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get a diſcharge of the accompt, which I wanted exceedingly, met accidentally with Robert Boyd, a poor Writer lad in Dumfries I took him to Mrs Carnock's, and gave him a bottle of wine, and told him that I had paid Thomas Grier's account, but wanted diſcharge, and if he would help me to it, I would reward him He flew away from me in a great paſſion, ſaying, He would rather be hanged; but if I had a mind for theſe things, I had ⟨better⟩ wait till C–l came home. This gave me great trouble, fearing what C–l and I had done formerly was no ſecret. I followed Boyd to the ſtreet, and made an apology that I was jeſting, commending him for his honeſty, and took him ſolemnly engaged never to repeat what had paſſed. I ſent for my coufin B. H. your good brother, who with no difficulty, for a guinea and a half undertook, and performed all that I wanted; and for a guinea more, made me up a diſcharge for 200l. Scots, that I was owing to your father in law, and his friend Mr Muirhead; which diſcharge I gave to John Ewart, when he defired the money; and he at my deſire produced it to you, which you ſuſtained.
A great many of the like inſtances were told, of which I cannot remember the perſons names, and things; but ſays he, what vexes me more than all theſe, is the injuſtice I did to Homer Maxwell tenant to my Lord Nithſdale, for whom I was factor. I borrowed 2000 merks from him, 300 of which he borrowed from another hand; I gave him my bond, and for reaſons I contrived, I obliged him to ſecrecy: he died within the year, and left nine children and his wife had died before himſelf. I came to feal up his papers for my Lord's ſecurity. His eldeft daughter intreated me to look through them all, and to give her an account what was their ſtock, and what was their debt; I very willingly undertook it, and in going through the papers, I put my own bond in my pocket: his circumſtances proving bad, his nine children are now ftarving. Theſe things I deſire you to repreſent to my wife, and take her brother with you, and let them be immediately rectified, for ſhe has a ſufficient fund to do it upon, and if it were done, I would be eaſy and happy; therefore you will make no delay.
After a ſhort pauſe, I anſwered, 'Tis a good errand, Cool, you are ſending me to do juſtice to the oppreffed and injured, but notwithſtanding that I ſee myſelf come in for 300l. Scots, let me beg a little time to conſider on the matter, and ſince you are as much maſter of reafon now as ever, and more than ever, we will firſt reaſon upon the matter in its general view, and then with reſpect to the expediehcy of my being the meſſenger, and this I will do with all manner of Frankneſs. From what you have ſaid I fee clearly what your prefent ſtate is, fo that there needs be no more queſtions on that head, and you need not bid me take courage, and not be afraid of you, for at this moment, I am no more afraid of you than of a new born child. Cool. Well, ſay on.
