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

31
to the best of my rememberance, the King's resolution
uas, that it uas by no means fitt to send up thes Scots
prisoners to be tryed hear, seeinge no probabilety of reatchinge
them, from all that yet appired. And for sendinge
doune the uitnesses to Scotland, in order to ther tryell ther, he
hes no expectatione that Major Holms uould be ingenous, beinge
a trikey, shiftinge fellow, and the sendinge of them uould
occatione mutch noice, especially iff it proued to no effecte, and
in that cace uould be mor hurtfull then profitable to the Kings
service ; so that you must yit uaet till better proofes of ther
villanys can be discouerd. Ther uas also a letter urytin by Ld.
Kegister to E. Middleton. This uas rede to the Kinge, only in
presence of his E. Highnes and ourselves tuo. The first thinge
proposed in it uas the seasinge and apprehendinge of sutch
remarkable and daengerous persons as by ther principals and
actions haue bine obnoxious to the Government, to uhich His
Majesty agreed, referinge the persons to the consideration of the
Secret Commity, uho could best judge of it. The 2^^ uas for
callinge togither 4 or 5 of the Militia Eegemints and some
troups upon this occatione, uhich his Majesty does not at all
approue of, unles ther near mor apparent necessity for it nor he
yet sees, becaus it uould make great noice hear and might haue
ill consequences. As to the S'^- , uhich is pleasinge of
Liutennands on the wescuntry shyres, the Kinge desires aduyse
from the Secret Commity as to the number and placeinge the
shyres in sutch proper distriks as th[e]y think fittest for his
service, and then he uill giue the Commissions ; only he uill
haue the Dwke of Hamiltone to be Liuetenant of Clidsdeall,
and your Lordship of Nidsdeall Dunfries, uhich I think ar on,
and Gallouay. This is all as near as I can remember.
Windsor Cassill, Agust 21 :
[16] 84.
59. The King's letter and instructions were sent by the
flying packet, with an additional instruction to forbear the
execution of any of these instructions if there were just cause for
it. The tack of Inverary Park and Mill to the Marquis of
Athole, and other papers were passed. The 9th of September was
the day to which the Parliament was adjourned, and as it was
drawing near and the King was going to Winchester, the King
and Duke were made acquainted with this. But His Majesty by
his command had now sent a letter adjourning it till Tuesday,
the tenth of March next. "I am extremly glade of my good
Lord St. Andrews recovery. I pray God he may haue manny
days, for as your Lordship says ueall, his loss uould be irrepaerable
to the Kinge, Church, and all good men." In a postscript
he remits his affair with the Falconers to
Queensberry.
Windsor Cassill, Agust 26 : 1684.
60. Sunday last his Majesty in Councill declaerd his pleasur
in the change of severall officeses of State hear. The Earle of
Rochester uas made Presedent of the Councill in place of the
Earle of Radnor, Mr. Secretary Godolphine first Commissioner