Campbell of Glenorchy Letters 124-137 - 31st July 1570 to 14 August 1570

124
Date: 31 July 1570
REF: GD112/39/8/22 (SHS ed. No. 124)
Place: Dunkeld
From: John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl
To: Colin Campbell of Glenorchy
Address: To his traist cousing ye Laird of Glenorquhay

Traist cousing efter hertlye commendatiounes.

I haif resawit zour letters makand mentioun yair came ane serwand to zowe owt of Balloche schaw and yat my serwandis came to zour land of Arttollanek [1] on ye nycht quhan zour men hes hurt and slane sum of yame beleifing yai haid bein ye Glangregor quhairof ze ar sorye and lamentis moir yat [mischance suld] fall betuix my serwandis and zouris nor ony uyer skeith ze haif resait of.

As to yat I truist weill ze be sorye for ye mater bot gif sa be I wil knawe it be died uyerwaies I wil superseid [2] ye hurt my serwandis hes resawit quhill I se fourdour *of zour mynd*.

Quhair ze wryt yat gif zour men hes doine ye skeith wpoune ony p... feir bot of negligence onlye ze wil delyver ye ... [complices] of yame to my jugement to be puneist according to yair demerites.

I cane nocht tell quhat yair demerites is bot at yis tyme ... ye skeithes I wat nocht quhat zour serwandis pretens was.

Becaus ze saye ze ar to cum schortlye down and yat ze wald nocht yat ye dewillis seid suld be sawin betuix me and zou be sic occationis as yis.

Ze desyre me to tak ye seid of God in pa[rt] ...ing it yat is Goddis wil salbe myne.

Bot I sall do guid will with Godds helpe to acquyt ... and ... as yai do to me. I wil saye na forder at yis [instant] ... meting and sa fair ze hertlye weill.

Of Dunkeld ye last of July 1570. Zouris at powar, Atholl

[1] Ardtalnaig on the south side of Loch Tay. For details of this 'mischance', see Introduction.
[2] Postpone or defer.

125
Date: 1 August [1570] [1]
REF: GD112/39/9/1 (SHS ed. No. 125)
Place: Grandtully Castle (near Aberfeldy)
From: William Stewart of Grandtully
To: Colin Campbell of Glenorchy
Address: To ye honorabill Lard off Glenwrquhay

Sir ze sal wit I wes departit of Dunkeld fra my Lord of Atholl affoir Thomme Mwry [2] com to hym wyth zour writyng.

Now I resavit zour writyng to my slef quhilk I thynk weray guid.

And hes disclosit my Lordis writing derect onto zow quhilk I thynk hard nochtwythstandyng at zour awyn metyngis I dowt nocht bot ye mater may be better handlit.

As towart ye burdenyng of parteis wyth yat mischance yair can nay man excwyss ye mischandness [3] of my Lord of Athollis men nocht usand yame sleffis lyik men of wyir nor as ony sic men suld hef doyne.

And on ye uyer part it is thocht alss strange yat zour men in fayr day lycht strikkand yame wyth swerdis and knyw yss suld nocht hef knawyn yame albeit yai ver slepand.

Now ye nixt best man be tayne.

Yairfor I thynk best ye writ agayne to my Lord of Atholl and desyre to wit quhat tyme his Lordship wilbe in Dunkeld yat ye may cum yair and speik hym.

Becauss ze heir yairis nay boytis on Tymmell yat men may pass weil to Blair and siclyk. [4]

Yat ze vald hef bene at hym schonar wer nocht ze heir ye Clangregor ar in Straythherryn veray [..soun] to zow as in deid yai ar.

Yairfor attend yairto as ze thynk guid and get sic intelligence as ze may yairoff and quhair ever ze trawell attend to zour slef as ze vilbe serwit.

I hef writyn to zow of befoir al sic as I onderstoyd for ye maist part and siclyk caussit Allexander my broyer speik ye Lard of Glemis and Allester MacGregor of hymslef quhen I departit to ze Lawland as I thocht guid. [5]

I reffer al uyer now to zour nixt advertisment and God conserf yow.

