Genealogical collections concerning the sir-name of Baird, and the families of Auchmedden, Newbyth, and Sauchton Hall in particular

52 LETTERS.
be short, praying you to haif ever before your eies our auld fathers, their lyf and
religion, hi honouring God and his children. I sail ever remain after my heartty
commendations to yourself, wyfe, and bairns, brethren, and all guid frindis.
Your maist affect, brother and servant,
Aw. Baird.
I heir say it is dangerous mater to write over the sea of matters of religion, or
of Estait, quhairfore, unto the time I know mair perfectly, baith of your religion
and Estait, I thocht good to ask your advys before I write anything.
Among many Scotsmen we haif in France, there is ane Courreiar, an unwary
Coureur et vagabond ; he makes £1, or acts the minister, in to an town called
Issoire near quhair I preiche. He has beguild me and himself meikle mair ; — he
causit me to understand that we were kin and countrymen ; — it sail pleis you to
ask of him.
X. Frere Thomas Baird to his Father, Gilbert Baird of Auchmedden.
Rouen the 1st of Novr. 1607.
Richt honorabell Sir, — After my heartty commendations made, not forgetting
my mother, my brethrine, and sisters, and all guid frindis, it will pleis you to wit
I am in guid health, praisit be God, desyrand the same of you and all your guid
frindis. After my away cumming out of Leith we fund the wadder and waund
very contrarious, so that we were forst be storm of wadder to gang into divers
pairts of Ingland and France, sic as Tynemouth, Newcastle, Yarmouth — pairts of
Ingland — and Callis in France, all these pairtis before my cuming to Dieppe.
At my departer from Jhon Pearson out of Rouen, I ressavit fra him the sum
of Twenty crowns to transport me to Lyons by the sillar he disbursit for me before
my way ganging fra him. Nocht troubling you further, but my heartty commen-
dations to yourself and mother, with the rest of the bairns, and all guid frindis
nocht forgetting Walter Lesly. 1 I rest
Your obedient son at command,
Tomas Baird.
Being in danger coming to France, I promisd fourty shillins to the coure, quhilk
it will pleis you give at hame.
1 His uncle, Kinninvie's son, who settled in Denmark. — W. B.