Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok > Correspondence

102 STATE AND OFFICIAL LETTERS. [1696.
ship is pleased to express, to nieritt the good opinion his Maiestie is pleased to
have for me, and to retaine the sense of the honour and kyndnes yee have
been pleased to putt upon,
my Lord, your Lordship's
Sir John Maxwell of Pollok to the Earl of Portland, 27th October 1696.
I would not have neglected to have given your Lordship ane accompt from
tyme to tyme, of our transactions in Parliament, could I have added any thing
to quhat I knew yee had from bettir hand ; only I hope the King will be satis-
fied, and the worclle may see, how unanimously and forwardly all went alongst
in quhat concerned his service, quhatever particular differences wer amongst
us, quhereof it seemes your Lordship had ane accompt of some quhat concerned
me. And I most thankfully acknouledge the great bonom* and justice yee did
me by quhat yee wrott to Secretar Ogilvie concerning me in that matter, that
his Maiestie was pleased to retaine so good ane opinion of me, beyond quhat I
can pretend to deserve. My Lord, ther is now at his Maiestie's disposeall one
of the most important places in this Kingdom — I meane the President of the
Session's chaire — quhich requyres certainly a verie compleat man, both as to
his abihtie as a lawer and of great temper and conduct as to his counsells hi
government, quherein by his place he hath so great a share in. To this it's much
talkt that Sir William Hamiltoun, one of the ordinar Lords is to be preferred,
as to whom I have noe particular prejudice. I shall only crave liberty humbly
to lay befor yow my thoughts, with submission to your better judgement, that
quhatever may be his abilities as a lawer — quhereof I am noe competent judge
— yet quhat by his unaccomptable zeale in a comittee of the session of par-
liament '95 to vacat that place, befor the late Viscount of Staire was removed
by death, and the maner of his behaviour and carieage in other publick matters,
I feare it may tend more to divid then unit the counsells of the Government :
quhich is certainly of great import, and much to be avoyded, seeing I doubt-
not a fitting person may be had to the good lyking of all people, fully alse able
a lawer, against whom none of these objections can be made. Your Lordship
may remember I did speake to yow about Sir Thomas Stewart of Coltnes. He