signed by his own Hand nor does he deny it in private to his Friends To show that Payne is capable of the Folly of writing such a Letter it can be proved by the Persons Oaths to whom he spoke and who told it at the time that on the 5 th of December which was two days after the Date of his Letter he said to one whose Office as well as his Allegiance obliged him to a Discovery that an Invasion was designed That the late King James had his Officers ready both in England and Scotland and that the Invasion would be certainly some time in the Spring and possibly sooner than was apprehended To show too that Payne was in use to borrow such Names as Aunt Mowet Cousen or Brother c. There follows the beginning of a Letter of his written by his own Hand and in all Appearance to Madam Smith for the Letter was found amonst her Papers it 's dated the 26 th of February last Dear Madam I Had nothing to add so only writ one Letter per Carrier last Week and in the enclosed to my Neice you will perceive my Thoughts of Mrs. Mowets Father should they not be your or hers however send them forward for they are easily amended by her Letters to my Aunt then the Omission would be to my Cousen whom it imports to know Matter of Fact truly in so considerable a Suit as his is And for my own part I hardly believe that generous L. L. makes so right a guesse at the Designs of that Man as his Daughter doth I wish I may be deceived c. What is more is private Business The Letters D. and E. that follow were taken and came to the Secretaries hand in the same manner with the former Letter A. B. C. They were under a Cover dated the 30 th of December and written at London directed to Monsieur Vincent Nerieux as the other Cover but under to Mr. Robert's The Covert is signed Mary Brown and written by the same Hand with the former Cover There is nothing more material in the Cover I have not heard from you say she these two Mails but this came to my Hand to Night c. to Night the 30 th of December that is on a Friday the day on which the Post arrives from Scotland and goes for Holland The enclosed Letter D. is directed for Mrs. Little and dated the 25 th of December the day after the Post day at Edinburgh as has been observed and written by the same Hand with that of Letter B. D. December 25th I Had a Letter half from you and half David as I take it tho written with your own Hand I sent Dowglas his from David and am much obliged for my own I have perfectly cured the Disease between Balfour and little John and shall work on till I find the bottom of my Cousens Affairs I fancy I shall meet with things as I would wish but I wonder I hear not offer from you Mr. Courtney writ to Mr. Tate so did my Patient and her Son I 'm surprized there should be no Return 't will discourage the like Practice and I can assure you Courtney is troubled at it and with Reason for he is both considerable and has suffered much so pray consider this for the Example is of importance as for my self I am over-whelmed with Grief for the loss of poor Mrs. Gypps to whose Family I owe so much I have writ several to David and one to Mr. Tate since I came here I beg where I make any Demand in mine I may have either a condescending or a refusing Answer Pray let me know how my Undertakings are relish'd and how I stand with my Couzen my Service to Balby I am yours Gray I wish you a merry Christmass The Leter E. enclosed in the Letter D. was directed for Mr. Ford and of the same Date and Hand-writing The Secretary declared that he had seen Letters signed David Ford written by my Lord Melfort's own Hand E. December 25th I Had yours for James Balfour and sent it express to him when the Return is made you shall have it with all imaginable Care I have I thank God perfectly cemented the Difference between Balfour and little John having both their Engagements solemnly made mutually and with a joint Concurrance to serve my Cousen to the last Penny of their Stock and their Opinions and Demands under their Hands which I thought the surest way of dealing I thank God your Estate in these Parts is in very good condition and the Generality of all that have Stock or dare any way venture are resolved to join you so that Trade is in a fair way of succeeding here I have now at this time a Messenger with James Balfour after whose return I shall make little stay in these Parts you shall know by me what you may rely on where the Money shall be raised and who the chief Pay-masters which is all I can do I wonder you do not make Returns to Courtney my Patient and her Son since they are considerable enough to deserve it for God's sake give no cause of Disgust but let the Labourers be encouraged since a bare acknowledgment of their Service will do it A Correspondence is desired from hence with Bristol and 't is left to my management to settle 't is of too great Importance for me to take upon me therefore I humbly desire your Advice and my Cousen's Orders whom I shall trust with it at that place and to whose Hands it shall be committed I was received by James Balfour and little John with all the Demonstrations of Friendship possible placing an entire Trust in me as to the Managements of my Cousens Affairs and by all their Adherents they express a very great sense of your past Services and Ability to serve my Cousen in the future But you know the Humours of that Country-People better than I. Let me hear from you if you please how I shall proceed at my return to Bristol I dare not appear here for their Creditors for those that arrested my Father lie still in wait for me My humble Duty to my Cosen and his incomparable Lady and let them know I shall never fail to serve them with my Life and Fortune Sir I am very much your Servant and sensible of the Favours you have done me Adieu The Secretary declared in Parliament that he was obliged at London to restore the Originals of the Letters D. and E. but that he was ready to attest upon Oath that the Copies produced were true Copies of the Letters shown to him as Originals and which he indeed believed to be Originals And for a Confirmation of the Truth both of the Originals and Copies of the Letters D. E. he offered to have the following Matter of Fact verified upon Oath by the Persons concerned who had indeed been
