The Swintons of that Ilk, by A. Campbell Swinton. 349 



lady's fair fame, is supported by a letter from her husband 

 to Sir John Swinton, which has been discovered among the 

 family papers, and also by the fact, that though fugitated by 

 the Court of Justiciary, she returned to Edinburgh, where she 

 lived and died without being brought to trial. Sir John Swin- 

 ton died in 1725, and was succeeded by his eldest son, 



XXIU. John Swinton of Swinton, Advocate. He is honour- 

 ably mentioned as one of the earliest promoters of agricultural 

 improvement in Berwickshire, having "about the year 1730, 

 impelled by a spirit of patriotism as well as of interest, drained, 



an hour after I came home, my wife very conscious of her innocence inclined 

 to send for the magistrats and Mr Cay ley's friends and to tell them the whole 

 story. I judged that too rash, therefore I sent her away. She was very 

 well in her health when I saw her last, and told me that which I have said 

 above and to severall others who saw her. Malice and envy are now hard at 

 work, but to you, Sir, and your Lady who know my wife so well I need not 

 justify this action, the good and the wise are for us, the rest of the world 

 are not much to be regarded ; my wife's integrity virtue and innocence are 

 testified, that gives me comfort, and will make her still dearer to me. 

 Neither of us suspected a crime so horrid would be committed by a man we 

 both esteemed for his civility and good breeding, and who saw us very happy 

 in the enjoyment of one another. I offer my humble duty to your Lady 

 and family- -Excuse this confusion, I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble 



servant, 



JOHN McFARLANE. 



Do me the favour to send this 

 to Sir Eobert Sinclair. 

 A precognition was taken, which with the circumstances of the room and my 

 wife' s clothes and his, prove the fact as I have told it. Mrs Murray still 

 denies that she had seen my wife that afternoon, but owns that Mr Cayley 

 was privately at her house pretending he was sick, and that they went out to 

 the countrey about six in the evening." 



There has also been preserved part of a copy of a letter from Mrs Macfar- 

 lane to Lady Swinton, dated Nov. 26, 1716, in which, after complaining 

 vehemently of the " malicious lies and falsehoods" with which her reputation 

 had been assailed ; she adds, "As to the fatal accident your Ladyship has 

 good nature enough to believe that nothing less than the most unworthy 

 provocation would have occasioned it. The story as it was written to you is 

 too true. I am far from justifying the unlucky action or glorying in it as 

 my enemies falsely say. But I earnestly hope and pray that the same good 

 God who permitted my weakness to be tried, may mercifully forgive my 

 faulty rashness and vindicate me in as far as I am injured, and as to what 

 concerns the world, I am fully convinced that if ever the virtuous part of it 

 come to any tolerable knowledge of my case, it will find me much more the 

 object of pity than of insolence." 



