ly pleased you are so
much recovered, which I know by your hand-writeing; but I can scarce
conceave how you get yourself keept free of our enimies,--may you do
long so, and

"I am sincearly yours, &c. Adieu."

On the first of December, the Earl having still heard no tidings of the
Chevalier, and being ignorant of his real movements, again writes in all
the uncertainty, and with the circumspection of one who knows not
whether his letter will be received. He seems always to have sent
duplicates of his letters.

"I am in the utmost pain about the K----,[121] and I have done all
in my power to make him safe, but I hope Providence will protect
him. I sent one for France this morning, and I hope he may sail in a
day or two, but let that not keep you from writeing there too. I
would fain hope that the Regent has altered his measurs, and is
comeing into the K----'s intrest, else I do not see how it had been
possible for him to get thro' France: if so, I have good hopes, and
I wish he may come to us; but if not, and that England do nothing, I
wish he were safe again where he formerly was, for we shall never be
able alone to do his bussiness, and he will be in the utmost danger
after starveing a winter in the Highlands. Lord Huntley is still
very much out of humour and nothing can make him yet believe that
the K----'s a-comeing. He intends to go north, under the pretext of
reduceing Lord Sutherland, and his leaving us at this time I think
might have very bad effects, which makes me do all I can to keep
him. The Master of Sinclair is a very bad instrument about him, and
has been most to blaim of any body for all the differences amongst
us. I am plagued out of my life with them, but must do the best I
can. I expect now to hear every day of the K----'s landing; but
should he be any time of comeing, and the Duke of Argyll get his
powers and send us word of it before he come, our old work will
begin again, and I am sure I shall be deserted by a great many. Some
people seem so farr from being pleased with the news of the K----'s
comeing, that they are visiblie sorry for it; and I wish to God
these people had never been with us for they will be our undoing!
and what a plague brought them out, since they could not hold it out
for so short a time? I shall be blamed, I know, over all Europe for
what I a