XXX ORMISTOUN^S LETTERS 



a clear, frosty day' — closing some plain speaking about 

 ' unthinking stupidity/ 



The frankness of his reference to ' my Wife,"* and of his 

 criticism of 'my Brothers,' shows how unsophisticated the 

 Scots laird was, and how homely even in the ceremonious 

 eighteenth century. See also p. 38, ' If Patk: asks you,' etc. 



The footing on which his brothers stood, it is difficult to 

 understand. Charles lived at, especially is much about, Ormis- 

 toun Hall, and, though John is said to have assumed the care 

 of affairs in 1714, he writes, in 1735, the year of his father's 

 death, as if the brothers were not seeing eye to eye with him : 

 ' Borrow a cart from any of the Tenants for the Spars or any 

 other uses without asking my Bror^ for the least thing or taking 

 any notice when you are to borrow one. None of the Tenants 

 will refuse you one.' The year before this he is quite deferen- 

 tial on the subject. 'What I write is only my opinion to 

 you, but doe you follow the orders you receive from my 

 Brother, whether agreeable to what I write or not' (p. 3). 

 The confidence he reposed in Bell is shown in this (p. 20) : 

 ' I need not tell you this letter is to yourself and the other to 

 be communicated to my Brothers as usual.' The freedom 

 of his criticism must have made Bell regard him as ' gey ill 

 to do wi'.' Now it is, 'you shd gett better Ink,' for the 

 very address was scarce legible. Again he gives a home 

 thrust like this : ' Don't glance this Letter and then throw it 

 by, as if saying you have read it was enough. Read and con- 

 sider it over and over, for I can't have time to repeat the 

 same things every Post ' ; ' What can I think of any other 

 orders when what I have repeated a hundred times is not 

 minded ' ; ' I can't have time to write ten times before I can 

 know all the circumstances which a line or two more to 

 your first letter w*^ have made me understand at once.' Bell is 

 not spared even the shame of exposure, for in a joint letter 

 to him and Dods we have, ' If he ' (Bell) ' observes as overly 

 as he writes, he had as good stay within doors.' He is so full 