From Grantullye yis Tyisday ye fyrst of August be youris, WS

[PS] Zit hes thocht presently it suld be bettyr ze spak my Lord of Attholl in Blair becaus ye Secretar [6] wilbe yair to reson ye mater.

And gif Tymmell be [great] ze man pass be Porttyn Crayg [7] quhair yairis ane vray guid boit and fra thyir furth yairis nay uyer vattyr.

And gif ye armeis cumis fordwarttis I suppoyne swyrly ye Secretar salbe in Dunkeld wytin fif or sex dayis.

My Lord of Atholl beis ye morn in Coupar and metis syndry lordis yair and I can nocht assur zow quhowschone he passes to Blair bot I beleiff on Thurisday or Fryday at ye farest. [8]

I beleiff trewly he salbe on Thurisday at ewyn in Blair.

Writ to ye Secretar to confer wyth my Lord in ye mater.

[1] Continuation of news given in [123] ] concerning the ‘mischance’ and enclosing Atholl’s letter, 31 July 1570 [124].
[2] Thomas Murray, it is not known whether he was in the service of Atholl or Grey Colin.
[3] Worthlessness or ill-fated.
[4] If there were no ferry boats available it was impossible to get across the River Tummel, probably at Logierait/Ballinluig, in order to reach Blair Atholl.
[5] Alexander Stewart, Grandtully’s brother in discussion with Lord Glamis and Alastair MacGregor.
[6] Maitland of Lethington.
[7] Port-na-Craig at Pitlochry.
[8] Atholl was in Coupar Angus on Tuesday, 1 August and was expected back on 3 or 4 August.

?
Date: 2 August 1570 [1]
REF: GD112/39/9/33
Place: Dunoon
From: Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll
To: Colin Campbell of Glenorchy
Address: To our cousyng Collen Campbell off Glenvrquhay

Send this vyir mask to the Erle of Athoill or the Secretar.

Cousyng efter maist hertlie commendatiounis.

We haif ressavit zour letter and zour tikat of novallis tog[idder] ... that cumen fra ye Secretare and we thank z[ow] ... zour advertisiment.

And for ony newis contenit in ... yairis nane except onlie that my Lorde of Huntlie ... full that all forces suld convein at yis prese[nt] ...

It is nocht ye Quenis Majestie command and that it is ... vpoun Hir Grace is commonyng with ye Quein of En[gland] ... of guid success to cum yairof.

And for vyer respects ... Lorde of Huntlie hard that he thocht guid to sta[y] ... for the quhilkis occatioun we haif stayit our hoist ... for ony vyer newis in yir parttis we h... of ... except onlie Maister Thomas Flemyn[g] ... and ... or v hundreycht fuitmen and sum gold ...tioun ... quhilk we beleif yis to be the maist tha[t] ... tha... ...

Als conscernyng the Clangregor we sall {do delegence to gett vord} of yair prosedyngis bot alvayis yair commo{une resoirt} as zit {is with ye} Clanfarlane bot yai are devydit [2] ... ... pane... ... we wvnderstand.

Als gif we may ... sum devitioun amangis yame we sall ... for ... of zou and zouris.

And this ... we commit zou to God. Of Du... ... the se... ... of August 1570.

F... to hald ane courte in zour boundis ... praye zou effectuislie that ze co... [3] zou and Hewin MacDuncan Glass ... bein in commonyng befoir us as z... knaw to be for zour weill the ... at ...

It will cum to ye gretter inconv[enience] ... we w... ... laith and sen we are myndit to put... ... for ... altogidder myndit in ye furtheiran[ce] ... vilbe that hemblie as to command zou ... respectis saidis.

Zouris a[ssurittly] Archibald Ergyll

[1] Date, place and readings from GD50/116/64-5.
[2] Note from GD50/116/64-5 ‘but they are divided into small bodies and we will take advantage of any opportunity to make a division.’
[3] Note from GD50/116/65 ‘And we understand you are to hold a Court and requesting all proceedings between you and Hewin MacDuncan Glass to be continued.’

128
Date: n.d. [c. 3-7 August 1570] [1]
REF: GD112/39/12/13 (SHS ed. No. 128)
Place:From: Colin Campbell of Glenorchy (draft)
To: Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll
Address: My Lord efter commendatiounis of service.

