Chiefs of Grant > Correspondence

398 IV. — LETTERS FROM SIMON LORD LOVAT. [1740.
cannot inform us of nothing like it, and it truly threatens the destruction of man and beast.
I wish with all my soul that you and good Lady Margaret and all your lovly children may
stand it out in good health, and that you may live many years together in health and
prosperity.
As to the contents of your letter, I send you inclos'd a copie of the letter that I wrote
to your father Sir James by yesterday's post, which I hope will satisfy you as to all that you
say in your letter. I have truly no difference with any of the family of Grant but with
yourself, for I sincerly think you have not us'd me well ; but your uncle the Collonell says
that when we meet there will be no difference. I wish with all my heart it may be so, and
if it is not, I must certainly conclude you unnaturall and ungratfull ; for I can freely declare,
upon my honour and conscience, that I lov'd you as much as I did any of my own children,
and that I was more pjassionate and more anxious to serve your person than ever I was to
serve my only brother ; and I bless G-od my friendship for those that I love and profess
friendship to is well known to be faithfull, constant, and upright, so that no man looses to be
in friendship with me, as far as my power and ability can go.
You will perhaps think that I am too warm in my solicitations for your worthy aunt
the Lady Scatwell ; but remember, my dear nephew, that she was a mother to your sisters
as well as to my daughters, and as I ow her more obligations than to any person now in life,
I wou'd be most undutifull and ungratfull if I did not make her quarrell my own. I there-
fore beg, my dear Laird of Grant, that for my sake as well as for your aunt's, you may use
your interest with the Laird of Lethen to be favourable to her ; and if he refuses you, he
must be most ungratfull, for you made him Parliament man over" the belly of his chief, an
example that I do not love, since I am myself the chief of a family and clan ; yet I acted
vigorously for him in that affair, and you know for what.
I send you inclosed the pretender's letter to the estate of Balnagoune ; I mean Allexander
Eoss of Pitcalny's, who is certainly the heir-male of the family of Balnagoune, and chief of
the Bosses. I humbly think you shou'd not neglect to preserve to your family the friendship
and affectionate alliance of that noble family and clan, which your family, some generations
agoe, supported in a most signal manner, and gain'd honour to themselves and to the Bosses
that never will be forgot. I remember perfectly well that Collonell "William Grant gave
me the history of that Allister Baune, Laird of Balnagowne, grandchild to the Laird of
Grant, who certainly was the greatest hero in the Highlands in his own time ; for after he
cut off all the M c Kays and utterly destroy'd their countrey, he made all Sutherland and
Caithness tremble and obey his least commands, as if he had been their sovereign. You may
depend upon 't that this is a true part of the history of that family, for I have heard it since
I was a child from very good hands ; so I leave it to your own consideration whether or not
it is proper for you to entertain friendship with a considerable' family and clan, that some
day or other may be usefull to yours, who has done such essentiall services for them. I