Wherefore, it was our purpose to have prayed you heartily to come to this our barren Highland country to kill a stag, and to treat of the matters which we are now more painfully inditing to you anent.

But commodity does not serve at present for such our meeting, which, therefore, shall be deferred until sic time as we may in all mirth rehearse those things whereof we now keep silence.
Meantime, we pray you to think that we are, and will still be, your good kinsman and well-wisher, waiting but for times of whilk we do, as it were, entertain a twilight prospect, and appear and hope to be also your effectual well-doer.

And in which hope we heartily write ourself, "Right Honourable, "Your loving cousin, "A----.
"Given from our poor house of B----," etc.
Superscribed--"For the right honourable, and our honoured kinsman, the Master of Ravenswood--These, with haste, haste, post haste--ride and run until these be delivered." "What think you of this epistle, Bucklaw ?" said the Master, when his companion had hammered out all the sense, and almost all the words of which it consisted.
"Truly, that the Marquis's meaning is as great a riddle as his manuscript.

He is really in much need of _Wit's Interpreter_, or the _Complete Letter-Writer_, and were I you, I would send him a copy by the bearer.

He writes you very kindly to remain wasting your time and your money in this vile, stupid, oppressed country, without so much as offering you the countenance and shelter of his house.