In 1665, by grant under the Privy Seal dated at Edinburgh on the 1st March, King Charles II. bestowed the office of Postmaster of Haddington upon William Seton, who was at the time Provost and Postmaster. The office which had been previously held by Cornelius Ramsay, is described to be "allswell for the carrieng and convoyeing of all such packetts from Haddington by Post to Colbrandspath as shall be directed to them,[12] and for the despatching and carrieng by Post frae Haddingtoune to Canongait, and carieng and convoyeing of all such packetts as shall be directed to England to anie of our Privie Counsell of this our kingdome of Scotland, or to anie of our officers for our affairs and service." The salary is stated to be £600 Scots yearly.[13] In 1669 the Privy Council passed an Act for erecting a Foot Post between Edinburgh and Inverness once a week, and between Edinburgh and Aberdeen twice a week, "wind and weather serving," and fixed the rate of Postage for a letter not exceeding one sheet of paper, carried 40 miles Scots (about 60 English), at 2s. Scots; for a single letter carried 60 miles, 3s. Scots; and for an ounce weight, 7s. 6d. Scots; and for every single letter carried above 80 miles Scots, within Scotland, 4s. Scots; for an ounce weight 10s., and so proportionably.[14] The same Act, "for the more effectual prosecution and performance of the premises," discharges "all other Posts established, or pretending to be established upon the Aberdeen and Inverness roads."[15] To show the difficulties in the way of rapid communication at this period, from the condition of the roads in Scotland, it may be stated, that in 1678 an agreement was made to run a coach between Edinburgh and Glasgow (a distance of forty-four miles), which was to be drawn by six horses, and to perform the journey to Glasgow and back in six days. The undertaking was considered so arduous, that the contractor was to receive "200 merks a-year for five years, to assist him; but the speculation turned out so unprofitable that it was soon abandoned."[16] In 1685, the intelligence of the death of Charles II., who died on 6th February, was received in Edinburgh at one o'clock in the morning of the 10th, by an express from London.[17] In 1688 it occupied three months to convey the tidings of the abdication of James II. of England and VII. of Scotland to the Orkneys.