I hawe resawit ane maskof writtingis [2] yis last Waddnisday in ye morving(sic) tobe directit to zour Lordship fra ye Secretar ye quhilk is waray difficill to me to send for feir of ye mortour of puir servandis be ye way.

The quhilk God knawis yat zour Lordship hes ye temperale swird in zour Lordshipis hand and will nocht wiss ye saming according to zouris honour and conscience yat ye puir anes mycht haif aquietnes.

Nochtwithstanding I sall tak God to witnes yat zour Lordship hes ye haill wyte of all ye skayth yat I gat. [3]

Bot or I seik ane vyer refugor ane fortefier in my just actioun agains ye Clangregor bot zour Lordship I sall lat ye warld kennit yat zour Lordship is in ye wyte and sall nocht laif zour Lordshipis apoynzeoun into zour honest afferis becaus ye matter is wychty and rynis to zour Lordshipis gret honour.

I hoip in God zour Lordship sall knaw efterwart quhen evir zour Lordship wantis my service yat zour Lordship will haif inlaik of it and it is able to be a memorie efter yat I am departit.

And in ye meyntyme I sall seik freindis efter yat I haif spokin with zour Lordship the quhilk I dout nocht bot I will get.

Haid zour Lordship acausit ze Lard of Otter to hawe delyverit ye Kottar Doweand als ye Lard of Ardkynglass freindis to hawe delyverit Makilleverchane [4] and samony as yat hous haid vnder thame yat tuik part with ye Clangregor yir cummeris wald nocht haif cum vpoun me laitlie.

And zour Lordship mycht haif haid honour yairof and zour Lordshipis cuntre to haif haid quietness quhilk wald haif beyne nay wychty matter to zour(sic) to hawe done it gif God wald haif plesit it and zour Lordship willingly yairto.

I pray zour Lordship be nocht miscontentit for I assuir zour Lordship I salbe ane man of estimatioun yat is cumin of zour Lordshipis hous yat sall byde at zour merk [5] quhen wyeris will laif zowr Lordship yat hes less to tyne nor I hawe the quhilkis hes cauld ewill of unto zour Lordship and ar no able to byd at zour Lordshipis mark say stedfast as zour Lordship beleiffis gif yai war put at.

The quhilk I pray Go[d] yat zour Lordship mycht knaw ye faynzeitnes of menis hartis yat ze trust vn[to] over mekill.

I pray zour Lordship to apardone me for writting to zour Lordship sascharply [6] for of trewthe I tell bot ye werety [7] and lat nocht zour Lordship th[ink] yat I will apply my self till ony vyer but unto zour Lordship for it is nay... now considering zour(sic) hes mekill ado and it be weill handlit in y[e] meyntyme.

[1] Grey Colin refers to the packet of letters which he had received on Wednesday last (probably 2 August) for forwarding. A previous packet from Maitland had been received by the 5th earl on Thursday, 27 July GD112/39/8/20 - not printed. Despite the dangers to the messangers, Grey Colin sent this packet and it was received on 8 August 1570, GD112/39/9/9 - not printed, and was also mentioned [134]. This dates Grey Colin’s letter between 3-7 August 1570.
[2] Packet of letters.
[3] It is not clear whether this was the raid on Grey Colin’s horses of 21 July or another raid, but Colin’s anger in this letter is immense and he blamed the 5th earl for not supporting him as a good chief should have done.
[4] Colin Campbell of Otter who had not brought to justice the Cottar Dowe (or Dubh) and the friends of James Campbell of Ardkinglass who had also failed to deliver Makilleverchane, both of whom had assisted the MacGregors.
[5] Purpose.
[6] This apology seems a little inadequate for the outpouring of criticism in the rest of the letter and it is not clear if Grey Colin actually sent the full text, of which this is a draft.
[7] Truth.

?
Date: 4 August 1570
REF: GD112/39/9/5
Place: Drymen
From: David, 2nd Lord Drummond
To: Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll
Address: To my Lorde My Lord Erll of Ergyll

My Lord efter maist hairtlie commendatiounis.

