2nd Duke of Gordon and the part he played at the battle of Sheriffmuir

qui® wrote him from Gordon Castle, April 21,
1711 (Add. MjSS. 22,221, f. 474): —
My dear Lord, — Your lo[rdisbi]p's arrival at
the Hague is a sensible pleasur to inee, since by
the same I may be assur'd 'both of yr. lordship's
good health and of yr. comming soone to Eng-
lande, which, if not for yr. disadvantage, I wish
for extreamly, to have the pleasur of waiting on
yr. lo[rdshi]p, and seeing you at your own esteat
in the north of England. I shall be extreamly
glad to know when yr. lo[rdsihi] thinks of being
there, for I am impatient as can bee of renewing
my ashurances of gratitud for so many civilitys
and honours which undeservedly 'I have recev'd
from yr. lo[rdshi]p on so many occasions. I am
shure yr. lo[rdshi]p's sense of honor has mad
yow qwit a place wher yr. f rends wer us*d so un-
graitfully, which I am shure yr. lo[rdshi]p's good
nature will make you regrait, as all doe who know
the good service that Minister did to his master
wheilst in his service. I wish, on the conterary,
yr. lo[rdshilp may be rewarded for yrs., as yr.
lo[rdshi]p deserves. None can wish you mor
hartaly than I doe all the prosperity immagin-
able, for, though by having the misfortune of
being of a religion conrerary to the laws of my
ountray, and by that rendered usles both to my
freinds and to myselfe, yett I hope my sence of
duty t oiny God will not, by so good a judge as
yr. lorixMiilp, bee esteem'd otherways then a
proof of my sincerity in other thing[s], particu-
larly in that of my being to my Deare Lord a
most gradtfull and most obedient, humble ser*
vant,
Huntlt.
He followed up this epistle with another dated
Gordon Castle, May 14, 1711 (Add. MSS. 22,221,
f . 476) : -
My deare Lord, — I hope your lo[rdshi~]p gott
my letter I writ from hence to show the pleasur
yr. 'lo[rdshilp's comming near wher I might wait
on yow gave mee. I am in pain to truble you so
often with my letters since they only contain
continwal thanks for so many honors and favors
done mee: but I hope to convince yr. lo[rdshilp
of the truth of them befor I dy, which wowld be
asatisfaction beyond what I can express. I had
latly the honor of a letter from yr. lo[rdshilp,
and though the most oblidging in the world, yett
nothing can ingadge mee more than to be yr.
lofrdshilo's ever devoted, graithful servant then
I am alreddy. Showld I for ever writ[e] on my
gratitud and acknowladgment I could not express
the hunder nairt of my obligations to yr. lofrd-
>shi~|p: and tlherfor only beg Tyou] to believe mee
as much yr. humble servant as you cowld wish
wer I the greatest man on earth and the most
capable to doe yr. lo[rdshilp service.