4 April 1775.

Dear Sir

Your favours of 24^th past reached me have forwarded yours to M^r. Low, which ^r. Jackson past with usual chearfullness, on reading the paragraph of yours to him, expresst his Compliments to be offer'd, adding, that he shall be always happy & ready to do every thing to oblige you; since M^r. White omitted to transmit the Copies intended for your Friends here these will not as yet (if you incline) be unacceptable yet as you please.¹

T'other day I met M^r. Runciman Painter who told me he is possessed of M^r. Macgowan's Image, which he is sketching of, which ^and hope for it shortly hence.

D^r. Steedman told me some days ago ^since,while he resided many years ago at Dunfermline, when the Workmen busied in clearing out some Ground within the Abbacy there, in order to supply the inhabitants at that place with Stones for building their houses, a most infamous dilapidation (to use Johnson's phrase)² there was discovered a secret passage underground, of which D^r. Steedman took a Sketch, this I expect to get a Copy of, with any remarks on it, & shall be sent you.

If what has been communicated about our Hospitals will afford you materials for general accounts of them it is all to be expected from your performance.

Do you think it amiss to notice our Sanctuaries for insolvent Debitors in this place, still used by the misfortunate to evade the Severities of the Law & their Creditors, which are viz. ^L 1. the Abbay [sic] of Holyroodhouse, the precincts thereof & all the Kings park including Arthur seat or hill to Duddingston, it's remarkable this priviledged place has a Baillie, who keeps Courts, punishs [sic] offenders &^c. within it's Jurisdiction. 2. another Sanctuary, for the space of a day or two at most for these unhappy people, was the King's Stables at the West port under the Castle, now converted into a Brewerie & dwelling houses, this is in the Jurisdiction of the Barony of Portsburgh & may be used yet as a protection to those poor insolvents for a short space: contiguous to that lies a spot of ground now swampy, (betwixt the road ^South & below the Castle & ^north of the Street of our Suburbs called portsburgh) whereon of old the Tournaments &^c. were decided & to this day amongst the veteran residents is termed the Tilt-yard. — Here was an old Chapel dedicated to the V. Mary now quite destroyed but from a name given to a Street or passage of old to it, the name Mary Wynd is Still retained,tho' now a waste: I am surprised that that Keith has omitted this in his List of Religious houses in our place, it is almost adjacent to the King's Stables: in most others he may be justly depended on as a very faithfull compiler from Father Hay &^c. there is still a 3^d. Sanctuary in this place the Mint of equal priviledge with Holyroodhouse altho' it's bounds is but small. — If you incline to know the different limits of the City I will endeavour to get these pointed out to you: I remember well the remains of a Port in the West Bow as you pass from the Weighhouse to the Grassmercat, which was at the first Turn below it; this passage is zigzag ways³(a) was the old port: people used to pass from one side of the Bow to the other above the Arch of the Port.

In looking into Father Hays M.SS. Collections, I find that there are two or else three Views of Roslin Castle, also a very neat one of the Chapel &^c. the Castle is more intire than at present & cannot have been done earlier ^later than the beginning of this Century; the Account of the Foundation of this Chapel published in the Edinburgh Magazine is extracted from this Collection of Charters &^c. — I am to send you these Magazines sometime this month & some things else all will be given into M^r White's at London will write you particularly afterwards of it.

If you desire to be informed to whom two Daughters of Lord. ^C [Cardinal] Beton was ^were married, to I can now inform you from Father Hay's notes &c Please look into Abercrombie's Martial Atchivements for the Battle of Roslin, his Account is reckoned the most exact we have, & was very remarkable. — Should you want the Etching of Jameson the Painter his Wife & Child , I have got the promise of the Loan of it, but can not met [sic] with one to purchase, he is drawn as you describe him with his Hat on his Head.

The inclosed Letter is sent to all our Nova Scotia Knights.⁴ I am desired to attend the Treasurer of the Royal Infirmary this Week to get an Extract of it's annual Revenue.

I shall send you the last State of our Society for propagating Christian Knowledge in Scotland, which contains a list of the Parishes & in what Counties with their different charges &^c. it is rather bulky for transmitting by post. Our English Meeting is finished but the Walls are not quit [sic] dry for painting, Worship is performed there now. you have a view of it in the Edin^r. Magazine I send you.

I am
D^r Sir Your most obed^t. Serv^t.

GPaton

Who is M^r Rudd.

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Editorial notes

1. Pennant often presented copies of his own works, once completed, to friends and collaborators who had assisted in the composition or gathering of materials. A letter of 1774 lists several friends and correspondents, Paton among them, who were to recieve copies of Pennant's Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides 1772 .
2. A reference to the definition of dilapidation given in Johnson's Dictionary : The incumbent's suffering the chancel, or any other edifices of his ecclesiastical living, to go to ruin or decay, by neglecting to repair the same: and it likewise extends to his committing, or suffering to be committed, any wilful waste in or upon the glebe-woods, or any other inheritance of the church.
3. Here Paton has drawn a small diagram of two parallel z-shapes, connected near the top by a horizontal line marked (a)
4. A reference to the baronetcies of Nova Scotia created by Charles I to encourage the province's colonisation.