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Vol. 1
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List of the Evidences against Balmerino

Speech of Balmerino, faithfully transcribed from his own Hand-writ

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Table of Contents
Speech of Balmerino, faithfully transcribed from his own Hand-writ
Forbes
The Speech of The R: H: Arthur, Lord Balmerino, faithfully transcribed from his Lordship's own Hand-writ.
Steuart
Speech of Balmerino faithfully transcribed from his own hand writ
Paton
Speech of Arthur, Lord Balmerino, from his Lordship's own handwrit
Pages
Forbes
Vol. 1, 108—112
Paton
Vol. 1, 54—56
Credits
Encoder (metadata)
Kaitlyn MacInnis
Transcriber
Shauna Irani
Transcriber
Leith Davis
Proofreader
Leith Davis
Proofreader
Kaitlyn MacInnis
Encoder
Shauna Irani
Encoder
Kaitlyn MacInnis
Status
Document
transcription proofed
Metadata
metadata done
Settings
Date18 Aug 1746
Person (author)Arthur Elphinstone, sixth Lord Balmerino and fifth Lord Coupar
PlaceTower Hill
remediation
in Forbes
Related Documents
Passive:
An Account of how I came by the said Narrative (v04.0818.01): Mentioned in transcription
Transcription
108 (108)

The Speech of the R:Right H:Honourable Ar-
thur
, Lord Balmerino
, faith-
fully
transcribed from his
Lordship
's own Hand-writ.

I was brought up in true, loyal, anti-
revolution
Principles, &and I hope, the World
is convinced that they stick to me.
I must acknowledge, I did a very incon-
siderate
Thing, for which I am hearti-
ly
sorry, in accepting of a Company of
Foot from the Princess Anne, who, I knew,
had no more Right to the Crown than her
Predecessor, the Prince of Orange, whom
I always look upon as a vile, unaturalunnatural Usurper.
To make amends for what I had done,
I join’djoined the King when He was in Scotland,
&and, when all was over, I made my Escape, &and
lived abroad till the Year 1734.
In the Beginning of that Year I got a Let-
ter
from my Father, which very much sur-
prized
surprised
me. It was to let me know, that he
had got the Promise of a Remission for
me. I did not know what to do. I was
then, I think, in the Canton of Bern, &and
had no Body to advise with; but next
Morning I wrote a Letter to the King, who
was then at Rome, to acquaint his MatyMajesty
that this was done without my Asking or
Knowledge, &and that I would not accept of
it without his Majesty's Consent.
I had, in Answer to mine, a Letter writ-
ten
with the King's own Hand, allowing
me to go Home; &and He told me, his Banker would 109 (109)
would give me Money for my travelling
Charges, when I came to Paris, which ac-
cordingly
I got.
When his Royal Highness came to EdrEdinburgh, as
it was my bounden &and indispensible Duty, I
join’djoined Him tho'though I might easily have ex-
cused
my selfmyself from taking Arms on Ac-
count
of my Age; but I never could
have had Peace of Conscience, if I
had stayed at Home, when that brave
Prince
was exposing himself to all
Manner of Danger &and Fatigue both Night &and Day.
I am at a Loss, when I come to speak
of the Prince. I am not a fit Hand to draw
his Character. I shall leave that to others.
But I must beg Leave to tell You, that
the incomparable Sweetness of his
Nature, his Affability, his Compassion,
his Justice, his Temperance, his Pati-
ence
, &and his Courage, are Virtues sel-
dom
all to be found in one Person.
In short, He wants no Qualifications
requisite to make a great Man.
Pardon me, if I say, wherever I had the
Command, I never suffered any Disor-
ders
to be committed, as will appear
by the D:Duke Bucleugh's Servants at East
Park
, by the Earl of Findlater’s Minister,
Mr Lato, &and My Lord's Servants at Cul-
len
, by Mr Rose, Minister at Nairn, who
was pleased to favour me with a Visit,
when I was a Prisoner in Inverness, by
Mr Stewart, principal Servant to the Lord 110 (110)
Lord President at the House of Culloden,
&and by several other People. All this gives
me great Pleasure, now that I am look-
ing
on the Block, on which I am ready to
lay down my Head. — And tho’though it had
not been my own natural Inclination to
Power, it would have been my Interest
so to do; for his Royal Highness abhor-
red
all those who were capable of
doing Injustice to any of the King His
Father
's Subjects, whatever Opinion they
were of.
I have heard, since I came to this Place,
that there has been a most wicked Re-
port
spread, &and mentioned in Several
of the News Papers; That his Royal
Highness, the Prince
, before the Bat-
tle
of Culloden, had given out in Or-
ders
, that no Quarters should be given
to the Enemy. This is such an unchristian
Thing, &and so unlike that gallant Prince
that no Bodynobody, that knows Him, will be-
lieve
it. It is very Strange, if there had
been any such Orders, that neither the E:Earl
Kilmarnock
, who was Colonel of the RegtRegiment
of Foot Guards
, nor I, who was Colonel of
the 2d Troop of Life-Guards, should ne-
ver
have heard any Thinganything of it especia-
ly
since we were both at the Head
Quarters
the Morning before the Battle.
I am convinced, that it is a malicious
Report, industriously spread to excuse
themselves for the Murders they were guilty 111 (111)
guilty of in calm Blood after the Battle.
Ever since my Confinement in the
Tower, when Major White &and Mr Fowler
did me the Honour of a Visit, their Be-
haviour
was always so kind &and obliging
to me, that I cannot find Words to
express it. But I am sorry, I cannot
say the same Thing of General Wil-
liamson
. He has treated me barba-
rously
, but not quite so ill as he did
the Bishop of Rochester. I forgive him
&and all my Enemies. Had it not been
for Mr Gordon’s Advice, I should have
prayed for him as David does, PsmPsalm 109.
I hope, you'll have the Charity to
believe, I die in Peace with all Men;
for Yesterday I received the Holy Eu-
charist
from the Hands of a Clergy-
man
of the Church of England, in
whose Communion I die, as in Union
wtwith yethe episcopal Church of Scotland.
I shall conclude with a short Prayer.
O almighty God, I humbly beseech Thee
to bless the King, the Prince, &and Duke of
York
, &and all the dutiful Branches of the
Royal Family. Endue them with thy
Holy Spirit, enrich them with thy heaven-
by
Grace, prosper them with all Happi-
ness
, &and bring them to thine everlasting
Kingdom. Finally I recommend to thy
Goodness fatherly Goodness all my Bene-
factors
&and all those the faithful Adher-
rents
to the Cause, for which I am now
about to Suffer. God reward them, make them 112 (112)
them happy here &and in the World to come
I beg for Christ's sake, in whose Words, &cetc.
Our Father, &cetc.

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Citation
Forbes, Robert. “The Speech of The R: H: Arthur, Lord Balmerino, faithfully transcribed from his Lordship's own Hand-writ.” The Lyon in Mourning, vol. 1, Adv.MS.32.6.16, fol. 66v–68v. The Lyon in Mourning Project, edited by Leith Davis, https://lyoninmourning.dhil.lib.sfu.ca/v01.0108.01.html.
Appendix

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