Dr Cameron's letter to his son
Copy of a LETTER from Dr. ARCHIBALD CAMERON
under sentence of death, to his son In France.
Tower of London, June 6th, 1753
MY DEAR CHILD,—It is with the highest satisfaction that I have for some time past observed in you a sense of honour and loyalty much beyond what could have expected from a boy of. your years, and death will soon deprive me of the power of being of farther service to my king, prince, and country, yet what greatly to my satisfaction is the principle you shew in your to your mother on the news of my being in custody, and the confidence you have of my inviolable fidelity to the royal cause, I give you the joy to assure you that your confidence is well grounded; for I have been unalterable even in the smallest matters, and my approaching death and the most severe usage will rather serve to confirm than shake my fixed resolution of remaining so for ever.
I am far less concerned about myself than about my friends and ruined country, They, not I, claim pity, tho’ I fall a victim to truth, honour, and uprightness, by the rage of Hanoverian counsels, the declared enemies to every virtue. I thank God I am hearty and in much better health than I have been for some years past, more especially since I saw that letter which gives me such hopes of your future conduct from the desire you express in it, that I should rather sacrifice my life than save it on dishonourable terms. [Macht mur in d'hair (as Rothie used to say) i,e. the Son is like the father,] I thank my God I was always easier ashamed than frightened.
I have no money to leave you as a legacy, but take what is of infinite more value, viz.: Above all things first serve God, next your king, prince, and country; then be always in your duty to your mother, brothers, and sister; act honourably and honestly by your neighbour; meddle in no party quarrels; but when you are personally wrong'd, demand justice with coolness, regularity and resolution, without personal reflections. Beware of ever speaking to the disadvantage of the absent, even tho’ they should deserve it.
I recommend to you in a particular manner the care of your health. Observe great moderation in eating; at any rate abstain from heavy and late suppers; and, above all, avoid drinking and whoring. Be a good economist of your little money and cloaths. Let the company you frequent be rather of your betters than your inferiors.
My time and writing implements allow me only to recommend my most hearty thanks to my noble and worthy colonel. Don't neglect your duty to him.
My love and dying benediction to my children, affection to my brother's children, best wishes to all my friends, and hearty compliments to all my good acquaintance and . . .
Here this great, good man was obliged to leave off, probably for want of a knife to cut his bit of a pencil, and he never had another opportunity to add what he had to. say farther to his son, except what he told a friend by word of mouth, the morning of his execution, in delivering him the last present he sent his son, which was a pair of steel shoe-buckles, with the charge (which, that it might not be forgotten, he repeated several times), viz.; “These I send by you to my wife as my last present to my son, and bid her tell him from me that I send him these and not my silver ones, and that if I had gold ones I would not send him the gold, but these steel ones which I wore when sculking. For as steel is hard and of small value, it is therefore an emblem of constancy and disinterestedness. So I would have him constant and disinterested in the service and defence of his king, prince, and country, and neither be bribed nor frightened from his duty.
The Lyon in Mourning, 1896, Vol. iii, pages 137-139
under sentence of death, to his son In France.
Tower of London, June 6th, 1753
MY DEAR CHILD,—It is with the highest satisfaction that I have for some time past observed in you a sense of honour and loyalty much beyond what could have expected from a boy of. your years, and death will soon deprive me of the power of being of farther service to my king, prince, and country, yet what greatly to my satisfaction is the principle you shew in your to your mother on the news of my being in custody, and the confidence you have of my inviolable fidelity to the royal cause, I give you the joy to assure you that your confidence is well grounded; for I have been unalterable even in the smallest matters, and my approaching death and the most severe usage will rather serve to confirm than shake my fixed resolution of remaining so for ever.
I am far less concerned about myself than about my friends and ruined country, They, not I, claim pity, tho’ I fall a victim to truth, honour, and uprightness, by the rage of Hanoverian counsels, the declared enemies to every virtue. I thank God I am hearty and in much better health than I have been for some years past, more especially since I saw that letter which gives me such hopes of your future conduct from the desire you express in it, that I should rather sacrifice my life than save it on dishonourable terms. [Macht mur in d'hair (as Rothie used to say) i,e. the Son is like the father,] I thank my God I was always easier ashamed than frightened.
I have no money to leave you as a legacy, but take what is of infinite more value, viz.: Above all things first serve God, next your king, prince, and country; then be always in your duty to your mother, brothers, and sister; act honourably and honestly by your neighbour; meddle in no party quarrels; but when you are personally wrong'd, demand justice with coolness, regularity and resolution, without personal reflections. Beware of ever speaking to the disadvantage of the absent, even tho’ they should deserve it.
I recommend to you in a particular manner the care of your health. Observe great moderation in eating; at any rate abstain from heavy and late suppers; and, above all, avoid drinking and whoring. Be a good economist of your little money and cloaths. Let the company you frequent be rather of your betters than your inferiors.
My time and writing implements allow me only to recommend my most hearty thanks to my noble and worthy colonel. Don't neglect your duty to him.
My love and dying benediction to my children, affection to my brother's children, best wishes to all my friends, and hearty compliments to all my good acquaintance and . . .
Here this great, good man was obliged to leave off, probably for want of a knife to cut his bit of a pencil, and he never had another opportunity to add what he had to. say farther to his son, except what he told a friend by word of mouth, the morning of his execution, in delivering him the last present he sent his son, which was a pair of steel shoe-buckles, with the charge (which, that it might not be forgotten, he repeated several times), viz.; “These I send by you to my wife as my last present to my son, and bid her tell him from me that I send him these and not my silver ones, and that if I had gold ones I would not send him the gold, but these steel ones which I wore when sculking. For as steel is hard and of small value, it is therefore an emblem of constancy and disinterestedness. So I would have him constant and disinterested in the service and defence of his king, prince, and country, and neither be bribed nor frightened from his duty.
The Lyon in Mourning, 1896, Vol. iii, pages 137-139
