"There is no great plenty of belts and pouches, but there are materials enough to make them. "The few cannons, mortars, bombs, grenades, &c. that are in the kingdom, are in the hands of the government. "No great plenty will be found of hatchets, pickaxes, and other instruments for throwing up the earth; but there are materials for making them. "Commissaries will be appointed to furnish cattle for the conveyance of the provisions, artillery, and carriages; the country being plentifully provided therewith. "There are some experienced officers, but their number is not great. "With respect to money, the state of this nation is very deplorable. Besides that, the English have employed all sorts of artifices to draw it out of the kingdom; the expedition of Darien has cost large sums; our merchants have exported a great deal; we have had five years of famine, during which we were obliged to send our money into England and to Ireland, to purchase provisions; and the constant residence of our Peers and Nobility at London, has drained us of all the rest. What our nation can contribute towards the war, is therefore reduced to these two heads; the public revenue, which amounts to one hundred thousand five hundred pounds sterling a-year; and what the nobility will furnish in provisions, clothes, &c. the proportions of which will be settled upon the arrival of the k— of England. Having thus set forth the state of the nation, we most humbly represent to his most Christian Majesty as follows: "That it may please his most Christian Majesty, to cause the k- our sovereign, to be accompanied by such a number of troops as shall be judged sufficient to secure his person against any sudden attempts of the troops now on foot in Scotland, being about two thousand men, which may be joined by three or four English regiments now quartered upon our frontiers. "It would be presumption in us to specify the number; but we most humbly represent to his Majesty, that the number ought to be regulated according to the place where the k— of England shall land. If his Majesty lands north of the river Tay, a small number will suffice for his security, because he will be joined in a few days by considerable numbers of his subjects; he will be covered by the river Tay and the frith of Forth, and all the shires behind him are faithful to his interests. "But if, on the contrary, his Majesty lands upon the southwest or south-east, he will want a large body of troops, on account of the proximity of the forces of the English, and of their regular troops. We believe that eight thousand* men will be sufficient. "But with respect to the number of the troops, we readily agree to whatever shall be settled between the two kings; being persuaded that the tenderness of the most Christian King for the person of our sovereign, falls no way short of that of his faithful subjects. "We also beseech his Majesty to honour this nation with a general, to command in chief under our Sovereign, of distinguished rank, that the first men of Scotland may be obliged to obey him without difficulty; and to cause him to be accompanied by such General Officers as the two Kings shall judge proper. "The Peers and other Lords, with their friends, desire to command the troops they shall raise, in the quality of colonels, lieutenant-colonels, captains, and ensigns; but we want majors, lieutenants, and sergeants, to discipline them. "And if our enemies withdraw their troops from foreign countries, to employ them against us, we hope that his most Christian Majesty will send some of his to our assistance. "The great scarcity of money in this country obliges us to beseech his most Christian Majesty to assist us with an hundred thousand pistoles,† to enable us to march straight into England. We stand also in need of a regular monthly subsidy during the war; but we submit, in that article, to whatever shall be agreed upon by the two kings. This demand of 8000 men, was added, merely to please the duke of Hamilton. All the others had demanded but 5000.. Hooke. + This demand of an hundred thousand pistoles was added, to please the duke of Hamilton. Ibid. "We likewise beseech his most Christian Majesty to send with the k- our sovereign, arms for twenty-five thousand foot, and five thousand horse or dragoons, to arm our troops, and to be kept in reserve, together with powder and balls in proportion, and also some pieces of artillery, bombs, grenades, &c. with officers of artillery, engineers and cannoneers. We submit also in this, to whatever shall be settled between the two kings. "We have desired colonel Hooke to represent to his most Christian Majesty, the time we judge most proper for this expedition, as also the several places of landing, and those for erecting magazines. with our reasons for each; and we most humbly bescech his Majesty to choose that which he shall like best. "And whereas, several of this nation, and a great number of the English, have forgot their duty towards their Sovereign, we take the liberty to acquaint his most Christian Majesty, that we have represented to our k-, what we think his Majesty should do to pacify the minds of his people, and to oblige the most obstinate to return to their duty, with respect to the Protestant religion and other things, which it will be necessary for him to grant to the