Letter, vindicating Balmerino, in a certain Point, to a Gentleman in Holland

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Copy of a Letter to a Gentleman
in Holland, vindicating the Charac-
ter of Arthur, Lord Balmerino,
in a certain important Point.

DrDear Sir,

I have not yet been able to an-
swer the Cries of the Officers for beating
Orders, &and I can conceive no other Reason for
our Ministry’s refusing them, than that of yethe
young Chevalier's being in Scotland, &and that
they thought, that his Escape might have been
saved through their Means; but now that he
is safe arrived in France, I hope, that we
shall meet with no more Difficulties.

I had the Honour to be of Lord Bal-
merino’s Acquaintance; &and it was my Mis-
fortune to be pitched upon to attend upon
him in the Tower, at his last Moments, &and
upon the Scaffold, where I was Witness to
a Behaviour, that even exceeded all that we 115 (115)
we read of in the Heroes of Antiquity. His
whole Behaviour was so composed, so decent,
that it greatly surprizedsurprised the Sheriffs, the
Clergymen, his Friends, &and the Spectators; &and
at the same Time not a Soldier present,
but was moved by his Intrepidity.

My Lady Balmerino is now at my Elbow,
&and She has desired me to write to your Heer
PensrPensionary, that She is greatly offended at
a Passage in your Amsterdam Gazette of
Tuesday, SeptrSeptember 6th, 1746, where, in giving ^an
Account of that Lord’s unhappy End, the Au-
thor is so insolent as to insert so notorious
a FalshoodFalsehood, that it can in no Sort be justi-
fied. He has no Authority from My Lord,
from the Sheriffs, from the Clergymen,
nor even from our lying News Papers.

The Government here had a Power over
his Body, &and he has suffered for his Rebel-
lion; but neither they, nor their Agents
abroad, have any just Power over his
Reputation. — ’Tis barbarous to the great-
est Degree, &and lays us under a Necessity,
let the Consequences be w^hat they will,
to give you My Lord's own Words on ytthat
Point; a Point, which he had greatly at
Heart to clear up; &and they are, as follows.

“I have heard, since I came to this
[“]Place, that there has been a most wicked
[“]Report spread, &and mentioned in several of
[“]the News Papers; That his Royal Highness,
[“]the Prince, before the Battle of Culloden,
[“]had given out in Orders, that no Quarters should 116 (116)
“should be given to the Enemy. This is such
“an unchristian Thing, &and so unlike that gal-
“lant Prince, that no Bodynoboy, that knows him,
“will believe it. It is very strange, if
“there had been any such Orders, that nei-
“ther the Earl of Kilmarnock, who was
“Colonel of the Regiment of Foot-Guards,
“nor I, who was Colonel of the 2d Troop
“of Life-Guards, should never have heard
“any Thinganything of it, especially since we were
“both at the Head Quarters the Morning be-
“fore the Battle. I am convinced, that it
“is a malicious Report, industriously spread
“to excuse themselves for the Murders they
“were guilty of in calm Blood after yethe Battle.”

I shall take ^it as a very great Favour,
if you are so kind, as to lay the Above be-
fore the proper Person, whose Authority it
is to take Cognizance of it, that he may
be obliged to retract, in the most solemn
Manner, a FalshoodFalsehood, uttered to the Preju-
dice of the Reputation of one of yethe great-
est of men that ever was born, let
his Principles have been what they will.
It is My Lady Balmerino's Desire; it is
mine, as his Friend, &and as a Friend to
Truth and Justice.

I dare not presume to write to so great a
Man as the first Person of so great a Re-
publick: Therefore I beg, that you will lay
it before him, &and you will very much oblige,

DrDear Sir,
Your, &c.etc.
Sic subrsubscribitur John Walkingshaw.
London, 5/16 SeptrSeptember,
1746.

P:S: The Above is writ by the Direction of
My Lady Balmerino.

Speech

Person	John Walkinshaw
Date	05 Sep 1746
Place	London
Place