History of the Frasers of Lovat

XVIII. SIMON, THIRTEENTH LORD FRASER. 35 1
One of the actions raised by him was against Alexander
Mackenzie of Fraserdale's heir, who under the existing - con-
ditions would succeed to the estates on his father's death,
for, although forfeited himself, the result of that forfeiture
would not descend to his son. Another action on which he
entered was to assert his claims to the ancient peerage title
and honours of the family. In these two he was the pur-
suer, but in several others he was placed on the defensive,
in one case in opposition to the enforcement of a large
number of claims by persons who held securities over the
estates against the forfeited Fraserdale and now tried to
assert them against Simon, and in another he was resisting
payment of the Struy and Phopachy bonds to which refer-
ence has been already made. His contest with the creditors
was prolonged, but it was of the three leading actions the
first decided. In 1718 the Court of Session declared in
favour of the creditors, but his Lordship appealed to the
House of Lords and there secured a decision in his favour.
This was his first great triumph. While in London attend-
ing to this appeal he was taken ill of a severe fever and
thought he was dying, when he dictated the following
letter—
"To the Honourable, the gentlemen of the name of Fraser —
My Dear Friends, — Since by all appearances, this is the last time of
my life I shall have occasion to write to you, I being now very ill of a
dangerous fever ; I do declare to you before God, before whom I must
appear, and all of us at the great day of judgment, that I loved you
all ; I mean you and all the rest of my kindred and family who are
for the standing of their chief and name ; and as I loved you, so
I loved all my faithful commons in general, more than I did my own
life, or health, or comfort, or satisfaction, and God, to whom I must
answer, knows that my greatest desire, and the greatest happiness
I proposed to myself under heaven, was to make you all live happy,
and make my poor commons flourish ; and that it was my constant
principle to think myself much happier with a hundred pounds, and
see you all live well at your ease about me, than have ten thousand
pounds a year, and see you in want and misery. I did faithfully
design and resolve to make up and put at their ease, Alexander Fraser
of Phopachy, and James Fraser of Castle Ladders, and their families,
and whatever disputes might ever be betwixt them and me, which our
mutual hot temper occasioned, joined with the malice and calumny of