seceurety, that
all Guards, hors and foott bee sett att Stirling, that 2,000 arms, 9 piece
of canon for the field and plenty off amonition bee careid from Edinburgh
to Stirling cassell. The Dutch pyeneir wes ordorit to attend E. Mar,
and to appoynt what wes need full for the forther strenthening that place.
All that accordingly wes doon, and the wholl nobilety who hav any
interest in the Hylands, as Huntly, AthoU, Argyll, Marshall, Moray,
Mar, Kintoir, Caithnes &c ar ordered instently to hav all the Hylanders
in reddines upon a call to march to Stirling, wher they shall receiv
arms and amunition for all that went ; and itt appears ther ar non
invyted hether, militia or Lolanders, bott Hylanders only, McDonalds,
McCleans, McGregors, McEntoshes, McClouds, McForbesses, McCouls,
&c. the rest of that sort. Earl Pearth gaitt a perteicouler letter from
the Councell to hav his Hyland men in reddines, the postscrip wes
with D[uke] L[auderdales] oun hand, that his men shood bee furnisht
att Stirling. This day Earl Morray rendevous his att Doun. Atholl,
Marshall, Mar and all the rest hasted north for the same countrie. Itt
wes talkt in plain tearms, that iff the Hyland men wer forst to march
to the west to suppress a rebelleion off the Uigs, they shood not only
hav frie quarter bott liberty off plundering, and, iff they pleased, to
settell themselves ther as a new plantation and posses the countrey for a
reuard. The Councell hav also ordeined that in caice ther bee one
suspeition, then a proclamation shall bee published requyr all fensible
men off whatsomevei* qualety in ther best appoyntment to repeir to
Stirling within a certan tym under pain off forfating off lyff and fortoun.
For the Earle of Quensberry,
136. To go to Kinneill next week—Chancellor's daughter ill at
Tyningham—Prince of Orange's marriage—a meeting at Edinburgh.
10th November 1677.
I delayed my goeing to Kinneill upon the account of what you write
formerly off the fittnes off our meeting att Edinburgh, which I find also
the opinion off those friends there who was for Broomehalls jurney, and