AQ4 
Letter from the Countess Dowager of 
Nithsdale * to her Sister the Coun- 
tess of Traquair, giving an Ac- 
count of the Earl's Escape out of 
the Tower in 1716. 
[From Vol. I. of Transactions of the 
Society of Antiquaries of Scot- 
land.] 
Dear Sister, 
MA Lord's escape is now such 
an old story, that [ have al- 
most forgotten it; but since you de- 
sire me to give you a circumsvantial 
account of it, | will endeavour to 
recal it to my memory, and be as 
exact in the narration as I possibly 
can; for | owe you too many obli- 
gations to refuse vou avy thing that 
lies in my power to do. 
I think I owe myself the justice 
to set out with the motives which 
influenced me to undertake so ha- 
zardous an attempt, which I des- 
paired of thoroughly accomplishing, 
foreseeing a thousand obstacles, 
which never could be surmounted 
but by the most particular interposi- 
tion of Divine Providence. I con- 
fided in the Almighty God, and 
trasted that he would not abandon 
me, even when all human succours 
failed me. 
I first came to London upon hear- 
ing that my Lord was committed to 
the Tower. I was at the'same time 
informed, that he had expressed the 
Zreatest anxiety to see me, having, 
as he afterwards told me, nobody to 
console him till I arrived. I rode 
to Neweastle, and from thence took 
the stage to York. When [arrived 
there the snow was so deep, that the 
stage could not set out for London. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
‘dear Evans. 
1792. 
The season was so severe, and the 
roads so extremely bad, that the post 
itself was stopt: however, I took 
horses and rode to London through 
the snow, which was:generallyabove 
the borse’s girth, and arrived -safe 
and sound, without any accident. 
On my arrival, I went immediately 
toimake what interest 1 could among 
those who were in’ place. ‘No one 
gave me any hopes; butall, tothe 
contrary, assured me, that, although 
some of the prisoners were to be 
pardoned, yet my Lord would cer- 
tainly not be of the number. When 
I enquired into the reason of this 
distinction, I could obtain no other 
answer, than that they would ‘not 
flatter me. But I soon perceived the 
reasons which they declined alleging 
to me. A Roman Catholic upon 
the frontiers of Scotland, who head- 
eda very considerable party; aman 
whose family had always signalized 
itself by its loyalty to the ‘royal 
bouse of Stuart, and who was the 
only support of the Catholics against 
the inveteracy of the Whigs, who 
were very numerous in that !part of 
Scotland, would become an agree- 
able sacrifice to the opposite ‘party. 
They still retained a lively remem- 
brance of his grandfather, who 
defended his own castle of Carla- 
verock to the very Jast extremity, 
and surrendered it up only by’the 
express command of his royal mas- 
ter.—Now, having his grandson 
in their power, they were deter- 
mined not to let him escape from 
their hands. 
Upon this I formed the resolution 
to attempt his escape; but opened 
my intentions to nobody but toumy 
In order ‘to concert 
* This ‘sensible spirited Lady, who saved her-bushand’s life, ‘and preserved the 
family estate for her sen, was the daughter of William Marquis of Powis. 
measures, 
— 
