"Jan. 29th.

"Sir,

"I have keept the man that brought yours of the nineteenth and
twentieth, from A. W., on Saturday, till now, that I might have a
sure and speedy way of writeing to you when anything of consequence
happened, which we were expecting every minut last night. I wrote
one to you when I belived the enemie's front to be at Auchterarder,
and despatcht it; but late at night getting intelligence of that
party of the enemie who were marching towards Aucterarder haveing
marcht back without comeing the lenth of that place to Dumblain, if
not to Stirling, without halting by the way, I stopt my letter and
kepp it till they actually march, and then perhaps I may yet send it
to you, there being some other things in it necessary for you to
know upon that emergance which is needless other wayes.

"In it I told you of my haveing received yours of the eighteenth on
Sunday, and last night those of the fifteenth and twenty-first both
togither.

"By all appearance the enemie resolve to march against us, as one
might say, whether it be possible or not. They sent a party of horse
and foot to Dumblain on Sunday, which came near to Auchterarder
yesterday, I belive to try if the thing was practicable, but they
returned to Dumblain as above. We shall be forced to burn and
distroy a good deal of the country to prevent their marching, which
goes very, _very_ much against the King's mind, as it does mine and
more of us; but ther's an absolat necessity for it, and I believe it
will be put in execution this night or to-morrow morning, which
grieves me. Could it be helpt? this way of their makeing warr in
this, I may say, impracticable season, must have extraordinary
methods to oppose it. And I hope in God, any that suffers now, it
shall soon be in the King's power to make them a large reparation.
After all, when they have no cover left them, I see not how it is
possible for them to march. We are like to be froze in the house;
and how they can endure the cold for one night in the fields, I
cannot conceive; and then the roads are so, that but one can go
abreast, as their party did yesterday; and ther's no going off the
road for horse and scarce for foot, without being lost in the snow;
but if, after all, they do march, we must do our best, and I hope
God will preserve and yet