Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/656

642 cient for me, unless I could submit to expose my son to beggary. My lord had sent for me up to town in such haste that I had no time to settle any thing before I left Scotland. I had in my hands all the family papers: I dared trust them to nobody. My house might have been searched without warning, consequently they were far from being secure there. In this distress, I had the precaution to bury them under ground; and nobody but the gardener and myself knew where they were. I did the same with other things of value. The event proved I had acted prudently; for after my departure they searched the house, and God knows what might have transpired from these papers."

Through a road where she was well known, in fear of being arrested, she travelled, thinking, as she had hazarded her life once for her husband, she could do no less for her son. She managed every thing with her accustomed prudence, got undiscovered to Traquair, where she gave out that she was going, by order of government, to her own house. She went to her own house, took up her papers at night, and sent them off to Traquair; and hearing that the magistrates of Dumfries had said they were determined to see her leave from government the next day, she appeared to wonder they had not come before; but got every thing in readiness, and the next morning before daybreak set off for London on horseback, putting up at the small inns as before, and arrived there safe.

On her arrival, the report was still fresh of her journey to Scotland in defiance of prohibition. The king was extremely incensed at the news, and issued orders for having her arrested; saying, that she did whatever she pleased in despite of his desires: and had given him more anxiety