I ressavit zour Lordshipis writing ye fourt day of August datit ye xviij of July bypast schawing the maist wickit and vngodlie procedingis of ye Clangregor.

And for offenss making to zour Lordship and zour freindis desiring me to expell thame my cuntrey vyerwayis zour Lordship feiris ye servandis ze haif send will vse extrimitie on all thame yat ar assistaris and mantenaris of thame I dout not bot zour Lordship knawis yat I was nevir favorar nor mantenar of wickit nor vngodlie persones bot rather ane punishar of thame.

And gif I haif neglectit my dewitie in yat caus in ony tyme it is throw ye favour I beir to zour Lordship becaus sum men allegeit yaime tobe zour sevandis.

And as to my awin part zit as of befoir I think nevir tobe favorar of the Clangregor nor na vyairis yat vsis sic abominable crymis as zour Lordship speikis of.

Zit with zour Lordshipis pardon man remember zow and ze wer mair circumspect to zour dewitie towart zour freindis and servandis yair wald nocht be sa grite cummer in ye countrie as yair is.

I will not expone this bot lat zour Lordship iudge yis as ze think gude.

I beleive zour Lordship will not thoill zour servandis to do ony thing to me or myn bot that thing yat is honest and ressonable.

And zour Lordship hes nevir fund vther occasioun the auld kyndness yat hes indu[red] hundred zeiris sall not faill in my part.

And gif ony vnfreindis wald persuade zour Lordship to do by zour dewitie I will not beleive zour Lordship will apply yairto and als I wilbe layth to suffer wrang quhat I may do to zour Lordshipis plessour salbe reddy in ye ald manner.

And God be zour Lordshipis keipar.

At Drymmen ye fourt day of [August] 1570.

Zour Lordshipis at power Lord Drummond

?
Date: 8 August 1570
REF: GD112/39/9/9
Place: Dunoon
From: Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll
To: Colin Campbell of Glenorchy
Address: To oure traist cousing Colene Campbell off Glenvrquhaye; ze sall giff creditt to zour awin serwand yis berar in ane liti... ... ... er ... ... tar

Traist cousing eftir hertlie commendatiounis.

We ressavit zour lettir togither with ye vrittingis come fra the Secretar and persavis be zour lettir the lamentable complent anent the Clangregor schewand of thair oppin resorttyng throw our cuntrie of the quhilk we are ve[ry] sorye for in ye presence of God it is sair agains our will.

And ... that it is force to sett garresownis throw our haill cun[tre] ... to ye persute of thame.

And to yat effect sall stent [our] haill [l] andis be zour awne advise and sall leif na hurt ondone to zour reasonable to power.

Attour we beleif ...er is ane tryst to be maid and haldin schortlie in D ... betuix my Lordis Huntly and Athole and ws that ... thir partis.

And gif my Lord Duik may ... yair he will send my Lordis Boyd Flemyng and ...y... for him.

And we think to pas in be zour ... said conventioun and drink with zow and y... we gett ansuer fra my Lordis Huntlie and Athole ... gif ze can gett ony intelligens quhat day ... keip prayis zow to advertis us yairof with diligens.

And ... to Ewin MacDonald Glass we will that ze tak order with at our meting with zow for the matir is small and we vald nocht that ze vsat zour self extremlie quhair throw ze may hurt zour gret caus.

Thus refer[ris] to meting.

Committ[is] zow to God. Off Dunnvn en this viij of [August] 1570. [Youris assu]rit fr[end Archibald Ergyll]

[PS] How sone we get forder novellis ... sall advertis zow.

130
Date: Thursday [10th August 1570] [1]
REF: GD112/39/12/15 (SHS ed. No. 130)
Place: Rannoch
From: Donald MacEwan Cameron
To: Colin Campbell of Glenurquhay
Address: To ye rycht honorable and his traist freind Collin Campbell of Glenurquhay deliver this.

Rycht honorable Sir and traist frend efter my hertlie commendatiounes.

Pleis zour Master be remembrit wpoun my last wretting to zow and vil God I will contennew in furthfillin of ye punctis heirof sua zour Mastership vill do ye lik in furthfillli ng of zour part towartis me and my bruther.