the new Advocate and Justice Clerk were signed on the 28 th of November that is six days before the date of this Letter (q) Presbyterians It 's known that by the Changes made in the Spring before they were somewhat cooled in their zeal which this new change revived again (r) It seems he is answering Letters (s) Restoration (t) The known Cant for a Declaration (u) To close Prison and so have no more an opportunity to tamper (x) The Word Sole for Soul is written so too in the Papers that were seized in his Chamber (y) The late King Queen and Melfort (y) The late King Queen and Melfort (y) The late King Queen and Melfort (z) No doubt Mrs. Smith who has all along taken care of him and is an active stirring Woman (a) The four Persons mentioned may well be supposed to be two Noblemen with the late Archbishop of Glasgow and a Lord the known Friend and Correspondent of the Nurse that is of the Countess of Errol now Governess to to the pretended Prince of Wales at Paris (b) That is Sir James Rochied Town-Clerk of Edinburgh who died about a week before the Date of this Letter (c) Mrs. Smith lives in Edinburgh (d) Mr. Patrick Smith Advocate who absconded (e) Mr. James Smith her Son (f) It appears not to whom the late K. James was to write but the Magistracy only can put in the Clerk The standing Magistracy was then under Process and in a few days after thrown out The Letter then was to come to those who could influence the new intended Magistracy (g) The Town-Clerk's Place is one of the most beneficial Places in the Kingdom and is during Life (h) It is evident the late King's Friends here were in Factions amongst themselves about the disposing of the Clerk's Place and that Payne finding his Party not strong enough to carry it for his Friend would have Assistance from France and would have it early lest some other Pretenders should worst him there also (i) That is the late Queen see incomparable Lady in Letter E. (k) It 's known that in the late Reign the Queen reckoned her self obliged to Payne and protected him (l) Melfort and the Countess of Errol (a) The late King (a) It seems Mrs. Little is my Lady Melfort and that she writ the whole Letter to which this is an Answer but that David her Husband dictated the half of it (b) Dowglas seems to be Payne see the beginning of the Letter A. (c) The late King the same with Brother in Payne's Letter to Aunt and with Cousin in his other Letter to Madam Smith (d) A Earl well known (e) He has been sometime in Prison (f) Probably an Earl who died much about the time of this Letter (g) The reason of the Complaints here and elsewhere that Answers came not seems to be Mogal Melfort's Page his slowness who was long on his way from Paris with a great number of Letters (a) Gray the Writer as hath been said seems to be in the North of England and therefore upon the Receipt of Melfort's Letter for Balfour was obliged to send an Express to Balfour who lives in Scotland (b) Pain Mowet and little John (c) Pain lasting Concurrence (d) Pain your Brothers Service (e) Last drop of their Blood (f) Pain all things here are in perfect order (g) Of Men of Interest or Courage (h) An Invasion Pain Trial. (i) The Cant is Trade Money and Pay-masters is Men and Officers (k) Correspondence betwixt London and the North. (l) It 's plain he had been in Scotland (m) This as well as his Stile shows he is no Scotchman
Nevil Payn's LETTER And some Other LETTERS That concern the Subject of his LETTER With SHORT NOTES on them For the Clearer Information of the Members of PARLIAMENT In Order to Nevil Payn 's Tryal LICENS'D July 1. 1693. Edw. Cooke Printed at Edinburgh by Order of Parliament And Reprinted at London for Richard Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane 1693. Nevil Payn's LETTER c. THE following Letters are mark'd by the Alphabet for Distinctions sake The Letter A had enclosed in it the Letters B and C. The Secretary produced in Parliament the Original Letter C but not the Originals of A and B having left them at London but now he has got them The Letter A with the other two in it were taken at or going from London to France by the way of Holland it was directed to Monsieur Vincent Nerieux Merchant in Roterdam with these words under Mrs. van den Anchore It is known that this is an ordinary Direction for such sort of Letters from London to Paris which seem to be the usual Conveyance for Scots Letters too As appears by the Duke of Gordon and Dr. Cockburn's Papers now in the Advocate 's hands A. I Have had none from you since the 5 th of this Instant your stile so that my Friend grows very impatient but I have sent your last with that of David's and by this time I suppose he is satisfied for I am informed all mine came safe to him