Chiefs of Grant > Correspondence

336 iv. — LETTERS FROM SIMON LORD LOVAT. [1735.
was one of the things in the world that I desired most, and that I was most anxious about,
so you may judge what comfort it is to my soul to see you well married to a young lady of
such a noble, ancient and good family ; a lady not only beautifull in her person, but much
more by the singular character she has of good sense and understanding, and of a sweet and
angelick temper. All those that love your person and family should thank God for your
great happyness ; and I can freely say that, except yourself alone, there is not a man alive
more glad than I am at this great and happy event for your person and family, for which I
sincerely thank God Almighty, and pray to him that all the blessings of heaven may light
upon you and your lovly young bride. May the offspring of your body and hers be great,
numerous, and flourishing, and may they reign in Strathspey and in your other territories
as long as there is a stone subsisting in Castle Grant, or a drop of water in the river of Spey.
You may easily believe that nothing would give me greater pleasure in life than the paying
of my duty to the bridegroom and bride at Castle Grant, and to the Earl and Countes of
Finlater, on this occasion. Your very good friend and mine, Evan Baillie of Uperiachane,
who does me the honour to carry this letter, can freely testafy the great anxiety, vexation,
and uneasyness, that he and the Marquis D'Lethen that was here saw me in, for my not
being able to pay my duty to the bridegroom and bride at Castle Grant on this occasion.
Mr. Baillie knows that the fore wheels of my chariot are broke ever since I came home, and
could not get ane occasion to carry home the new set of wheels that I caus'd make at
Edinburgh, there being none in this country that can make them. I likewise had the
misfortune to break my sheze when I went to Sir Bobert Munro's, so that I could not go
now to Castle Grant any way but on horseback, which really would not only endanger my
health but my life ; for I have not yet got rid of my cough, that had almost made ane
end of me at Edinburgh, and I am very sure that you would be as much troubled as any
man alive if my going to Strathspey would destroy my health and life, that I am fully
resolved to employ to serve your person and family as long as there is breath in me ; and
since I cannot be so happy as to join your other friends and relations at Castle Grant in
paying my duty to you on this occasion, I will solemnise it in the most conspicuous and best
manner I can. I will have all my friends here to-day to dine and sup with me, and in the
evening I will have a bonefire on the castlehill, where I will drink with my friends, " health
and prosperity to the bridegroom and bride," under the discharge of some plattoons ; and I
have sent my officers through all the parishes this side of Lochness of the lordship of Lovat,
to order every tennent to make a bonefire in the most conspicuous place about his house
this evening, at the same time that my bonefire is to be put on, so that all the Aird and the
barrony of Beaulie will be better iluminate this night than the city of London was last night
for King George's birthday. I wrote to John Grant to Urquhart, that he might have his
bonefires this night, and I have writt to Stratherrick and Abertarf, that they may have their
bonefires on Munday at the same time with Glemoristone, so that in five or six days there