J. West.” To this Letter an answer was returned in the following words (dated May 19. 1754)— “Sir, The honour his Grace the Duke of Newcastle has done me, by your Letter of the 16th. instant, is extremely obliging. But his Grace’s readiness to oblige has enhanced these obligations beyond expression. I must therefore humbly beg my noble friend’s assistance how to acknowledge them as I would, as well as to receive, the royal favour so frankly promised. Meantime I beg his Grace to believe that my breast is full of all the gratitude that is possible to be expressed. I am with very great esteem, Sir, Your obedient humble Servant G. H.” It may be here just added, that though Lidderdale could not boast of the generosity or munificence of the Townshends, the case was somewhat otherwise with Hepburn, as appears from the following copy of a Letter dated July 11th. 1756, from him to the then Lord Townshend. The copy, probably in the handwriting of one of his daughters by the _last marriage_, is as follows— “My Lord, The singular testimony of your Lordships regard (which I lately had the honour to receive from Mr. Case) has, like the Sunbeams of Summer to a decayed plant, giveing (given) warmth and springly vigour to the winter of my age. A warmth, my Lord, which has filled my breast with greattitude (gratitude) that will last as long as blood circulates in the veanns (veins) or the heart continues to beat in the breast of, My Lord, Your Lordship’s ever obliged, most obedient, And most thankful humble servant. G. H.” When the kindness of Dr. _Maxwell_, in settling upon his uncle Hepburn the very handsome annuity of 200_l._ a year, was noticed above, it should have been also observed that the nephew had very great obligations to the uncle, and owed perhaps almost every thing to him in regard to his good fortune or advancement in the world. The following Letter from Hepburn to the Duke of Devonshire, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, where Maxwell was in the meantime stationed as a surgeon in the army, may serve to throw some light upon that subject.—