by Walter Scott
THE DUKE OF MONTROSE TO ----
28_th Nov._ 1716--_Killearn's Release._
"Glasgow, 28th Nov. 1716.
"Sir,--Having acquainted you by my last, of the 21st instant, of what hadhappened to my friend, Mr. Grahame of Killearn, I'm very glad now to tellyou, that last night I was very agreeably surprised with Mr. Grahame'scoming here himself, and giving me the first account I had had of himfrom the time of his being carried away. It seems Rob Roy, when he cameto consider a little better of it, found that, he could not mend hismatters by retaining Killearn his prisoner, which could only expose himstill the more to the justice of the Government; and therefore thoughtfit to dismiss him on Sunday evening last, having kept him from theMonday night before, under a very uneasy kind of restraint, being obligedto change continually from place to place. He gave him back the books,papers, and bonds, but kept the money.
"I am, with great truth, Sir,"your most humble servant,"MONTROSE."
[Some papers connected with Rob Roy Macgregor, signed "Ro. Campbell," in1711, were lately presented to the Society of Antiquaries. One of theseis a kind of contract between the Duke of Montrose and Rob Roy, by whichthe latter undertakes to deliver within a given time "Sixtie good andsufficient Kintaill highland Cowes, betwixt the age of five and nineyears, at fourtene pounds Scotts per peice, with ane bull to the bargane,and that at the head dykes of Buchanan upon the twenty-eight day of Maynext."--Dated December 1711.--See _Proceedings,_ vol. vii. p. 253.]