But I have sent you his to let you see what he says in his Phanatick Humour for I know he is troubled he has no Answers for his Friends here that write to him constantly by me and I am assured they take it very ill and think him or me in fault that sent them Therefore I earnestly beg of you to sollicite David to say something for they are good Friends of your Brothers and not to be slighted My old Countess also writ you her self but I never heard whether you received it and every week I have her duty to your Brother and Sister and Service to you and always says she lives no longer than she hears your good Family is in Health and I am indeed very much concerned lest I hear you are ill since your last in which you assure of the pain in your head which grieves me to the heart For I prefer it before my own Therefore for God's sake let me have the satisfaction of hearing from you as often as you can I have not failed a Post since my Friend went and all double I have very little News but one thing I cannot omit to tell you that one Payn a mad Jacobite is removed to the Castle of Stirling and that the Lord Seaforth is to be tried for his life and many more such as these are likely to have their due reward As to our Parliament Seymore made a Speech and told them of the House That the French was making great Preparation which must be provided against both with a Fleet and Money but this is thought was only to press for raising Money so that I think to comfort you we have no fears of that Dear Aunt I have sent you one of Nephews and beg you to do what you can for one in his Circumstances for I cannot chuse but love him I am told that Mrs. Mowet cannot be long out of the Doctor 's hands so very ill she is But more of this from my Friend that I hope will be here ere this come to your hands if his health will permit so that if you write yours will meet him in Town if it please God to whom I resign all my Friends and Affairs I was to see for Answer of Mr. Iske for whom I left the Letter of Money Business to get Answer but could not light of him but he had your Letter but I will by the next Post Pardon this long Scroll and give me leave to continue my humble Thanks and be honoured with the Title of Madam your most Grateful Humble Servant Mary B. There is found among Mrs. Smith's Papers a Letter dated the 4th-of February the Direction of it is torn but so much remains Son to the Robert Jameson in Edinburgh It is written by the same Hand with the Letter A and Signed M. B. instead of Mary B. It is plain that this M. B. is at London and manages the Correspondence betwixt Aunt at Paris and Nephew Payn here with the assistance of Mrs. Smith The Letter is thus the Blanks are Words that cannot be read Loving Mother Feb. 4. I Have this day by a Honest fast Friend sent you 50 Drams of the best Balm of Gilead that I could get you will certainly have it do not you trouble your self for a day I have taken care you should have no trouble for God's sake say what you can to my Sick Friend for me for I am so oppressed that I cannot write to her but pray let her send me a Note under her hand at the Receipt of her Present and then I shall have as much more when _____ is satisfied but the Note must be made to me for I had Orders this is desired and pray let her thank Mr. Friend which said little of it to me but my Aunt assured me he did so much in it to my Aunt 's Brother and David that they could refuse no longer for he was very plain with them and I find is so in all their Affairs which I think is Just I saw one that came from my Aunt 's Brother this Week but I hear nothing of my poor Brother which distracts me but they are all well and in good heart but no more but to his Business I hear sad News of Sick Friend that the Doctors say she must change the Air I wonder you say nothing of it since Lady L. tells all Pray let me know the let not Mr. L. know I tell you Pray let me hear from you by which you will oblige your Grateful Daughter and Obliged Friend for ever whilst M. B. The back of this Letter being torn there appears only Son to the Robert Jameson in Edinburgh The Secretary was obliged at London to restore the Originals of the Letters D and E of which he produced the Copies in Parliament but when he had them they appeared to him to be writen by the same Hand with the Letter B of which he has the Original And therefore by one under the Name of Gray for so the Letter D is signed it is evident by the Letters themselves that this Gray is an Englishman and the Concerter and Manager of the whole Business it seems he was lurking in the North of England when he wrote the Letters B D E for they are dated the 4th and 25th of December that is on Sundays which is the day after the Post-day at Edinburgh which is Saturday It is evident by the Letter B that he was
