Series 2 > Seafield correspondence from 1685 to 1708

76
CORRESPONDENCE OF JAMES
[FEB.
The circular letter of Sir James Rocheid, Clerk to the Conven¬
tion of Royal Burghs, had the desired effect. The patent was
stopped, and the two Secretaries of State for Scotland with the
Under Secretary, Sir William Hamilton, received gratuities1 from
the Burghs for their services.
George Leslye, besides being Sheriff-Clerk of Banffshire, was
Collector of Excise for the county. In the following letter he
threatens to exact tax from brewers whether they brew or
not.
ffor JAMES LAWTIE OF TOCHIENEILL to be comunicate
to BAILLIE ORD IN CULLEN
thes
Banff, 2dffebry. 92.
Sr,—I received your letter yesternight and Baillie
Ords this day, and am not satisfied with either of your
lers, though I cannot but confess both of your seifs are
fair as to your owen pairts, and thinks yee have done verie
fairlie in offering to others what yee did ; and since they
are so obstinate and ignorant as not to compley with
favours offered to them, lett them be att there hazard,
and for there contumacie and contempt for lying drey,
doe me the favour to shew ane and all of them that they
may be assured I shall be even with them, and upon there
expenss. Continue on your seifs. Yee shall find all the favour
my power. And for these who have proven contumacious,
they may be perswaded they shall pay drey excyse att
the highest rate, whither they brew or not. This tell them
from me, and that they shall never find me where they
left me ; and if the pairty which I have here from Bellen-
dallach were not allreadie ingadged and imployed other-
wayes and upon some other persons, they should have
imediatlie have bein sent to Cullen, ffor I see that poeple
are so daft that I must give them some divertisment. All
these I leave to your owen caire, and desyres that with my
ffathers man who comes to Boyndie to me on Thursday
nixt ye lett me have your return of this from him, and ane
Records of the Convention of Royal Burghs, 1692, pp. 146-151.