CASTLE KENNEDY 



Jan r tf 5 th 1738. 



... I an nou diging the ground to Inlarge the planting 

 at baluadair [Belvidere] as your lordship ordered. I am also 

 Eemouing that strip of planten on the uest sid of the flourin 

 sherub wildernes the Alterations that uas med the last year 

 and this on both sids of the flouring sherub wildernes, and the 

 perter [parterre] beutifais that sid to perfection from Mount 

 Malbarou to Mount Eliner ; ther can be no finer prospect then 

 it is nou ... I haue planted a lin of uery good bich [beech] 

 at the foot of the bre [brae]. I was obledged to fors Earth to 

 plant in them, for ther is no Earth in that bre ; it is a lous dry 

 runin sand. Ther is no tri uill grou on the fac of that bre, it 

 bing so lous dray sand, without any mixter of Earth. . . . Your 

 lordshep desirs me to giue som money to the masons hir, but 

 I ashour your lordshep I haue not on peny to my self. Your 

 lordshep ordered Mr. Roos to giue me tuenty pound of my 

 by gon uages, but he uold not giue me on farthen. I am uery 

 sor straitened for som money I am deu to som pipell hir causes 

 me nou to aplay to your lordshep for rellif. I thank God I 

 haue your lordshep to aply to; I sie hou it uold be with me 

 uer it otheruays." 



IVon sibi sed posteris. Upon no human undertaking 

 does the decree sic vos non vobis attend so inevitably 

 as upon tree planting. Scarcely had the Marshal's 

 oaks cast their foliage a hundred times before a 

 ruthless edict of the seventh Earl, known and 

 dreaded by country folk as Hobblin' Jock, owing to 

 a limp in his gait, laid every stick of them low, and 

 the pleasure grounds went back to wilderness. The 

 eighth Earl of Stair, succeeding in 1840, found a 

 plan of the grounds in a gardener's cottage, and set 



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