348 The Swintons of that Ilk, by A. Campbell Swinton. 

 controversy * The view of the case most favourable to the 



* See Notes to Peveril of the Peak. Chambers' Domestic Annals of Scot- 

 land, vol. iii., p. 412. Leighton's Traditions of Scottish Life, second series. 

 The following is the letter referred to in the text : — 



"Edinr., October 13th 1716. Sir, I hope you will pardon me for not 

 writeing sooner, for you may easily conceive my anxiety and trouble upon 

 account of my present misfortune, of which I shall give you this short 

 account. Mr Cayley was my intimat acquaintance ever since he came to this 

 place, he lodged at Mrs Murray the mert. in the parliament close. She was a 

 kind of guardian to my wife when she was a girl at the schools. Mr Cayley 

 forming a very bad design agt. my wife, and dispairing to obtain her consent 

 was resolved to use force, for which purpose Mrs Murray was sent to our 

 house on Saturday the 29th September (a day of the week wherein Mr Cayley 

 constantly went to his country house early in the morning) and desired my 

 wife to come down to her house that afternoon, which she did immediately 

 after dinner, and was received at the door by Mrs Murray, who as soon as 

 she had put her into a room left her for a while, but went out of the house, 

 locked the door and took the key with her, then Mr Cayley appeared who 

 had lurked at home and was denyed to everybody that asked for him, where 

 he used a very barbarous force, the people below stairs hearing the noise 

 knocked at the door, but got no access. In the meantime, I happening to 

 pass through the parliament close saw Mrs Murray in her shop. She 

 asked for my wife. . I told her she was well, and that she had seen her which 

 she deneyed. I asked for Mr Cayley. She told me he had gone to the 

 countrey early that morning as he used to do. I observed her maid in the 

 shop, who with some kind of uneasiness said she would stay no longer but go 

 down stairs, and that her mistress would be wanted at home ; her mistress 

 answered she would not go till her daughter returned whom she had sent an 

 errand, and seeing a boy her son in the shop I thus understood her whole 

 family was abroad and something extraordinary was doing at home ; therefore 

 I went towards her house and I observed her looking after me, and sending 

 her son to notice where I went. I immediately grew suspicious, but checked 

 myself, and went down to Mrs Sarah Dalrymple's where my wife came in a 

 little after me and told us she had been at Mrs Murray's ; none can express 

 the torture I endured, my wife sleeped none and we were both in great agony, 

 I enquired for Mr Cayley on Munday but could not find him. On Tuesday 

 I hapned to be a little busy, which Mrs Murray understanding sent up Mr 

 Cayley in the afternoon to our house, who went directly to my wife's bed 

 chamber ; and there being but one maid in the house and she at a distance 

 from the room, my wife upbraided Mr Cayley ; but he resolving to have his 

 purpose at any rate before he left Scotland, which he was to do in a day or 

 two, laid hands on my wife, and threw her on the bed ; she struggled and 

 drew his sword which he soon wrested from her and continued his attempt. 

 She justly transported with indignation ran to my pistols, cocked them both 

 offered him one of them to use against her, but he coming forward to throw 

 her again on the bed, she shot him dead. She sent to enquire for me and in 



