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My Dear Lord,

Received the Honour of your Lordhip's Letter, late lat Night, of Yeterday's Date, and I own I never received one like it ince I was born; and I give your Lordhip ten thouand Thanks for the kind Freedom you ue with me in it: For I ee, by it, that, for my Misfortune in having an obtinate tubborn Son, and an ungrateful Kindred, my Family mut go to Detruction; and I mut loe my Life in my old Age Such Uage looks rather like a Turkih or Perian Government, then like a Britih: Am I, my Lord, the firt Father that has had an unnatural Son? Or am I the firt that has made a good Etate, and aw it detroyed in his own Time by the mad foolih Actings of an unnatural Son, who prefers his own extravagant Fancies to the olid Advice of an affectionate old Father? I have een Intances of this in my own Time, but I never heard till now that the Foolihnes of a Son would take away the Life and Liberty of a Father that lived peaceably, and was an honet Man, and well inclined to the ret of Mankind. But I find, the longer a Man lives, the more Wonders and extraordinary Things he ees. Now, my dear Lord, I beg Leave to tell you my Mind freely in my Turn, I thank GOD, I was born with very little Fear in my greatet Difficulties and Dangers by Sea and Land, and, by GOD's Aitance, I often aved my Life by the Firmnes and Steadfatnes of my Reolutions; and tho' I have now but a little Remains of a Life that is clog'd with Infirmities and Pain; yet, by GOD's help, I am reolved to preerve it it long as I can; and tho' my Son hould go away with the young People of his Clan, yet I will have 600 brave Fraers at Home, many of them about my own Age, that will loe the lat Drop of their Blood to preerve my Peron: And I do aure your Lordhip, if I am attack'd, that I will ell my Life as dear as I can; for ince I am as peaceable a Subject as any in the Kingdom, and as ready to pay the King's Taxes, and to do every Thing ele that a faithful Subject ought to do, I know no Law or Reaon that my Peron hould not be in Safety.

I did ue, and will ue the tronget Arguments that my Reaon can ugget to me, by my Couin Gortleg that he may repete them to my Son, and if they hould not prevail, is it any ways jut or equitable that I hould be punihed for the Fault of my Son? Now, my dear Lord, as to the unhappy civil War that occaions my Misfortunes, and in which, almot the whole Kingdom is involved, on one side or other, I humbly think that Men hould be moderate on both Sides, ince it is morally impoible to know the Event; For Thouands, nay Ten thouands on both Sides, are poitive that their own Party will carry. And uppoe this ventorious Prince hould be utterly defeat, and that the Government hould carry all in Triumph, no man can think that any King upon the Throne would detroy o many ancient good Families, for engaging in a Caue that was always their Principal, and what they thought their Duty to upport.

King William was as great a King, as to his knowledge of Government and Politicks, as at for many Hundred Years upon the Throne of England; and when his General, who was one of the bet in Europe, was forced to run to ave his Life, and all his Army routed at Killichranky, by a Handful of Highlanders not full 2000 in Number, King William was o far from deiring to extirpate them, that he ent the Earl of Breadalbane with 25000 L. Sterling, and ought no other Condition from them than that they hould live peaceably at home: So, my Lord, we cannot imagine, that, tho' the Highlanders hould be defeat at this Time, and mot of them killed, and the Government full Mater of the Kingdom, that any Adminitration would be o cruel, as to endeavour to extirpate the whole remains of the Highlanders; beides, it would be a dangerous Enterprie, which neither we nor our Children would ee at an End. I pray GOD we may never ee uch a Scene in our Country, as Subjects killing their Fellow-subjects.

For my Part, my Lord, I am reolved to live a peaceable Subject in my own Houe, and do nothing againt the King or Government; and if I am attacked, if it was by the King's Guards and his Captain General at their Head, I will defend myelf as long as there is Breath in me; and if I am killed here, it is not far from my Burial-place, and I will have, after I am dead, what I always wih'd, the Cromach of all the Women in my Country to convey my Body to the Grave; and that has been my Ambition when I was in my happiet Situation in the World.

I am your Lordhips, &c.