Series 2 > Seafield correspondence from 1685 to 1708

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FIRST EARL OF SEAFIELD
17
and Counselors, Right trusty and Right weil be¬
loved Cousins and Counsellors, Right trusty and weei
beloved Cousings and Conselors, Right trusty and
weill beloved Counselors and trusty and weil beloved
Counselors,—
Wee greet yow weil: Having bein extreamly sur[pry]sed
to hear of the insolencies eomitted by a tumultuous rable
in or city of Edinburgh, whilst yow and our uther judi-
cators wer in ye place, and yt ther insolency should have
gon the lenth of affronting or cheif minister, and yet so
much lenity showin in punishing a cryme so imediatly
touching or Royall Person and authority, wee have now
thought fitt to let yow know that wee have not only ye
character but lykwayes the person of or Chanclour so much
in or particular care, as wee will suport him in despyt of
all ye attemps or insolencies of his enimies, and therfor
doe require you to take y11 care of his persone and have
y1 respect for his character, as may convince us of your
affectione to us and obedience to or comands. In the
nixt place wee heirby requir you to go about the punish¬
ing of all y* wer guilty of this tumult w4 ye outmost rigour
of our lawes. Nor can wee imagin any either remiss hes-
bein or will be in ys, except those who have bein favorers
of yr re[bellious] designe. But above all is or express
pleasur y4 yee try into y® bottom of this matter, to try out
those who have eyr by worde insinuatione or utherwayes
sett on ys rable to ys villanus attemp, or incouradged
ym in it, and y4 ffor ye finding of ys out ye spare no legal!
tryell by tortur or uyrwayes, this being of so great im-
portanc y4 nothing more displeasing to us or mor danger¬
ous to our Government cd posibly have bein contryved,
and wee shall spar no expence to know ye rise of it. Wee
again comand yow again to be diligent in ffinding out
ye whole matter and punishing the guilty, as lykwayes
to use your utmost endeavours for preventing ye lyk
vilanies for ye futur. Efter wee shall hear what ye nixt
post shall bring, yow shall know or ffurther pleasure in ys
matter. In ye meantym wee bidd yow heartily fare weil.
Givin att our Court at Whythall ye 9th day of ffebry 1686