Life of the last Earl of Stirling

62 THE LAST EARL OF STIRLING.
making a public expose" and a great stir, calculated to draw
forth the attention and sympathy of an enlightened public.
. The losses I have incurred . . . were increased
ten-fold by eight years of litigation ... on the side of
the Crown, tyrannical and unjustifiable, because unprovoked
and groundless. Now it is well known from the avowals of
different Crown agents, compounded in part by returns made
to the House of Commons that the English Government must
have spent more than ^100,000 ! ! ! and all that to attain the
most wicked and debasing object in the world — that of
depriving an honourable family of their lawful inheritance,
and effecting the ruin of their head and father ! ! ! .
In 1832 I was simple enough to allow my patriotic feelings
to gain the ascendancy and influence my conduct. I spared
official criminals. . . . In England rogues were employed
to undermine me, to set intriguers and spies at work, who
under various disguises, and assuming every variety of
character, got admission into my house and society, and,
either as visitors or domestic servants in my family, executed
the commands of their secret employers. Hence began the
ruinous law-suit in Scotland, in England, and finally in
France ; and their expeditions were sent to all those countries
for the purpose of destroying at one and the same time by
infamous means of calumny and corruption, the reputation I
had ever enjoyed, and all the proofs that might be found still
existing in the archives of those countries as well as in the
muniments, registers and deed chests of families, of my
pedigree and rights of property ! ! Yes, sir ! It was by such
means that enormous sums were squandered, and that at the
price of gold, all sorts of books and valuable papers were, I
am assured, carried away from Archives and Libraries here.
It was by similar means that tombstones or marble monu-
ments bearing inscriptions were turned or buried or burnt to
pieces ; that registers in Ireland were either entirely carried
away, or had leaves torn out of them in order that facts
comprising my rights might be annihilated. . . . Yes,
sir ! If the facts I have just glanced at be well considered,
you will discover in them the secret cause of sacrifices to the
amount ... as some persons have asserted of more
than ,£120,000 ! ! ! Certain it is that the expenses which
might have attended any purely legal opposition, strictly
limited to lawful and justifiable resistance to my claims, could
not have amounted to one twentieth or indeed a thirtieth part
of the sum really squandered. Such was the notoriety of
their profusion in this business that Mr. Wallace, member for
Greenock, moved in the House of Commons for a minute
inquiry respecting it, and specially on another occasion for a