Earls of Middleton, Lords of Clermont and of Fettercairn

Charles, Second Earl of Middleton. 267
private revenge against the Marquis of Athol, 1 who
had prosecuted him for the injury done to his sister,
he enclosed a letter entrusted to him by Mary
Beatrice, for the Duke of Gordon, in a cover ad-
dressed to Athol, in hopes of thus ruining his pros-
pects with Anne. He then promised to return to
St. Germains and make further disclosures, if Queens-
berry would obtain a pass for him. 2
Some persons were soon after this apprehended
on suspicion, amongst whom was one Lindsay, who
had been under secretary to Middleton. No im-
portant information, however, could be extracted from
him. 3
On 1st September, 1703, Middleton enclosed a
memorial to De Torcy, desiring a passport for a vessel
to go to Scotland, to bring back Captain James
Murray, whom Lord Arran had sent for.
Lovat contrived to elude John Murray's vigilance,
and returned to St. Germains alone, in January, 1704,
where he delivered the most flattering account of his
reception in Scotland, and the north of England. "At
Durham," he said, " in particular, the Catholics received
him with open arms, and when he showed them the
1 John, first Marquis of Athol. He died some time in this year.
(Burke.)
2 Original Papers ; Macpherson's History of England ; Life of Lord
Lovat.
3 Smollett.