And now instant I have past to commonid my Lord [2] quhair I wald zour Mastership ver present gif it be possible for yair in presence of my Lord we mecht end ye mater in yat manner that it mecht be honour to my Lord and gret proffit to zow.

For quhow schwne I enter ernestlie in zour bessines [3] I will nocht desist yair fra quhill ye samin be endit to my power.

I am informit ye Lard of Grant [4] beis in Blair to furthset my freindis materis in my contrar quhairfor I wald ze ver present yat I mecht knaw of zour labouris.

Bot I heir yairis sum drynes instant betuix my Lord and zow quhilk I traist in God vill nocht contennew foryair.[5]

My Lord hes writin to me that he wes miscontent of ye deid that my bruther did last bot ye samin is contennewit as zett.

And without ze cum zour self I pray zou send me zour gud cunsall and mynd or gif ze have wrettin to my Lord as Iwret to zou in my effaris or quhat wes his ansuer.

I vill send ane servand of my awyn to commoun zou or I pas hame with my mynd.

Reffering ye rest to zour ansuer and God kepe zou.

Off Rannoch yis Turisday be zour, Donald MacEvyn VicEvyn in Lochaber

[1] A Thursday in August probably a week after his letter of 2nd August [127].
[2] Probably Atholl.
[3] That is the pursuit of the MacGregors, however, as the rest of this letter reveals this group of Camerons seem to have been raiding rather indiscriminately and were in trouble with Atholl, see MacGregor, thesis, 380. A previous raiding incident had been settled by a contract of compensation from Duncan to Grey Colin, 31 July 1570,GD112/1/168.
[4] Probably John Grant of Freuchy.
[5] This was the ‘mischance’, see Introduction.

?
Date: 11 August 1570
REF: GD112/39/9/11
Place: Glen Massan (Cowal)
From: Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll
To: Colin Campbell of Glenorchy
Address: To our cousing Collein Campbell off Glenvrquhaye

Cousing efter maist hertlie commendatiounis.

We haif rasavit zour letter and thankis zou of zour novallis.

As for our cousing the Larde of Parbrek we knaw na oder thing bot he to be still in to Glenvrquhay.

And for his prosedingis we belief ye best of it on to ye tyme we may knaw farder of it.

As for our parte yairis na thing we may do for ye preservatioun of that cuntrie we vald do als meikill as for ony sameikill of our avin and we can nocht our self be eviss to it.

For gretter efferis alvayis ye nixt best maun be luikit to.

Fardare it hes bein spoiken to us be sum in to ye Clangregoris behalf for to haif ane assurance tane betuix zou and thaim e for ane certtaine tym.

Alvayis we wald neither gyf ansuer to thaime nor zit will nocht gif consall to zou bot will refer ye saymin to zour avin visdoum.

Gyf ze pleis to do yis for sum policie for to eschew the [roomeis] als for our mynd. Gif our selfis passis nocht to yai parttis we sall send sum weill instructit servand to speik with zou and to see quhat salbe maist neidfull to be done in zour effeiris and gretter als for this laist mask com fra ye Secretare it is nocht cumin as zit.

And sua referring to our or zouris nixt adverteisment.

Committis zou to God. Off Glenmassane the xj of August 1570. Zouris asswritly Archibald Ergill

[PS] For we think gif ze [roomeis] ware gottin saif of ...und it ware better nor to haist yaine tynt yairfoir ... trast as of zour avin jugment heir anenttis.

[PPS] I pray zow send me nowalis.

135
Date: 14 August 1570
REF: GD112/39/9/15 (SHS ed. No. 135)
Place: Ilanran Castle (Killin)
From: Colin Campbell of Glenorchy
To: Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll
Address: My Lord efter hertlie commendatiounis of service.

I hawe resawit zour Lordshipis writin and quhair zour Lordship writtis tonent [1] ye Clangregor yat zour Lordship gettis bot small help of zour freindis in ye putting of ordour to thame.

As to that I am ewill payit consydering ye actioun is honest and godlie yat yai ar say onobedient to zour Lordship considering yat zour Lordship is say gud to tham e.

