Comments in refutation of pretensions advanced for the first time, and statements in a recent work "The Stirlings of Keir and their family papers"

70 COMMENTS ON KEIR PERFORMANCE,
Muschett of yat ilk, William Striueling, Andro Morton, Thomas Stevinson, William
Patersone, and James Nicolsoim, notaris, with oyeris diuersis. Sic subscribitur,
"James Striueling,
" of Keir.
"Jhone Steiueling,
"with my hcmd.'"
[Neither is this deed — so important to Letter or Drumpellier, as well as to Keir —
at all noticed in the Keir Performance.]
III.— REMAINDER of the CORRESPONDENCE already aUuded to— viz., from
March 6 to April 9, 1818.
Having thus fully given the Drumpellier statement at the intervening period,
in pursuance of the course that was proposed to be adopted, and with the par-
ticular view, it may now be, after a few remarks, proper to resume the corre-
spondence partly adduced, and continue it from where it was intermitted.
It could not weU be expected that the Drumpellier family would altogether
brook or be pleased with a confederacy against them, of so strange and am-
biguous a kind, as between Keir and Glorat, or could deal witli any other tlian
the Keir agent, with whom alone, according to the mandate of Mr Charles
Stirling, the Keir umpire, they had originally communicated ; as little with
any one summarily thrust upon them in his stead. WhUe, moreover, after the
full and ^ndid manner their e^adence had been disclosed to the former, they
were entitled, from just motives, to an equal return, and to be apprised of
the grounds and proof on which an opposition to their projected Service was
based — that Service, too, which had been so courteously postponed in accord-
ance with the wishes and earnest desires of the Keir agent.
These incidents and considerations may be kept in view for reference, and
for due apprehension of what follows of the correspondence in question, which
shall next be taken up and concluded under this head.
13.— LETTER, William Stirling to James Dundas, W.S.
"18 Howe Stbeet, Edinburgh, Qth March 1818.
" I rather expected to have heard from you before this, in reply to my
last, but not having done so, suppose that you may probably stand in need of