Stuart dynasty

266 The Stuart Dynasty.
cultys I have layn under and am still forcd to struggle thro',
how I am every moment expos d to ye necessity of keeping
measures equally essential, and at ye same time inconsistent.
" Your Grace can contribute very much to ease me, and I
am sure you will, since nothing but ye warmest zeal for our
common cause, and ye firmest resolution to live and dye by
it, could make me lead ye life which for some months past I
have lead, which is at present better, but still bad enough.
" The Duke of Ormond, as well as I, has been without ye
least intelligence from our friends in England these maney
months. Some letters which I got by ye last posts gave a
strange account of ye state of affairs in yt country.
" Every creature who might stand up in ye defence of his
country is imprisond, dispers d , or dispirited. Ye people are
still ye same, or rather their resentments run higher than
ever, but there is not a Duke of Mar amongst ye Nobility or
gentry. I shall find a way in very few days of sending to
some persons of our acquaintance ; it is harder for you to do
it, but if you could it would be of singular use.
" I cannot yet be out of pain for Sir John Areskine
(Erskine), who ought to have been with you before the
King's landing, and who was kept att Calais till twelve days
ago. He has two valuable young men and a great sum of
gold with him.
" Adieu, my dear Lord ; I embrace you with ye warm
affection. Depend upon me that nothing which can be done
is or shall be neglected.
" I hope— nay, indeed, I am persuaded — yt our Master has
an entire confidence in you, for in him, my dear Lord, to
what ye present circumstances of his Kingdoms require, you
have good, sense, good nature, and I trust you will succeed.
" Once more adieu.
" I am till death,
" Y r Grace's faithful and obedient servant,
" BOLINGBROKE."
" P.S. — I mention to ye King a ship that will soon be
dispatch'd with a very large quantity of arms and ammu-
nition, but I forgot to mention that as she will be forc'd to
go round Ireland, so unless I hear from y r Grace yt there is
some particular place on ye North West Coast in ye King's
hands, the instructions I shall give the Captains of her will
be to sail to ye Lewis, the Isles of Sky, Eum, or Mull, either
of which he can first make, and then to follow such orders