Bot thairis nay man yat hes ye wyte of it bot zour Lordshipis self and seis yat bayth ye charge and ye dishonour lyis on zour Lordshipis conscience albeit yat I get ye skayth

. For ye thing yat zour Lordshipis baronis and tenentis dois in brakyng of zour proclamatiounis quhilk ar bayth godlye and honest yai mak of yat bot ane moiking stok and of zour Lordshipis self as ze may persawe be yair doingis.

And albeit yat I get yis skayth for ye remayning with zour Lordship efter zour Lordshipis commonyng and my[ne] zour Lordship will haif [me] apardonit to seik uyer remaidis sene zour Lordship may nocht help me the quhilk I am waray sorye yairof gif zour Lordship mycht uyerwayis do.

And quhair zour Lordship writtis yat zour Lordship will cum to yir partis and sum uyeris of ye nobilitie with zour Lordship ye xxix day of yis instant and ya[t] zour Lordship passiss to Dunkelne to speik my Lord of Huntlye [2] and at zou [man] put me to painis and chargis as zour Lordship hes done aift tymes afoir.

As to that I thank God zour Lordship pate me nevir to yat panis or expensis bot I wes weill contentit yairwith and siklik salbe presentlye.

And zour Lordship salbe waray walcum and I sall keip ye said day and sall m[eit] zour Lordship in *ye heid* Glenfalloch and sall conwoy zour Lordship ye best at I may.

The Clangregor wes newir say plenly into zour Lordshipis boundis as yair ar now.

As for newis ye bruit is yat ye castell of Brecheine and ye stepeill is wyne and yairis justefeit xxxiiij suddartis and captainis and my Lord of Huntlye is passit out of Abirdene to Strabogye [3] quhot cummes of yat God knawis.

I pray zowr Lordship advertiss me tua or thre dayis afoir zour Lordship is cuming yat zou may fair ye better.

For als evill as ze ar I am glaid yat it is nocht of atrewthe as ze Lard of Gormak writ to me for he assurit me yat he wes informed yat zour Lordship wes ded bot praysit be God it is better as it is. [4]

And I get ony uyer newis zour(sic) salbe advertesit fra tyme to tyme.

Haifand nay fardar occatioun bot God preserwe zour Lordship.

Of Ellane Rane ye xiiij day of August threscoir tene zeris.

Zour Lordshipis kynnisman at powar, Collyn Campbell of Glenorchy

[1] Probably a variation of ‘anent’, concerning.
[2] See [134] about the proposed meeting of the Queen’s Party in Dunkeld and the prior visit to Grey Colin.
[3] Randolph reported the surrender of Brechin on 12 August 1570, CSPSc, III, 307, and Maitland commented to John Leslie, Bishop of Ross, on Regent Lennox’s great cruelty in hanging the soldiers who had surrendered: CSPSc, III, 313.
[4] John Butter of Gormok, whose letter to Grey Colin is lost. This is quite a heavy handed joke.

137
Date: n.d. Monday [14 August 1570] [1]
REF: GD112/39/12/9 (SHS ed. No. 137)
Place:From:
William Stewart of Grandtully
To: Katherine Ruthven, Lady Glenorchy
Address: Pleis zow resaiff ye Secretaris ansur to me togidder wyth ane writyng fra hym to ye Lard and ane vyer to zour slef.

My boy in his hame cumyng met my Lord of Atholl passand to Blair quhay gef hym nay ansur bot bald my slef cum to hym.

As to yis commissioun ye Secretar writis of yair nedis nay thyng bot writ to ye Secretar and siklyk to me and desyre ws to propoyne ye mariag betuix zour son Duncan and Margret his dochtyr quhilk hes bene spokkyn of yis lang tyme and now ye barnis ar cumyn to perfectioun quhar zowtheid stayd it befoir. [2]

As for thothir ze may say yat Tulleberdynnis son [3] gat fyf and fourtye hundyt merk and hald zow at four thowsand [merk] and for coniunct fe ze sal gif accordyng to ye custowme of Scotland as is vsit ama[ng no]bil men.

