Copy of a Letter in favours of Donald MacLeod, and giving a Character of him

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Copy of a Return to the
Above Letter, wherein a
Character of honest Do-
nald MacLeod.

My Lord,

Your Lordship may be
justly surprizedsurprised at my having been
honoured with yours of SeptrSeptember 8th,
without making any Return to it
before this Time; but, to tell the
Truth, as I had a View of this
Bearer, I delayed writing, till I
could do it with a good Grace
and, sure I am, I could never do 467 (467)
do it with a better One than at pre-
sent, when I gladly embrace the
Opportunity of affording Your Lord-
ship the Happiness to salute one of
the First Men in the World.

I know, My Lord, You feel a sensible
Pleasure, beyond many in the World
in conversing with Worthies, Men of
rigid Virtue &and Integrity, &and such in-
deed this Man is.

Know then, My Lord, that this will
be put into your Hands by the re-
nowned Scots Palinurus, Donald
MacLeod, Tenant at Gualtergill, in
the Isle of Sky, that most faithful
&and honest Steersman of the eight-oar’doared
Boat from the Continent to the
Isles of Benbicula, South Uist,
Lewis, &cetc, &cetc, &c.etc. and who had the
Prince among his Hands for about
ten Weeks after the Battle of Cul-
loden. While a Prisoner on Board
a Ship, he went through an unin-
terrupted Series of the greatest
Hardships &and Severities for several
Months together. In a Word, he was
reduced to the lowest Ebb of Mi-sery468(468)
sery, &and had the Mortification of see-
ing others dying about him like rot-
ten Sheep; but his Gray Hairs (by
a remarkable Blessing of Heaven)
have survived the Trials of Adver-
sity, while many younger, and, in Ap-
pearance, much stronger, submitted
to the Fate of a lingringlingering Death.

Although his History be most ex-
traordinary in all the several In-
stances of it, yet, My Lord, when
he arrived here from London, he
had not wherewith to bear his Charg-
es to Sky, where he has a Wife &and
Children (under the Laird of Mac-
Leod) whom he has now been ab-
sent from for nineteen or twenty
Months. Something has been done
for him in &and about EdrEdinburgh, but far
from what his Merit justly en-
titles him to, &and what his Circum-
stances really call for. So many
&and frequent are the Demands, that
have been made, that, I must
frankly own, I was turned quite
Bankrupt in Applications, before I
had the Honour of your Lordship's
Letter; so that it was altogether out 469 (469)
out of my Power, though my Incli-
nation was great, to make any Thing
for poor William Baird, whose af-
fecting History &and Character were
no Strangers to me.

Take a View, My Lord, of this truly
noble (though poor) Worthy in this
Single Point, That he had the
Courage &and Integrity of Heart to
despise the tempting Bait of thirty
thousand Pounds sterling, &and not only
so, but That, in Spite of the Infir-
mities attending the Hoary Head,
he struggled through as great
Dangers✝ &and Difficulties of Life, for the

✝
Well may honest Donald, in a literal
Sense, use the Words of the blessed Apo-
stle, 2 Cor. 11. 26, 27. In journeying of-
ten, in Perils of Waters, in Perils of Rob-
bers, in Perils by mine own Countrymen,
in Perils by the Heathen, in Perils in
the City, in Perils in the Wilderness,
in Perils in the Sea, in Perils among
false Brethren; In Weariness and
Painfulness, in Watchings often, in
Hunger and Thirst, in Fastings of-
ten, in Cold and Nakedness.
See Donald's whole Journal, Vol:
2d, from page 266 to 326.
470 (470)
the Preservation of, &c.etc. as it is in the
Power of the most fertilfertile Fancy to
paint; &and then I leave it to your
Lordship to draw the immortal Cha-
racter of this amiable Instance
of Heroic Virtue.

I dare venture to say, that no Man
of Bowels can hear honest Do-
nald's interesting Story without a
Mixture of Joy and Pain, &and even
without shedding Tears. Well do I
know all the several Parts of it,
&and the more I think upon it, to the
greater Height is my Admiration
raised of the wondrous good Man.

He has a large silver Snuff-box,
which serves as an excellent Me-
dal of his History, to which I re-
fer your Lordship, after asking
your Forgiveness for this too long
Letter; but while, I would fain
flatter my self with the Hopes, I
am giving you Pleasure, I indulge
a Self-Satisfaction; for I could
dwell upon the Subject.

I shall be glad to know, when
this reaches Your Lordship's Hands;
for I will be sorry, if it should hap-
pen to be of an old Date, before it 471 (471)
it is delivered.

That God Almighty may bless and
reward your Lordship with all Hap-
piness both here &and hereafter, for the
many seasonable Instances of Com-
passion &and Relief you have shewnshown
to the necessitous &and the deserving,
is the hearty &and earnest Prayer of

My Lord,
Your Lordship's very much
obliged &and most hulehumble ServtServant,
Robert Forbes.
Citadel of Leith,
OctrOctober 21st,
1747.

Copy

Person	Robert Forbes
Date	21 Oct 1747
Place	Citadel of Leith
Note	Likely Lady Bruce's house.
Person (bearer)	Donald MacLeod of Galtrigill

Person	John Arbuthnot, fifth Viscount of Arbuthnott
Place	Arbuthnott