Red and white book of Menzies

362 THE "RED & WHITE" BOOK OF MENZIES. [a.d. 1729.
with you in every part with honour, truth, and sincerity, I could not give
credit to it.
" I have now been told that your ladyship was informed that I was carrying
on some private designs in your family unknown to you. Nothing ever was
invented by the most flagrant malice and deceit further from truth, and more
groundless than this. I do not know the authors of this story, but I have that
sincere regard for your ladyship and your family, as to wish such persons may
never gain credit with yow as are capable of imagining and repeating such
falsehoods. If I knew them, the use I would make of it would be to shun them as-
I would shun the plague. I assure yow, madam, it never entered the least into my
thoughts to form any such design ; I am not so apt to meddle in private affairs of
families, especially such as are of that nature. I never spoke to your son on that
subject once while I was at Weem, and never wrote of it to him since. I wonder one of
your ladyship's penetration does not see the folly of the story. Your ladyship was
the only person concerned I ever spoke to on that subject since March was a year.
" I have now been so long known to your ladyship, and I believe I have acted
such a part as might give me some title to expect I would have been spoke to
before such a story had obtained credit. Your ladyship has formerly expressed a
great deal of goodness for me, and I vainly flattered myself that I had more of
your ladyship's friendship than it appears I had when you could easlie give credit
to those storys. Tho' I never deserved your friendship, I am not afraid to say I
deserved it better than your anger. But it is my principle that truth will at length
prevail, and I doubt not but your ladyship will sooner or later do me justice to
believe me to be with great truth, madam, your ladyship's most faithful, most
humble servant, COLIN MacLaurin.
" P.S. — If I knew their names who have told these falsehoods to your ladyship,
I doubt not that I could make them contradict themselves. I beg leave to add
that I never heard your son speak of yow but with great respect, so no person ever
heard me insinuate the contrary ; and in whatever yow use myself, I will ever
esteem yow for many good qualities, but especially for your love of him."
— Charter Room, Castle Menzies, No. 175.
Dr John Menzies, who flourished in the time of Captain James Menzies of
Comrie, having died, the young chief advanced sums of money, &c, to his widow,
upon the death of whom the whole effects of Dr Menzies were publicly sold off,
and by far the greater part of his effects were bought by Captain James and
other Menzies'. We give an abridged extract from the records, which gives an
interesting detail of the furnishing of a Highland doctor's house of the period, and
the large number of clansmen who attended the sale, as follows : —
"The Testament and Inventory of the goods, gear, sums of money, and
debts that pertained to the deceased Katrane Menzies, relict of umq 1 Doctor John