Earls of Cromartie > [NSLBLANK]

17 U] LETTERS TO LORD NORTHESK, 1713. clxvii
The second letter of Lord Cromartie to Lord Northesk referred to is as
follows : —
My Lord, — I am now here, and going aboard (God willing) for Cromartie ;
and the best farewell or legacy that I can give you is my blessing, and to pray for
God's on you and yours. I assure you they are and will be dear to me. I have
taken leave of all publick affairs ; my wishes for them is, that they may be well
and serene. I wish it strongly, but my fears are stronger. I say with Sir John
Scot, God make all well ; hut as the children say, so do I think, ill stuf to make
it of, God make it better. It 's like I may see Eeidhead this day, but with deep
regrait of not seeing those who lay near it ; yet, as old Buckingham jested with
Prince Eupert, I in good earnest do say, —
I hope to live to see, if I die not,
The Palatinate, the Pala-Tinat.
My Lord, my kindness wishes that you might visit all the north ; for I did,
and I do, think our nobility defective in not knowing their own country. But
my discretion smothers my wish, for indeed it arises from self-love. I leave this
with the good and very kind Lord Haddo. Would I did live near you both ! I
would neither envy the statesmen at Edinburgh, nor representatives at London.
I did not hinder, but, as I could, did rather premove your essaying to be in the
publick affairs ; but I will not advise a pertinacy in essaying. Martha was gentily
imployed in many things, but Truth itself has told that Mary did chuse the better
things. My Lord, my motive for this indifference is from my certain perswasion
that there is no great use for great estates, or of those things which perish in the
using. They may tickle our fancy, but wee will get to our own proper use meat
and cloaths. Wee may foolishly enough make it our delight to be stewards to
others what wee cannot make use of for ourselves, and perhaps get the divell to
our thanks at the hinder end. But, on the other hand, there are goods which are
truly useful for us, and if wee bestow our time and our care for acquiring of these,
they will certainly make us happy, and that eternally ; and I hope, even then, to
be, my Lord, everlastingly your friend and servant, Cromartie. 1
The Eight Honourable The Earle of Northesk.
One of Lord Cromartie's sons, apparently the eldest, either actually left
1 Original Letter at Ethie.