Earls of Aboyne

23
be sensible how much youa* part of the country
is drained of .men and how difficult it would be
to procure a captain's quota at the rate of a
guinea a man after such great bounty has been
given by the new levies. My object is to raise
the men soon, and for that reason shall endea-
vour as much as passible to fix those officers that
are thought most likely to bring them. I shall,
however, always be happy to attend to any re-
commendation of your lordship.
The "Journal" (February 3, 1795) tells a 6tory
illustrative of his kindly character: —
The Elarl acquired estates in the south country,
on one of which an elderly gentleman had been
long settled as factor. When his lordship came
to clear accounts with this gentleman, in pres-
ence of an Edinburgh agent, who had made out
the accounts, a balance of several hundred pounds
was found due to hi6 lordship. This sum he, in
an angry manner at the time, insisted that the
factor should .grant bill for a short date, which
was accordingly done; 'but, in the meantime, he
agreed that the old man's son, who had been a
most careful assistant to his father in the office,
should continue to uplift the rents until some
arrangement was made. The contents of the old
man's bill were brought up, and punctually paid
by the son ; but arf terwards, several of the neigh -
bouring gentlemen having taken the liberty to
mention to his lordship the hardship of dismissing
from his service an old man who had been long
factor on the estate, and who had the character
of the utmost integrity and benevolence in the
whole vicinity, his Lordship immediately set about
not only a minute investigation of the accounts
that had been cleared (of which, as an acute man
of business, he wa,9 fully capable), but also made
a diligent enquiry into the whole tenor of the
old man's conduct; from which, being fully satis-
fied, that the balance due on the accounts had
mostly arisen partly from inattention and inac-
curacy, and .partly from changes having been
made of sums that ought, but which were not
actually received ; and being, moreover, entirely
convinced of the old man's honesty, and his dis-
interested fair-dealing among the .tenants ; and
got certain information that the sum in the bill
had ibeen paid by the son, from motives of filial
affection, out of a small separate patrimony,
with a view to relieve his father who was not in
affluent circumstances, his lordship sent for the
old man and his son, when he not only repaid
the money he had got, with the interest, but also
presented them with a joint factory, in which the
salary was doubled, recommending to the son to
accommodate his father with the one half of it ;
and assuring them that he would give orders that
the factory should be continued after his death,
which has accordingly been done: he also con-