Maitland Club > Miscellany of the Maitland Club > Volume 3, Parts 1 and 2

350 LETTERS OF THE
of the highest honors and offices in the State, than for his noble posses-
sions, and his ardent love of literature and antiquities. The second
Earl succeeded to the title in 1637, and was twice married; — 1. to
Lady Catherine Erskine, fourth daughter of John, seventh Earl of
Marr ; — 2. In 1640, to Lady Jean Gordon, third daughter of George,
second Marquis of Huntly. His influence and abilities do not appear
to have been highly estimated, even by the party which claimed the
benefit of their exercise. Baillie, when speaking of a proposal for an
amicable treaty in 1638, says, "Long it was ere a person could be
" found of parts requisite for such a service. Morton, Roxburgh, let
" be Haddington, or Stirling, were not of sufficient shoulders."
It would appear that Lord Haddington was well enough prepared to
follow that part of his fair and noble correspondent's advice, which says,
" You hade better be suspected of both sids than a party to either ;"
for we find that he subscribed, on 22d Sept. 1G38, the King's Covenant ;
and on 29th Nov. of the same year, the declaration of nullity of the acts
of the pretended Assembly at Glasgow ; but that at the same time, if
Row is to be believed, he " gave assurance to ioyne with the Assemblie."
In the year 1640, he took an active part in the military operations of
the Covenanters ; and while General Lesley was successfully conduct-
ing the campaign in the north of England, Lord Haddington was left
in command of Lothian and the Merse. But the career on which he