Protestants. We most humbly thank his most Christian Majesty, for hopes he has given us by colonel Hooke, of our having our privileges restored in France, and of seeing our k- and this nation included in the future peace; and we beseech his Majesty to settle this affair with the k-our sovereign. "We have fully informed colonel Hooke of several things, which we have desired him to represent to his most Christian Majesty, "And in the pursuit of this great design, we are resolved mutually to bind ourselves by the strictest and most sacred ties, to assist one another in this common cause, to forget all family differences, and to concur sincerely, and with all our hearts, without jealousy or distrust, like men of honour, in so just and glorious an enterprise. In testimony whereof, we have signed these presents, the seventh day of the month of May, of the year one thousand seven hundred and seven."Signed-ERROL, PANMURE, STORMONT, KINNAIRD, JAMES --- OGILVIE, N. MORAY, N. KEITH, DRUMMOND, THOMAS FOTHERINGHAM, ALEXANDER Innes.* The last clause of the above Memorial was added by the duke of Athole, who ordered the lord Stormont to sign it for him. The duke of Athole also proposed sending Ogilvie of Boyn into France, along with Hooke, in his own name, and that of the other chiefs. Hooke, however, declined to take Ogilvie under his protection, and the duke, thinking it necessary he should go, if it was only to bring back the answer of his most Christian Majesty to their Memorial, resolved to send him over in a neutral vessel. Besides signing the Memorial for the duke of Athole, lord Stormont, according to Hooke, signed it for the earls of Nithsdale, Traquair, Galloway, and Home, and the lords Kenmure, Nairn, Sinclair, Semple, and Oliphant. Lord Drummond signed it in "name of the others, that is to say, of all the chieftains of the Highlands of the west of Scotland." The laird of Albercanie,§ chief of the family of Murray, signed for himself, and for the lords Fintry and Newton. Lord Braidalbine refused to sign, but promised to appear among the first, as soon as the chevalier had made good his landing. The earl of Strathmore signed for himself, and for the earls of Wigton and Linlithgow. Lyon of Auchterhouse signed for himself and for Lockhart of Carnwath; Fotheringhame of Powrie for himself, and for the whole shire of Angus, delivering into the hands of Hooke, a list of all its nobility, of whom, he said, he was certain. The duke of Gordon refused to sign, because it required the personal presence of the chevalier de St. George, and he could not think of exposing him to the dangers of war. Sir Alexander Innes of Coxtoun, signed for himself and for the earl of Murray, and for Grant of Grant. The earl of Errol signed for himself, for the earls of Caithness, Eglinton, Aberdeen, and Buchan, for lord Saltoun, and for the shires of Aberdeen and Mearns. The great Marshall, being taken ill at Edinburgh, commissioned the laird of Keith to sign for him, * Hooke's Secret Negotiations, pp. 85-91. ↑ Ibid. p. 63. Ibid. p. 63. Probably Murray of Abercairny. and to promise twenty-eight field pieces, and two battering cannon, from his castle of Dunolgo,* on the east of Scotland.+ The time, and the proper places for landing, forming magazines, &c. were also carefully considered, and the colonel charged to make their sentiments on these heads known to his most Christian Majesty. The month of August or September, was pointed out as the most proper time, suiting best the convenience of his most Christian Majesty, and most likely to ensure the safety of the succours that he might be pleased to send, from the circumstances of the campaign on the continent being, by that time, likely to be drawing to a close, while the enemy's fleets would, in all probability, be upon the distant coasts of Spain and Portugal. Three places were proposed for landing, Edinburgh, Kirkcudbright, and Montrose. The first was especially recommended by its port, Leith, where the ships of his most Christian Majesty might ride in perfect safety, while the chevalier made himself master of the capital, of all the higher courts, of the sources of money and of trade, and at the same instant, disperse the functionaries of the present government. The feelings and temper of the inhabitants, who were supposed to be very generally in the interests of the chevalier, were also urged, as recommending this place to his particular attention, while the glory of the enterprise, the terror it would strike into his enemies, the abundant supplies of every description, in the midst of which he would be placed, and the facility with which he could thence march into England, were all severally brought forward, to induce him to make his first attempt upon the capital of his ancient kingdom of Scotland. Kirkcudbright was recommended, as in the midst of the Presbyterians, and in the neighbourhood of those shires capable of furnishing the greatest number of horses, within reach of their friends in the north of England, and not far distant from Ireland, whence they might reasonably expect very material assistance. The passage too, it was added, from Brest to this place, was short and easy, and the landing here would be peculiarly gratifying to the Presbyterians. The chevalier's * Dunnottar, now the most majestic ruin in Scotland. |