Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

I had your two letters in favour of Mess^rs Brown, Ker & Chalmers;
& in answer thereto do assure you that no Recommendation, which those Gentlemen could
have procured, would be of more weight with me than yours: which Declaration may
(I hope) be sufficient to free you from your apprehensions of my having taken any
thing ill at your hands. One of your Letters I receiv'd in Novem,^r & y^e other in March last;
which I confess I might have answered sooner, had I not chose for more certainty
to convey my letter by the hands of the present Bearer, M^r Alexand^r Hamilton,
Merchant of Glasgow, whom I expected would have sailed hence long before this time.

M^r Ker went hence about two months ago, in order to return for Scotland,
& I gave him a Token ( I think it was a double Ducate) to drink with you, besides
a sum of Money to spend with whom else he pleased; but I did not judge it
fit for me to venture a Letter by him; for it might prove of ill consequence to me
to have any of my Letters found about a person under his circumstances, let
the Contents be upon never so harmless a subject.

Mr Brown is in very good esteem & practice here, a great deal of which I
believe may be owing to the countenance I gave him at first, & my making use
of him my self & employing him as Doctor to my family; & I cannot but rejoyce.
to find my favours to him oblige my Relations with other worthy Persons in Scotland ,
& that they prove a just retaliation for former Kindess shew'd by that
Gentleman to some of our Family.

By M^r Chalmers's remoteness from my place of residence, I have not hitherto
been able to shew him any other Civility than what he receives in common with
the rest of his unhappy Brethren; & indeed I must own that as yet y^e greatest obliga-
tion lyes on my side, he having asisted me with a necessary Servant he brought from
Scotland, & likewise presented me with a neat new fashioned snuff Box; w^ch kindness
of his I have not yet had an opportunity to repay, or to shew y^t I gratefuly acknowledge.
The Crest engraven upon y^e Box (which is a Hawk, or such like Bird looking to the Sun)
engages me to enquire of you whether you have made any alteration in the
Family-Crest; for as I remember you formerly sent me a Wolfs head, with y^e Motto,
Patior ut Potiar, for our Crest: & I have contrived such a Compartiment to it,
as you see upon y^e Seal of the ^enclosed Letter, & which I have upon all my Plate; whereby
you may observe the word Patior is placed between a Thistle & a Thorn [this y^e emblem
of tribulation] & y^e word Potiar between a Rose & a Laurel [the emblems of Love & Honour]
Besides with respect to me, there is a farther allusion; for our Family suffered,
& I lost all that I might have expected by inheritance under the Thistle, & I enjoy
nothing but what I have obtain'd under y^e Rose & by labouring in y^e Field of Honour.

As to regulating our Correspondence, I think by y^e way of [Glasgow] will be the readiest
opportunity, for there are very frequently Ships coming hither from that Port,
& you have only to address your Letters to some Acquaintance in that town, who
will be carefull in delivering them to some Master of a Ship bound hither.

Pray present my hearty Respects to all Relations & Friends in your Parts, &
in particular to your Lady & to my young Cousins at your Fire-side:

Not knowing whether a general Direction
would convey y^e enclosed safe to my Uncle
or Aunt Greeme, I must entreat your
favour in y^e delivery therof.

To
M^r John Spotiswood of that Ilk
Advocate
At
Edinburgh

3^d Septer 1718