by Walter Scott
No. IV.--LETTER
FROM ROBERT CAMPBELL, _alias_ M'GREGOR,COMMONLY CALLED ROB ROY, TO FIELD-MARSHAL WADE,
Then receiving the submission of disaffected Chieftains and Clans.*
* This curious epistle is copied from an authentic narrative of MarshalWade's proceedings in the Highlands, communicated by the late eminentantiquary, George Chalmers, Esq., to Mr. Robert Jamieson, of the RegisterHouse, Edinburgh, and published in the Appendix to an Edition of Burt'sLetters from the North of Scotland, 2 vols. 8vo, Edinburgh, 1818.
Sir,--The great humanity with which you have constantly acted in thedischarge of the trust reposed in you, and your ever having made use ofthe great powers with which you were vested as the means of doing goodand charitable offices to such as ye found proper objects of compassion,will, I hope, excuse my importunity in endeavouring to approve myself notabsolutely unworthy of that mercy and favour which your Excellency has sogenerously procured from his Majesty for others in my unfortunatecircumstances. I am very sensible nothing can be alledged sufficient toexcuse so great a crime as I have been guilty of it, that of Rebellion.But I humbly beg leave to lay before your Excellency some particulars inthe circumstance of my guilt, which, I hope, will extenuate it in somemeasure. It was my misfortune, at the time the Rebellion broke out, to beliable to legal diligence and caption, at the Duke of Montrose'sinstance, for debt alledged due to him. To avoid being flung into prison,as I must certainly have been, had I followed my real inclinations injoining the King's troops at Stirling, I was forced to take party withthe adherents of the Pretender; for the country being all in arms, it wasneither safe nor indeed possible for me to stand neuter. I should not,however, plead my being forced into that unnatural rebellion against hisMajesty, King George, if I could not at the same time assure yourExcellency, that I not only avoided acting offensively against hisMajesty's forces upon all occasions, but on the contrary, sent his Gracethe Duke of Argyle all the intelligence I could from time to time, of thestrength and situation of the rebels; which I hope his Grace will do methe justice to acknowledge. As to the debt to the Duke of Montrose, Ihave discharged it to the utmost farthing. I beg your Excellency would bepersuaded that, had it been in my power, as it was in my inclination, Ishould always have acted for the service of his Majesty King George, andthat one reason of my begging the favour of your intercession with hisMajesty for the pardon of my life, is the earnest desire I have to employit in his service, whose goodness, justice, and humanity, are soconspicuous to all mankind.--I am, with all duty and respect, yourExcellency's most, &c.,
"Robert Campbell."