going into Scotland and by the Letters D and E that he actually went to Scotland It is otherwise known that an English-man of such a Character came to Edinburgh about the time here spoke of and that he keeped no mean Company there B. December 4. I Had yours this morning with one to Mr. Gray I am strangely amazed I have none from your Aunt I cannot find the meaning on 't and never man had more need of Comfort than my self at this time I have Letters from your Mother and Balfour which would strike Terrour into any man but I 'm resolv'd what will be fate to enter into that Cursed Countrey and put my luck to the last tryal I do not know what can be the meaning of those I wish so well to teaze me at such a distance it shall not break the Respect I have for those I 'm obliged to Your Friends favouring me at this distance and so little Merit of mine all Obligations being on that side makes me the unhappiest man in the World I only wish it were in my power my Life should not be too dear a Sacrifice You may assure your self I am ever your Servant and you tell me you have not seen my Wife nor heard from her Brother 't is no matter I care not how few you see of my Acquaintance and pray tell all I am still in Town Be sure you write to your and my Complaint that she may be sensible how I resent not hearing from her and that I do not altogether deserve ill usage after the Charges I have undergone and the Hazards I have risqu'd for their sakes once more I am for ever yours C. December 3. 1692. I Am forced in ill for want of better Paper dearest Aunt to let you know that I am obliged to Change my bad Lodging for worse being relapsed into my old Distemper again my Physicians being resolved not to let any Breathing visit me till it please God to restore me to my perfect Health they alledging that my keeping too much Company doth great mischief All my Consolation in this miserable Condition is that Mrs. Friend is just come into the Neighbourhood and though I fear I shall not be so happy to see her yet my Dearest Cousin I doubt not will do it speedily For so it is contrived to be by my dear and diligent Friend's Negotiation who is the very Life and Vigour of all your Brother's Affairs here and the prop of his Family running going and spending her self to the last penny in his Service And but for her's in the first place and Mrs. Mowat's in the second your poor Nephew might have perisht long ere this for mere want to no great Credit no more than Advantage of your Brother for tho he may have many more able he has not a faithfuller Servant in the World Oh God! how can he be so despised amongst his Relations when their Enemies consider him so much and all their honest Acquaintance that knew him have some esteem at least for him This is all I will and less I cannot say for all the strange regardless usage he has met withal from David and let it stand as it doth since Mrs. Mowat Wrights me word she and him begin to understand one another better and are like to be perfect Friends which for your Brother's sake I hope will continue real on that side as I am sure it is on this She and Littlejohn has had a meeting too where all things have been so explained between them that I hope will produce a lasting Concurrence in diligence for your Brother's Service to which sole end all my Endeavours therein have tended and now I assure you all things here are in perfect order for bringing on the Trial as speedily as your Brother pleases and the sooner the better I am sure for his Adversary is very diligent in searching out new Agents that are like to be more able and faithful to him than those he has hitherto employed and I assure you succeeds extremely in his design and has in a manner united all the Mechanicks by this means to be entirely his so the Cause may grow worse but cannot mend by delay of the Trial. And as for Compositions and Bargains with particulars it is of little or no importance since mens several Interests and Designs are so different that they are impossible to be reconciled before the Cause be ended and he walk the Exchange again In the mean time care must be had that his Letters of Attorney be fairly and fully drawn as methinks is easy to be done and I would have sent a Draught as I told you in my last but that I cannot with all my Diligence procure a Copy of the last to make a true Judgment why it is so universally cried out upon by those of the Creditors have seen it But now I must to Bed and mind no more Business perhaps while I live but yet cannot die an honest man if I do not with all the Earnestness of my Sole recommend to your Brother Sister and David the diligent Gentlewoman I mentioned before as the most useful Person beyond all Comparison of any Body they have here This Mrs. Mowat Littlejohn the sick Minister and Nurses Friend nay all our Relations here not only continually allow but by daily Proofs will testify This makes me beg that since there is the Clerk of the Town she lives in is newly dead the Place may be procured for her Husband or Son a Line from your Brother doth it and I am very sure it is impossible for him to employ his Pen more deservedly the Motion I assure you comes not in the least from her she being the most disinterest Creature breathing but was of her own accord proposed by Mrs. Mowat who also said she would write to secure the Favour for fear of some-bodies interposing between your Brother and David to prevent so just a Request in her behalf as this is For God's sake propose it earnestly in Mrs. Mowet's and my Name to your Brother and David and interest too therein your excellent Sister and if ever I was so happy to do or endeavour any thing was acceptable to her may her Memory thereof plead for me in this Request Dear Aunt lay all nice or timerous Reserves by and press it home as an honest Matter and the most earnest Desire of your dutiful Nephew Adieu My Service to L. David and L. Nurse join her in the matter I beseech you for her Friends sake and mine It 's plain that the Letter C. is written by Mr. Payne by the Declarations of those that know his Hand-writing of which some have seen him write and by comparing it with other Letters and Papers written and