ANCIENT HISTORY OF KIIlK.BY-MOOH8IDtf. 05 



The following letter written by Lord Arran, 

 afterwards Dukeof Hamilton, to Dr. Sprat, bishop 

 of Rochester, formerly chaplain to the Duke, ap- 

 peared in the Whitehall Evening Post, January 

 3, 1784, in which is given a circumstantial account 

 of the Duke's last moments. 



Kerby-moor Sjde, April 17, 1687. 



My Loid, 



Mere chance having thrown me into 

 these parts by accident, as 1 was at York, in my 

 journey towards Scotland, I heard of the Duke of 

 Buckingham's illness here, which made me take a 

 resolution of waiting upon his Grace, to see what 

 condition he was in. I arrived here on Friday 

 in the afternoon, where I found him in a very lo\v 

 condition : he had been lon<jr ill of an A^ue. which 



vJ j * 



had made him weak; but his understanding was 

 as good as ever, and his noble parts were so entire, 

 that though I a\v death in his looks, at first sight, 

 he would by no means think of it. He told me he 

 was on horseback but two days before, and that he 

 found himself so well at heart, that he was sure he 

 could be in no danger of his life. He told me he 

 hud a mighty descent fallen upon his abdomen with, 

 an inflammation and a great swelling, but he thought 

 by applying warm medicines the swelling would 

 fall, and then he would be at ease : but it proved 

 otherwise, for a mortification came on those lovv^ 

 parts, and rapidly ascended, so that it soon occa- 

 sioned his death. So soon as 1 had arrived, I seat 



