Series 2 > Seafield correspondence from 1685 to 1708

456
CORRESPONDENCE OF JAMES [march
Mr. David com just now, butt no lyn from your Lo., which
is not right, for on so speciall ane occasion ye should have
wreaten and given advyce to, My Lord, Your Lo. fathfull
servant, Alex1, Ogilvie.
The British fleet under Sir John Byng had been for some time
blockading the French fleet in Dunkirk. The French, however,
eluded the blockade on 6th March, and with two days’ start sailed
northward. They overshot their objective, the Firth of Forth,
and by the time they doubled south the British fleet had arrived
off the Forth. The issue was really being tried while Lord Forglen
was writing his letters of Saturday the 13th March. His estimate
of the numbers of ships was much exaggerated. The ‘ ane hun-
dreth saile ’ is superinduced in the letter on the word ‘ twentie.’
To THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF
SEA FIELD, London
Edinburgh, ye \Uh March 1708.
My Lord,—I had this day your Lops, letter of the 9th by
the first express. The second is not yett arryved, but is
nou of noe consequence. This comes by a flying packquett
to give ane accompt that Sir George Bings with 30 men of
war under his comand came up with and actackqued the
French squadron off of Montross yesterday the 13th instant
betwixt the hours of 4 or 5 in the evening, but the French
retired so fast that the best halfe of Sir George squadron
could not come up with them. The engadgement contin-
oued till it wes dark, and I hope they would mett againe
nixt morning, ane accompt qrof I expect with great
impatince, and am hopefull to have it some tyme too
morrow. As soon as I receave any such accompt I will be
sure to transmitt it by a flying pacquett. I am nou setting
about the obeying of the orders I receaved this day by
the express, which your Lop. may expect ane accompt of
within a few dayes. I shall give your Lop. noe furder
trouble nou, but assuring you that I am, My Lord, Your
Lop. most humble and most obedient servant,
Leven.
The orders referred to were evidently those contained in Lord
Sunderland’s letter of 9th March to arrest suspected rebels in
Scotland.