Note 153 — ORIGINS OF THE ’FORTY-FIVE PAPERS OF JOHN MURRAY OF BROUGHTON

This was in the year 1737. If Gordon of Glenbucket went over to Rome, so far as ever I could learn without having any authority from the Gentlemen in the Highlands, unless it was from his son-in-law Glengary and General Gordon,[651] praying the King to come to Scotland that all were ready to rise in arms; but His Majesty was too wise to give in to such a rash and inconsiderate a project and sent over Captain Will Hay[652] to have the Opinion of his friends by which he might judge how far what Glenbucket had said was to be credited. Mr. Hay sent for me then in Holland and insisted upon my coming which I did, but I believe found few people of Glenbucket’s Opinion save the late Lord Kinmore[653] who I went to the Country and brought to toun to see him; but the case was now greatly altered as all the World were becoming sensible of; that the Interest of Great Britain must ever be sacrificed to that of Hanover as long as this family continued upon the Throne; that Parliamentary Schemes were nothing but Chimerical, together with the few Troops that were left in the Island and the distance they were then from the Coast which prevented their coming in time before the Country was reduced; as likewise the miserable prospect of the Country being ruined by the vast standing Army that would necessarily follow upon a peace as the Levys during the War would be considerable and no prospect of a reduction after their Return but rather a Certainty of their being continued; this seeming the fairest opportunity to bring us under a military Government. These and many other reasons made L[ochie]l be of Opinion that now was the time to strike a bold stroke for the King, and by Sir A[lexander] M[acdonald]’s letter to the Duke of P[erth], it would seem these reasons did influence him and were sufficient Grounds for the proposal.