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

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Majestie's leave to demitt my office of Secretary ; and his Majesty
having been pleased to fill tjfiat place with a most worthy, loyail
and able man (the Earl of Moray), you may be sure my mind is,
God be thanked, very much at ease. Upon this occasion, I doe
desire your lordshipe, with the advice of Sir George Lockart to
draw up a patent for the Earle of Moray to be sole, and only
Secretary of State, &c. I doe also desire you with the same
advice to draw an ample and full exoneration and discharge from
his Majesty to me for my actings, omissions, commissions, and
others, whatsoever, in the said office, and in all and every of the
other offices and stations wherein I was entrusted by his Majestie
and for this effect you may show my last exoneration to Sir
George, because I remember that I was told he was of opinion that
there was some defect in it ; if so I doubt not but you and he will
take care that nothing be amisse in this my new, and, I hope,
my last exoneration. These two papers I doe earnestly beseech
you to send to me against my returne from the Bath, &c.^
'' It was my right arme wher I was bled this day, which makes
[me] use another hand. My service to Sir George Lockhart.
This must serve you both. I am, your most affectionate servant,
"Lauderdale." 2
The letters of the Earl of Moray included in this Eeport
embrace the period from 11th May 1682 to 1st August 1685
a period covered by the Second and Third Eeports upon the
Muniments at Drumlanrig Castle. While the letters in this
Report to some extent deal with the same subjects as those in the
two previous Reports, they do not always do so from the same point
of view, nor yet do they present them in the same way, nor express
the same opinions regarding them.
About thirty of the Earl of Moray's letters written in the years
1682, 1683, and 1684 to George, first Earl of Aberdeen, Lord
High Chancellor of Scotland, have already, in 1851, been printed
for the Spalding Club, in a volume entitled " Letters to the Earl
of Aberdeen, 1681—1684." These are not reported here, but a
much larger collection of his letters is now made available for the
public in this Report.
The period from the Restoration to the Revolution is one of
great historical interest and importance. Much has been done in
recent years to elucidate the history of it. As a further contribution
in this direction, this and the two immediately preceding
Reports upon the Drumlanrig Collections are not without value.
The letters of the Duke of Hamilton and of John Graham, of
Claverhouse, already reported, were for the most part wTitten
from Scotland. The Earl of Moray, as Secretary of State for
Scotland, was resident at Court, and his letters written from
^Inquiry into the law and practice of Scottish Peerage, &c. by Mr. John Kiddell,
Vol. 1. pp. 216, 217. ^ibicl. Mr. Kiddell states that this concluding paragi-aph is
written by the Duke himself in a feeble and tremulous scroll