Series 1 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (First volume)

WITH ARCHBISHOP SHARP
285
1676]
of my Lords perfitt helth even to yr owne wishes. Blessed be
God, hee is evry way very well, and his interest as much on all
hands as ever, so that his enimyes may doe well to steer an¬
other cours, and unless they resolve bare faced to renounce
all duty to the king and his Royal Highness itt is their best
cours to leave off all combinations and to fall into the duty of
loyal and good subjects. The E. of Kincardin’s1 jorney is not
to be braged of. I assure yr Grace hee has mett wth all dis-
coragements both from his Matie and the Duke ; and iff' hee does
pretend otherwayes hee does them wrong whom he feeds under
such hops; and the former pretences of the Party will no
longer hold good, his Matie having declared to him his great
displeasure against all the late proceedings. W* is further to
be said upon his subject I leave to Sir Will. Sharp to informe
yr Grace.
My most faithfull servis and thanks to the Lady Scotscrage;2
as also to all yr Grace’s fyer syde, especially the young cupple.3
—May itt pleas yr Grace I am yr Grace’s most humble servant*
E. Lauderdale.
[Addressed] For His Grace My Lord of St. Andrewes.
XXIX
THE DUCHESS OF LAUDERDALE TO SHARP
March 2a [1677?].
My Lord,—I am glad our frinds are now wth you. I hope
their company, and the account they will give you of all
matters here, will be a good allay to the false impressions wch
1 Kincardine had been removed from the Privy Council in July of this year.
His journey to London was undertaken to attempt to justify himself with the
King, ‘but all was to no purpose’ (Wodrow, Book 11. ch. xi.). Accounts of the
quarrel between Lauderdale and Kincardine will be found related by Sir G.
Mackenzie (Memoirs, p. 314 sq.), and by Burnet (History of his own Time,
p. 211, edit. 1724).
2 Sharp purchased in 1664 the estate of Scotscrage in Fife (Lamont's Diary).
Perhaps ‘ Lady Scotscrage ’ refers to the Archbishop’s wife.
3 Query—the Archbishop’s son, Sir William Sharp, and Margaret daughter
of Sir Alexander Erskine of Cambo. Cambo is close to Crail, Sharp’s former
parish.