As for cyrcumstans ye Secretar can wiss bettyr nor we can and I sal fol[low] his tred [4] in yis mater to zour welis be weray swyr [is.. may] yis is for my opyniown schortly consavit.

Quhar he biddis me pas againe to ye Lard and zow yat nedis nocht for ze Lard [declar]rit me zour myndis al reddy and I hef schawyn my opyniown trewly and wprychtly as I mai ansur to God at ye Latter Jugment quhen we vil of litil thocht of y[is varld] nor ye vaniteis yairof. [5]

Eik [6] or payr ony uyer thyng yat zour slef thyn[kis guid].

Ze may nocht(sic) ze naratywe of zour writing to ye Secretar and me yat it is nocht ... to ws yat yair hes beine comonyng of alia betuix my Lord of Atholl and ... past and yat ze culd entyr nor vald nocht in comonyng vyth ony uyer quhill ye ... effetis or ver dischargit and now we se ye barnis cumyn to perfectioun and dangerus ye delay of zour sonis mariage is to zow and zour barnis yairfor desyre ws to speik ye same now to my Lord of Atholl.

Ze can do yis mekil better nor I can bid zow.

As to ye men ver sene aboun Garth it is rehersit to me yat Ewyn MacG[regor] Alaster Pudderycht and Patrik Or wer yair and yat yai hef spokyn sum Atholl [men and desyrit] yame pass in message to my Lord of Atholl. [7]

Yis aperis weil [and gif it] be trew I beleiff at ye leist to heir ye trewth yairof schortly.

[And ye manier the] castell of Brechyn is wyn and sum sais syndry of ye ca[ptainis and soldartis] justefeit.

Ye Erll of Huntlye left Abirdene and past [to Strathbogy zit I belif] my Lord Regent returnis bak and beis yis nycht [in Perth.

It is said to me] ye Lord Lyndesay is cumyn to Murthlie and hes send to desyre to speik my Lord of Atholl quhat cumis yairof I can nocht tell.

It apris now yat Ardgylle sall cum eist throch and meit Huntlye in Dunkeld conforme to ye fyrst tryist.

Ye Lard of Glennis and Allester MacGregor past to ye Munth ye same day Ewyn MacGregour ves yair.

I vait nocht quhidder yai be past to Lochabir or nocht.

Yai vald revenge I suppoyne gyf yai mycht on zour pwir men ye deid yat yair awyn slewthfulnes hes doine.

Bot is I schew ye Lard and zow I gat xij dayis in presence of ye Secretar and Weme and my Lord of Atholl send to yame in lyk maner ane strait charge for ye said xij dayis.[8] I writ to ye Secretar to get fyf or sex wlkis(sic) as ze may persaiff be his writ to me.

I dowt nocht my Lord of Athollis awyn part heirin haistely bot abil zou tua vald parswyd ye Clangregor heirto yairfor best is ye caus ze men be merwelus cyrcumspect day and nycht for yat can never hurt bot do mekil guid.

Gif ze hef gottyn ony vourd quhat my Lord of Ardgyll his doand or uyer newis eist throth it vil pleiss zow adverteis with sic ansuer as ze fynd guid heirinto. And God preserf zow. Writtyn yis Monunday be zour awyn ...

[1] Encloses three letters [131-3].
[2] For the negotiations over the marriage of Black Duncan and Margaret Stewart see Introduction.
[3] This probably refers to the marriage contract between John Murray, son of William Murray 11th of Tullibardine, and Katherine, daughter of Lilias Ruthven and David,
2nd Lord Drummond, who was Katherine's niece and possibly her god-daughter. John and Katherine were married before 20 December 1576, RMS, IV, 2607. Grandtully was using Katherine's tocher of 4,500 merks as the 'going rate', see Introduction.
[4] Grandtully will follow in the footsteps of Maitland’s advice.
[5] A marvellously sententious statement.
[6] Add.
[7] This was the beginning of the negotiations for a settlement between Ewin MacGregor, Tutor of Glenstrae, and his brother, Alastair, who were encountered above Garth Castle, below Schiehallion.
[8] Assurances of 12 days, probably for Alastair MacGregor and John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis.