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Unpublished Letters of Simon 12tli Lord Louat. 377
ai*e present, so that Dyet must be regulate according to the time
that your affairs will allow you to come here." *
According to Lovat, his son-in-law showed no symptoms of
being a henpecked husband. The last letter, October ] 743, on
this subject, contains some other amusing matter. After compliments,
Lovat proceeds :—
" You are a very lasie correspondent. You never tell me a
word of the Duke of Argyle's death, nor of the lady Achnubreak's
dream, nor of Prince (Charles passing the Rhine, nor of King
Geoi'ge's beating M. de Noailles, nor of Landes being taken, nor
the Germans having their quarters in Alsace Loraine and Burgundy,
nor of the Zarina having sent 40,000 men to assist the
Queen of Hungary. You may think little of all these events, but
I think them very considerable, and would wish to know the
sentiments of your great city about them.
" I must now acquaint you, my dear Cousin, of the situation
of my family on this side of the Grampians. I am myself much
trouljled with a cough and cold upon me since this day fortnight
that I went to Culloden to take leave of the President. I wish
I had been that day asleep, for my best and largest coach near
broke her leg one plain ground, and as soon as I came into
Inverness I got auld (?) of the Duke of Argyle's death, and I had
no pleasuie or satisfaction in my visit, but breach of promise and
friendship which you was often and very well acquainted with in
that corner. Macleod is much more affronted in this affair than
I am, and that by a man to whom he has been a slave to, and who
professed the greatest friendship and attachment for him. However,
every Dogg has his day, and Macleod and I must stand upon
our own jambs with the assistance of our reall friends and
relations.
" Cluny came here Monday night with your brother Archibald,
your uncle Ludovic had the gout in his meikle, so that he
could not come, and your brother John was sick of distemper,
111 a letter fro-n Lord Lovat to the Duke of Gordon dated Beaufort,
13th August 1742, his lordship alludes to the marriage in the following
terms:— "As your grace and the worthy Dutchess were so civill to my
daughter, I think it my duty to acquaint your Grace tliat her aunt, the
Lady Scatwell, having come here on the Tuesday after your grace went
away, my dauohter was married next day to the Laird of Cliiny, and tliey
both behaved to the satisfaction of all who were present ; and as they are
both goiid-natur'd and of an even temper, I hope tliey will l)c very happy.
They lunl the honour to succeed your Grace in the lucky velvet bed which
I hope will have good effect."
Miscellany of the Spalding Clul) vol. Ill, p. 2.3;").