This is the facsimile of the second document, a letter from 1750.
This is my best attempt at a diplomatic transcription, with some brackets where I'm unsure.
[? ?] Mart 1750
Berlin ce 12me Mars 1750
Sire,
Pendant le sejour que j'ai fait hors de ma Patrie, feu la Reine d'Angleterre m'avoit fixé une pension de deux cents livres sterlings par ans, et lorsque j'etois assez heureux que Vôtre Majesté ordonna mon retour, il m'etoit deü trois annes de cette pension, come il ne faloit pas moins que 4000 ecu pour les fraix de cet longue voyage, et que je n'avois pas pu encore epargner faut de mes simples apointments je me voyois oblige de prendre de Mylord Tirawly ministre alors a la cour de Lisbon̄e 150 moinois d'or, les quelles je contois qu'il seroit rembourssés par la Cour.
Mais je vois par la lettre ci jointe que cela n'est point arrivé come je l'ai esperé, et qu'apres dix annes je me vois encore dans l'impossibilité de repayer cette petite som̄e, quoique la seule dette que j'ai jamais fait[s?]. Ma situation etant con̄üe à Vôtre Majesté, et le peu de bien de me fem̄e etant employé à l'education de les enfens, jai recours a la bonté et charité de Vôtre Majesté qu'Elle me metra en etat d'agire dans cett'affaire aussi en honethome.
La gloire de vous etre attaché, Sire, sert de relief dans les autres Royaumes, et j'espere que ma conduite ne m'en aura pas rendu indigne, je n'aspire qu'a l'honneur d'être utile au plus grand Roi de la terre, et je n'ai d'autre ambition que celle de me rendre digne de Vous servire avec desinteressement et plus d'attachement et de fidelité que beaucoup d'autres.
Je suis avec le plus profond Respect Sire de Votre Majesté le tres humble tres obeissant serviteur et sujet Keith
Notes:
1. If you're not familiar with the "m̄" and "n̄", that's a shorthand for a following m or n, so read as "mm" and "nn". This one I know from grad school!
2. "moinois d'or" I've never seen this, phrase, I've seen "Louis d'or", but I also haven't read a lot of French, so I'm taking "moinois" to be modern "monnaies", meaning "money."
3. Not sure if that's an "s" or just a meaningless squiggle at the end of "fait". The "s" doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but hey.
4. "honethome": That famous "honnete homme" phrase we've seen so many times before!
My best attempt at a translation:
Received March ?, 1750
Berlin, March 12, 1750
Sire,
During the stay that I made outside my country, the late Queen of England had given me a pension at 200 pounds sterling per year, and when I was so fortunate that Your Majesty ordered my return, three years of this pension were owed me; as it took no less than 4000 ecus for the cost of this long trip, and I had not been able to save money because of my modest income, I saw myself compelled to borrow 150 louis? d'or from Mylord Tirawly, then minister at the court of Lisbon, which I was counting on being reimbursed for by the court.
But I see by the letter attached that it hasn't turned out as I hoped, and that after 10 years I still see myself in the impossibility of repaying this small sum, although it's the only debt I've ever made. My situation being known to Your Majesty, and the few possessions of my wife being employed in the education of our children, I am having recourse to the bounty and charity of Your Majesty to put me in a condition to be able to act as an "honnet homme" in this affair.
The glory of being attached to you, Sire, serves as a consolation in other kingdoms, and I hope that my conduct has not rendered me unworthy, I aspire to nothing but the honor of being useful to the greatest king in the world, and I have no other ambition than that of rendering myself worthy of serving you with disinterest and with more attachment and loyalty than many others.
I am with the deepest respect, Sire Your Majesty's very humble and very obedient servant and subject Keith
Same note about disagreeing, especially since this one was even harder!
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Peter Keith: $$$$$
Date: 2023-01-06 06:00 pm (UTC)This is my best attempt at a diplomatic transcription, with some brackets where I'm unsure.
[? ?] Mart 1750
Berlin ce 12me Mars 1750
Sire,
Pendant le sejour que j'ai fait hors de ma Patrie, feu la Reine d'Angleterre m'avoit fixé une pension de deux cents livres sterlings par ans, et lorsque j'etois assez heureux que Vôtre Majesté ordonna mon retour, il m'etoit deü trois annes de cette pension, come il ne faloit pas moins que 4000 ecu pour les fraix de cet longue voyage, et que je n'avois pas pu encore epargner faut de mes simples apointments je me voyois oblige de prendre de Mylord Tirawly ministre alors a la cour de Lisbon̄e 150 moinois d'or, les quelles je contois qu'il seroit rembourssés par la Cour.
Mais je vois par la lettre ci jointe que cela n'est point arrivé come je l'ai esperé, et qu'apres dix annes je me vois encore dans l'impossibilité de repayer cette petite som̄e, quoique la seule dette que j'ai jamais fait[s?]. Ma situation etant con̄üe à Vôtre Majesté, et le peu de bien de me fem̄e etant employé à l'education de les enfens, jai recours a la bonté et charité de Vôtre Majesté qu'Elle me metra en etat d'agire dans cett'affaire aussi en honethome.
La gloire de vous etre attaché, Sire, sert de relief dans les autres Royaumes, et j'espere que ma conduite ne m'en aura pas rendu indigne, je n'aspire qu'a l'honneur d'être utile au plus grand Roi de la terre, et je n'ai d'autre ambition que celle de me rendre digne de Vous servire avec desinteressement et plus d'attachement et de fidelité que beaucoup d'autres.
Je suis avec le plus profond Respect
Sire
de Votre Majesté
le tres humble tres obeissant
serviteur et sujet Keith
Notes:
1. If you're not familiar with the "m̄" and "n̄", that's a shorthand for a following m or n, so read as "mm" and "nn". This one I know from grad school!
2. "moinois d'or" I've never seen this, phrase, I've seen "Louis d'or", but I also haven't read a lot of French, so I'm taking "moinois" to be modern "monnaies", meaning "money."
3. Not sure if that's an "s" or just a meaningless squiggle at the end of "fait". The "s" doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but hey.
4. "honethome": That famous "honnete homme" phrase we've seen so many times before!
My best attempt at a translation:
Received March ?, 1750
Berlin, March 12, 1750
Sire,
During the stay that I made outside my country, the late Queen of England had given me a pension at 200 pounds sterling per year, and when I was so fortunate that Your Majesty ordered my return, three years of this pension were owed me; as it took no less than 4000 ecus for the cost of this long trip, and I had not been able to save money because of my modest income, I saw myself compelled to borrow 150 louis? d'or from Mylord Tirawly, then minister at the court of Lisbon, which I was counting on being reimbursed for by the court.
But I see by the letter attached that it hasn't turned out as I hoped, and that after 10 years I still see myself in the impossibility of repaying this small sum, although it's the only debt I've ever made. My situation being known to Your Majesty, and the few possessions of my wife being employed in the education of our children, I am having recourse to the bounty and charity of Your Majesty to put me in a condition to be able to act as an "honnet homme" in this affair.
The glory of being attached to you, Sire, serves as a consolation in other kingdoms, and I hope that my conduct has not rendered me unworthy, I aspire to nothing but the honor of being useful to the greatest king in the world, and I have no other ambition than that of rendering myself worthy of serving you with disinterest and with more attachment and loyalty than many others.
I am with the deepest respect,
Sire
Your Majesty's
very humble and very obedient
servant and subject Keith
Same note about disagreeing, especially since this one was even harder!