Chiefs of Grant > Correspondence

328 IV. — LETTERS FROM SIMON LORD LOVAT. [1734.
yourself, and a copy of my Lord Elches and my Lord Miltown's letters to me, which are
vouchers to us for our conduct. I sent of an express to John Grant, your chamberland of
Urquarht, and bid him tell Glenmoristoun to be here to-morow's night, and the Glenmoris-
town and Urquarht men here on Wedsday morning. I think you might very well bring
some men a-foot with the horse, to be at least near the town in case of need. I have
sent expresses to Sir Robert Munro and Lyon to be here on Tuesday at dinner, to concert
all matters together ; and I am persvvaded they will be here, and we will do all we can to
reconcile Sir Robert with our friend and relation Killraak. In short, we must put all irons
in the fire to break the interest and demolish the very insolent pryde of, as I call them
to the Lyon, the upstart offspring of a servant of Strehines and a burgar of Inverness, that
no man in his senses can call a family, no more than a mucherom of one night's growth can
be call'd an old oak tree of 500 yeares' standing. Your aunt and Sir Rory are here sine
Thursday. Collector Midletown and Pitgeveny came here to dine, and stay'd till 9 at night ;
and Fairfield, and our trusty secretary of state, Obriahan, were all witnesses to my ending
with Lentron, who came here with much ado from Inverness. Ewen, with my factor John
Fraser, and William Esterdale's son, and Cwlmulinson, were fore'd to go in for him to the
town at 1 2 night on Fryday. He was not an hour without an attack ; and if Ewen Baillie had
not fully convine'd him of his interest, we had lost him, notwithstanding of the minut.
However, befor all the above persons, we fmish'd all about sex acloak last night in a kindly
maner, and I gave them a hearty bottle, which made Lentron give commission to Collector
Midletown to tell the other party that he had now fmish'd his bargain with me to his satis-
faction, and that they might not any more look upon him as one of theirs ; but that if he
had not fmish'd his bargain he would have been on their syde, as he promis'd. So you see
we had but a slippery eel by the tail. However, it is over, and Ewen infests me to-morrow
morning. I have just now receav'd a letter from Belnain, of which I send you a copy. I
have laid a plot to gain M c Intosh, if he is not infatuat. I send Fairfield and Ewen to-morow
to the Chisolm, with my formal commission of everlasting warr or peace, according to his
behaviour ; and tho' he was with the insolent Advocat on Fryday, I belive he will think
more than once befor he declare open warr against me, who can send him and his to the
divel for a breakfast. Besydes that, I am his superior, and by my agreement with Fraser-
dale, I can harrass him and make his purse shake. So, if he is not mad, he will lay by. I
have laid a plot that I think infallible to keep Sir Alexander from qualifying ; and by what
I learn from the Council of Inverness, I hope to be in a short tyme able to give a dead blow
to Culodin at Inverness, which I was at the paines to award for 18 yeares. I am sory from
my heart you lost Inches, which was so easy to manadge. I had rather given 200 pounds
of my own ; but their is no help for it. We will beat them by a good majority. I wish
your sentiments and mine about Inches had been follow'd. How[ev]er, I hope their defeat
will be great and manifest. I wonder you did not send me Foyars' letter to the Advocat.