Chiefs of Grant > Correspondence

1764.] LADY ANNE DUFF OF HATTON. 435
voted upon. However, Mr. Grant must inform me immediately where he would have it
consign'd to. Pray, when am I to have the honor of seeing you here again 1 I think that
happiness long defer' d. Learn to shun, like my sweet birds, the noise of Folly.
" You lose the time, to mark how spring
My tended plants, — ■
How nature paints her colors, how the bee
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweets."
Here's Miltonics for you. I now begin to be in a hurry. It is an odd transition, but
the lobster's claw is just come into my head. I desire it may be better concealed next time.
I hasten to dinner — unsociable, uncomfortable, dreadful. And why 1 I present compliments
to Mr. Grant. I hope you mean to see Wotton very soon. If I could be informed of it,
perhaps I would meet you in town the day before.
I have the honor to be, Madam, your most obedient and oblig'd servant,
E. D. "VVaddilove.
518. Lady Anne Duff of Hatton to her Daughter, Mrs. Grant of Grant — Churchill's
writings. Story of Lord Aboyne and the old woman at Buntie.
Hatton Lodge, January 1st, 1764.
Your letter last post, my dear Jeany, was very agreeable, and your papa returns his compli-
ments and thanks to Mr. Grant for the two pamphelets. Churchell is still the same. I
cou'd some times give him a certain degree of praise, were it not that he dispises us all so
much, that I gruge even to alow him, what he wou'd other ways merit; and, in trouth, I
think upon every occation in that genaral manner to saterize a whole nation, is very unjust
and very low, and at present, in that respect, he don't stand higher in my idea then the
story I remimber to have heard told of the late Lord Aboyn. He had taken a fancy to
call a little place nigh him by the name of New Aboyn ; the old name was Buntie. The
country people are not fond of noveltys, and, consiquently, continued to call it by its former
name, which inraged my Lord so much that he made an Act in Court, that any person that
called it by the old name shou'd pay a forfeit. Notwithstanding which, one old woman was
so cross, that altho' she had often been taken to task, she wou'd never alter her method ; and
at last, after paying a double forfit, she stood at the door of the Court house, still continueing
to cry, and Buntie yet ! and Buntie yet ! etc.
Now, I think it is as silly to be angry at Churchal in us as it was in Lord Aboyn to be
so inraged at the old woman ; for all his asspertions against our country does it no more herm
then it did my Lord's new toun of Aboyn, which she insisted to aspere by calling it by its
old name.
I hope, my dear Jeany, Mr. Grant and you are by this time injoying life to your mind,
without hurry or crowd. I need not tell you that I can at present speek feelingly, as you