For some time I have wish’dwished for
an Opportunity to put the two inclosedenclosed Letters
into your Hands, as it is not fit to transmit
any such by Post: And yet, it is with Reluc-
tance I now do it, as I well know your great
Feelings for those in Distress, especially
Worthies, &and your laudable Zeal to fetch
them all the Aid you can. If then, my
dear Sir, you can procure easily any small
Assistance for poor OS’ean, it shall be most
thankfully acknowledged, &and honourably ac-
counted for. Easily, I say, as I am afraid,
such applications are too frequently re-
peated to you; &and therefore, I beg, you may
not put your selfyourself to much Trouble in the
present Affair. I could wish to have the
two Letters returned by the same Hand,
as they are my Vouchers in applying to
others; for I always knew the worthy
OS’ean to be in no opulent Circum-
stances, but never imagined him to
be so low &and distress’ddistressed, till now, that I
have it so well vouch’dvouched. XAlexrAlexamder Macnab
was a Captain under the P—[rince]. John is a
a Brother of his; &and both are Gentlemen of
Character &and Reputation. John should have
said eight, &and not five honest, &c.etc for such tru-
ly was the Number. Is it not remarkable, that the 1871 (1871)
the Number 8. should have been amongst
the most principal Preservers of the Son
of J----[ames] the 8. in the most trying and
dangerous Distresses of Life? To put this
beyond all doubt, take their Names, &and
you are the only One, to whom I have as
yet given them. XJohn MackDonell,
AlexrAlexander MackDonell, AlexrAlexander, Donald and
Hugh Chisholms being three Brothers,
Gregor MacGregor, Patrick Grant (of this
One I have an excellent original Painting,
as he happened to come in my Way)
&and Hugh MacMillan. Be it remarked
here, that all these 8. after having had
the superlative Honour to despise 30,000
₤ sterl.sterling &c.etc quitted their former Way of
doing, &and never did a dirty Action. A-
lexr MackDonell &and Alexr Chisholm
died about 12 Years ago. The Reason
of giving the Name of OS’ean to John
MackDonell is as follows. When the
P—[rince] came at length to Lochiel &and
Cluny, he asked, if they knew a pretty
Fellow called OS’ean. They smiled, &and
told him, that there was no Person of
that Name. He answered, certainly these
must be One of that Name, for that when
he was among the faithful Glenmori-
ston–Men, they used frequently to speak
to one of their own Number, &and always to
call him by that Name. O! said they, his
Name has been John, &and they have been referring 1872 (1872)
referring Cases or Debates to him; for
that the Expression means Hark you,
John, or, Hear you, John. Just so it hap-
pened to be, &and John ever since goes
by that Name. The Words should
be XHose Jan, or rather, according to
the time Spelling of GalicGaelic, Aos Eain.
I have told several Highland Gen-
tlemen, that John’s Children should
all take this as a patronymic or Sir-
namesurname, &and convey it down to their po-
sterity from Generation to Genera-
tion. These Gentlemen owned, it
should be so, &and that the Appellation
was most honourably founded. I re-
solve to insist particularly upon this
with John by proper Mediation; for all
the 8 could speak not a Word but
GalicGaelic.