[143] Drumelzier, a Peebleshire estate adjoining Broughton. The proprietor was then Alexander Hay of Drumelzier, and Whittinghame, East Lothian (the latter now the property of Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour); a grandson of the 1st Earl of Tweeddale, ancestor of the Hays of Duns: born 1701; died 1789. He and his brother William were both Jacobites.
[144] I think there can be little doubt that this is the draft of the lost letter searched for in vain by Mr. Fitzroy Bell at Windsor (Murray’s Memorials, p. 50 n), and referred to by Mr. Lang (History of Scotland, iv. 441).
[145] As Traquair left on April 6th (see ante, p. 17 and post, p. 23) this letter was probably written in that month. Narsom is a cipher name for John Murray.
[146] Robert Keith, kinsman and tutor of the 10th Earl Marischal and his brother: born 1681; consecrated bishop at large, 1727; Bishop of Orkney, Caithness and the Isles, 1731; Superintendent of Fife, 1733; succeeded Rattray as Primus, 1743; died 1757. Author of a History of Scotland, and of the well-known Catalogue of Scottish Bishops.
[147] James (Barry), 4th Earl of Barrymore. Born 1667; died 1747. An ardent Jacobite, who sent his son to join the French army when the invasion of 1744 was expected.
[148] French minister in London.
[149] It wont be amiss to insert here the Story mentioned before about the design of sending over some Swedish Troops which my Lord T[ra]q[uai]r mentioned to me on his return from London the last time he went up. Mr. Drummond told me at Paris as an Instance of the sincere intention the Cardinal had to serve the King, that he was sensible of the great hatred the English bore to the French and for that reason proposed to the Spanish Ambassador at Paris, Campo Florido, that provided his master would take 10,000 Swedes into his pay he would endeavour to procure them by the means of some of the chief nobility, the King[650] not being to be trusted on that head as he was looked upon as friends to the Family of Hanover and would take care to have them transported, that the Spanish Ambassador immediately wrote to his Master who sent back an answer Willing to pay the Troops but upon some condition which I now cannot charge my memory with, this the Cardinal took highly amiss and told him that his Master was not to bargain with in such cases, upon which the Spanish Ambassador immediately dispatched a Courier, but before the return of it their was a paragraph in the Amsterdam Gazette telling that the King of Spain and some of his Ministers were carrying on a scheme of great consequence but being known by the Queen was prevented. It seems as he said the Queen had been informed of it by some of the Ministers and judging that should it be putt in execution it would necessarily putt an end to war with England that she was very fond of and to putt a stop to it she putt in that paragraph in the Amsterdam Gazette to the Cardinal which had its object for their was not any more mention made of it.
[150] It was no great wonder then I was deceived of his Lordship having not the least reason to suspect, and he a little shy cunning fellow on all occasions professing an attachment to nothing but truth and most disinterested loyalty.
[151] This must have proceded from wrong information for since that time they have made considerable levys and everybody agrees their are not above ten or eleven thousand in the Island.
[152] i.e. George II.