Affairs were still further complicated by the
backslidings of Sir John Cochrane, Lady Jean's uncle, a notorious rebel
who was then in hiding for his complicity with Russell and Sidney, and
was even suspected of knowing something of that darker affair of the Rye
House. Claverhouse was furious at the gossip. "My Lord Duke Hamilton,"
he wrote to Queensberry,
"has refused to treat of giving his daughter to my Lord
Cochrane, till he should have the King and the Duke's leave.
This, I understand, has been advised him, to load me.
Wherefore I have written to the Duke, and told him that I
would have done it sooner, had I not judged it presumption
in me to trouble his Highness with my little concerns; and
that I looked upon myself as a cleanser, that may cure
others by coming amongst them, but cannot be infected by any
plague of Presbytery; besides, that I saw nothing singular
in my Lord Dundonald's case, save that he has but one rebel
on his land for ten that the lords and lairds of the south
and west have on theirs; and that he is willing to depone
that he knew not of there being such. The Duke is juster
than to charge my Lord Dundonald with Sir John's crimes. He
is a madman, and let him perish; they deserve to be damned
that own him.
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