430 
‘was gone off with my Lord) to tell 
her, that I understood I was sus- 
pected of having contrived my 
Lord’s escape, as was very natural 
to suppose; that, if I could have 
been happy enough to have done it, 
I should be flattered to have the me- 
rit of it attributed to me; but that 
a bare suspicion, without proof, 
could never be a sufficient ground 
for my being punished for a suppos- 
ed offence, though it might be mo- 
tive enough to me to provide a 
place of security; so I entreated 
her to procure leave for me to go 
with safety about my business. So 
far from granting my request, they 
were resolved to secure me if possi- 
ble. After several debates, Mr. 
Solicitor General, who was an ut- 
ter stranger to me, had the huma- 
nity to say, that, since Ishewed so 
much respect to government as not 
to appear in public, it would be 
cruel to make any search after me: 
upon which it was decided, that if I 
yemained concealed, no further 
search should be made ; but that if 
I appeared either in England or 
Scotland, [should be secured. But 
that was not sufficient for me, un- 
less I could submit to expose my 
son to beggary. My Lord sent for 
me up to town in such haste, that I 
had no time to settle any thing be- 
fore I left Scotland. I had in my 
hands all the family-papers : I dar- 
ed trust them to nobody. My house 
might have been searched without 
warning, consequently they were 
far from being secure there. In 
this distress, I had the precaution to 
bury them under ground; and no- 
body but the gardner and myself 
knew where they were. _I did the 
same with other things of value. 
The event proved, that I had acted 
prudently ; for, after my departure, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1792. 
they searched the house; and God 
knows what might have transpired 
from these papers. 
All these circumstances rendered 
my presence absolutely necessary, 
otherwise they might have been 
lost ; for, though they retained the 
highest preservation, after one very 
severe winter (for, when I took 
them up, they were as dry as if 
they came from the fire-side) yet 
they could not possibly have re- 
mained so much longer without pre- 
judice. Inshort, as I had once ex- 
posed my life for the safety of the 
father, I could not do less than ha- 
zard it once more for the fortune of 
the son. I had never travelled on 
horseback but from York to Lon- 
don, as | told you; but the difficul- 
ties did not now arise from the se- 
verity of the season, but from the 
fear of being known and arrested. 
To avoid this, I bought three sad- 
dle-horses, and set oft with my dear 
Evans and a very trusty servant, 
whom I brought with me out of 
Scotland. We put up at the small- 
est inns on the road that could take 
in a few horses, and where I thought 
I was not known; for I was tho- 
roughly known in all the consider- 
able inns on the north road. Thus 
I arrived safe at Traquair, where I 
thought myself secure; for the 
lieutenant of the county being a 
friend of my Lord’s would not per~ 
mit any search to be made for me, 
without sending me previous notice 
to abscond. Here I had the assur- 
ance to rest myself for two whole 
days, pretending that I was going 
to my own house with the leave of 
the government; and sent no notice 
to my own house, lest the magis- 
trates of Dumfries might make too 
narrow inquiries about me; so they 
were ignorant of my arrival in the 
country 
