Chiefs of Grant > Correspondence

66 III. — FAMILY AND DOMESTIC LETTERS. [1638.
115. John Donaldsone, Notary Public, to the Laird of Grant — The Clairschear — ■
Glasgow Assembly.
Ar, the 28 of December 1638.
Richt Honorabill Sir, — Pleis I haif ressaueit your maisterschipis letter, sohawand that
ye haif hard that your clairschear is hurt be Johne Hay the violar, and that ye knou nocht
hou he is, nather haif ye hard word of him sensyne quhair he is or gone, desyring me to
aduerteis your maisterschip of the forme thairof, and gif he wilbe abill to play. Sir, for
answer thairto, I knou nothing of that mater, nather quhat wes the caus or forme of thair
tuillie, nor hou he is, nor gif euer he wilbe abill to play ; bot I hard hou sone I cam heir,
that thair wes ane drunkin tuillie in Pettie betuix him and Johne Hay, and Johne Hay is werie
euill hurt in the heid, quhairout of thair is two boneis cum, and it is in dout gif euer he
wilbe weill. Your clairschear is hurt in the hand : quhair he is, or hou he wilbe, I can
nocht learne, for I haif nocht bein werie curious to speir that questioun : bot the lairdis of
Park will nocht luik on thair man for hurting your man, and they ar feirit your maisterschip
tak exceptioun at thame for that thair man hes hurt your man, albeit thair be no reasone ;
and young Park wes sjieirand at me gif I knew of onie beraris cumand to Ballachastell, that
he micht wreat to you his awin excuse, and request you tak no exceptioun at thame for that
mater. Quhairin ye haif reasone to excuse thame, for they knew nothing thairof, and Johne
Hay is your aid kyndlie man, as the clarschair. I think it setis nocht your serwandis, min-
strellis or wtheris, to go to commoun brydellis ; so let him drink of his wrang. As for newis,
I resaueit since my douncuming tua letteris from my sone, quha schawis me that the Marques
of Hammiltoun, wpone the 13 of this instant, gaif ouer his commissioun. He hes tua
sones deid since his last douncuming. He sat in the Assemblie the first tua or thrie dayis
quhel thei wer chuseing thair memberis, bot quhen they com to handill materis of weycht,
and speciallie of Eppiscopacie, he left thame, and maid proclamatioun that they suld ryis ;
bot they satt notwithstanding. The Bischopes of Ross and Breychin, quhen they saw that
thei had no woit in the Assemblie, they went to Court. It wes luikit thair suld haif bene
ane great counsaill day wpone the tent or alleuint day of this moneyth, bot thair wes nane,
becaus thair wes nocht ane number of counsallouris, for thair is audit of the Counsaill hes
joynit with the nobilitie, and speciallie Ergyill, quha wes at heich wordis with the Marques.
Quhat thei wer I hard nocht. The Castle of Edinburgh is still keipit, and the Marques causit
charge the provost and bailleis of Edinburgh to assist him to furnes the castle with muni-
tioun, bot they dissobeyit, and the provost hes wndertakin to mantein the castle against all
forane enemies. It is reportit that the Assemblie thinkis to wreat all procedingis and refer
betuix the King and the nobilitie to the parliament hous of England ; and gif they will
nocht be judges, then to the parliament of France. Thair is aucht bischopis excomunicat —
St. Androis, Glasgow, Rose, Abirdene, Breychin, Edinburgh, Dunblane, and Gallowy. It is