Series 1 > Loyall dissuasive

THE PATRON TURNED PERSECUTOR 133
The Marquess of Atholle,1 after the affair was over, did me
the honour to Invite me and some of the freinds I had attend¬
ing me to dinner, as he had done Tyrisoule and some of his;
the Marquess speaking of the Duke’s expedition to Lochaber
took from thence ane occassion to talk so well and honourably
of our name and family that I Reckon’d my self oblidged in
point of Gratitude and maners to thank his Lop/ in privat for
his good oppinion, with a positive assurance that if his Lop
had occasion for our service we would endeavour to make good
his Lop/ character. And taking that favourable opportunity
to discourse his Lop/ fully upon the oppressions we lay under,
to which his Lop seemed to be no stranger, I told his Lop
that tho’ I pretended to come ther of ane other erand, yet my
cheef bussiness was to represent our Greivances to his Lo/ and
plead for his protection; that I had authority from the Laird
of Cluny and the principal! Gentlemen of the name and
familie to make a free and frank offer of their service to his
Lo/, that if his Lo/ agreed to the mater and thought them
worthie to be added to the number of his dependents, the
maner whether by manrent or otherwise was left Intearly to
his Lop.
To this my Lord answered that the Laird of Cluny and his
freinds had done him a great deale of honour, ther offer was
great and such as he was very proud of, and could not but
accept with thankfullness. A manrent he said was condemned
by our laws, and too mean besides for a person of Clunie’s
qualitie, adding that he had the Barronie of Glenlyon 2 at his
disposall and with that the Barronie of Combry, on which ther
was one of the best houses in the Shire of Perth fitt for Cluny
to live in. And, notwithstanding that he had seven thusand
pounds offered him for both, yet sayes his Lo/, to have the
honour and satisfaction to have Cluny my Vassall, and a knot
of the M‘Phersons under me (for so his Lop/ expressed himself)
Cluny shall have both the Barronies for three thusand pounds.
The one half of the Lands only to be holden of me, and the
1 John, second earl and first Marquess of Atholl; patent dated 17th February
“1676.' He died in 1703. See note above.
2 I have not been able to verify our author’s statement as to the condition of
these baronies at this time.