prosper the King, who is the best prince I
belive in the world.

"As for news in the kingdome of Fife, I suppose you wou'd hear that
a party of the M^{c}Grigors some dayes ago from Faulkland attacquet
a party of Swise and militia from Leslie and beat them, takeing
thirty-two prisoners, wherof eleven horse, as I hear. I have not
time to say more, so adieu."

"January 29th, 1715-16."

Again, in another letter on the same day, the Earl still seems to
consider the game as not then lost. It is amusing to find how, in the
carrying on of his projects, he availed himself of the aid of ladies,
and how troubled he sometimes found himself with "busie women." Whilst
this letter was being penned, Argyle was employing the country people
around Auchterarder in clearing the roads of snow: and on the following
day, he had advanced towards Tullibardine, within eight miles of Perth.
On that very Sunday, Lord Mar thus writes: it is evident he had at this
time formed no plan of retreat.

"Sunday, 11 o'clock forenoon, Janu 29th, 1715-16.

"Sir,

"Since I wrote to you I have got yours of the twenty-second, one of
the twenty-third, and two of the twenty-fifth; the last of which,
tho' the first wrote, I got not til this morning. I wou'd have wrote
to you these two dayes by post, but we have had so many alarms of
the enimie's marching towards us, that I had not time, as I have
very little to say anything just now, for I expect ivery minut to
hear of their being marcht from Dumblain, where a considerable
number of them have been these two dayes this way.

"The enclosed you must take care to send by the first post which is
opened again on purpose for you to read, but I'm affraid you will
not understand it all. As to that paper you sent me which came from
England, there can be nothing said to it from hence just now, only
that they are to do the best they can; and I hope shortly that
country shall have sent them where withall to enable them to make a
better figur than they have hitherto done. We are not in a condition
here to give them any help just now. Ther's one Mrs. Lawson, who
seems to be a diligent body, that complains a little that you do not
allow her to see you often enough, which I take to be the complaint
of an over busie woman, than which ther's nothing more uneasie; but
just now such people must be hu