"Having thus, as becometh our kindred, given you our poor mind on the
subject of your journeying forth of Scotland, we would willingly
add reasons of weight, which might materially advantage you and your
father's house, thereby to determine you to abide at Wolf's Crag, until
this harvest season shall be passed over. But what sayeth the proverb,
verbum sapienti--a word is more to him that hath wisdom than a sermon to
a fool. And albeit we have written this poor scroll with our own hand,
and are well assured of the fidelity of our messenger, as him that is
many ways bounden to us, yet so it is, that sliddery ways crave wary
walking, and that we may not peril upon paper matters which we would
gladly impart to you by word of mouth. 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.
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