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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
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 THE BASSANDYNE BIBLE.
 
 Vignette from Title-page of Bassandyne Bible.
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Bassandyne Bible 
 
 The First Printed in Scotland 
 
 WITH NOTICES OF 
 
 Z^t 6arfg (printerfi of (EbinBur^^ 
 
 WILLIAM T. DOBSON 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 LITERARY FRIVOLITIES," " POETICAL INGENUITIES, 
 
 " KOVAL CHARACTERS OF SCOTT," ETC. ETC. 
 
 IViTH Facsimiles and other Illustrations 
 
 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS 
 
 EDINBURGH AND LONDON 
 
 MDCCCLXXXVII 
 
 \ All rights reseried \
 
 BAI.I.ANTVNK, HANSON AND CO. 
 HDINBIIRGH AND I.ONUON
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 M 
 -J 
 
 CO 
 
 
 HE history and pedigree of books and 
 their writers is no new attraction to 
 the curious, as is evidenced by the 
 numerous scholarly treatises on this 
 branch of knowledge. There appears to be a kind 
 of romantic interest attached to all that concerns 
 rare old editions, and the story of their production 
 is often the story, on the part of either printer 
 or publisher, of perseverance and energy in over- 
 coming no ordinary difficulties. These men seem 
 frequently to have been carried forward by a 
 genuine faith and enthusiasm in the prosecution 
 of the work to which they had given themselves, 
 devoting, as they did, much labour, thought, and 
 anxiety to the accomplishment of their purpose. 
 No doubt the early printers were hampered much 
 by the ignorance and superstition of the common 
 people of the time, to whom their work would 
 appear very mysterious, and it would be long ere 
 the feeling of awe resulting from the strange 
 secrecy which brooded over the houses of the early 
 printers could be shaken off. 
 
 
 ^4 

 
 viii (jJreface. 
 
 We cannot but feel amused if we endeavour to 
 picture to our minds the consternation excited by 
 the first printed Bibles exposed for sale. Con- 
 ceive a meeting of two fat friars, both bibliophiles 
 and connoisseurs in manuscripts, quite in raptures 
 over the neat clean copies of the Vulgate which 
 they have managed to secure at an obvious bargain 
 from the German stranger. Each praises his own 
 through all the forms of the superlative. At last 
 the volumes are brought forth and diligently com- 
 pared, when, to the amazement and horror of the 
 two reverend fathers, they are found to be exact 
 counterparts — neither can distinguish his own. 
 They fear to touch the Doppclgdnger — they fear 
 to burn their fingers — there must evidently have 
 been some fell sinister influence at work here ; but 
 then arises the question whether his Satanic majesty 
 could endure the sight of the Word of Truth long 
 enough to produce such exact copies. 
 
 Difficulties and trials and troubles certainly lay 
 in the way of the early printers, yet it is aston- 
 ishing, in examining old books, to see how soon 
 after the introduction of the art all that was neces- 
 sary to it was found out and developed in the 
 way of "imposing," "registering," "signaturing," 
 and the binding of the sheets of a book. So 
 far as concerns these, we have not, in these days 
 of much mechanical achievement, improved upon 
 the methods of the early craftsmen, while the 
 rapid production now generally aimed at must be, 
 in a great measure, to the neglect of those finer
 
 preface. ix 
 
 features of the art so much cultivated and developed 
 by them. 
 
 "A real study of our early printed books," says 
 Mr. Blades in his " Life of Caxton," " brings with 
 it a knowledge, more or less, of all the arts and 
 sciences taught in the fifteenth and sixteenth cen- 
 turies. In this lies one of its chief attractions 
 to the bibliographer. The invention of printing 
 gave new life to all branches of knowledge, and 
 if we thoughtfully consider the wonderful effects 
 which have proceeded from it — effects far more 
 important to mankind than even the discovery of 
 steam power, electric power, or any other inven- 
 tion — we shall surely feel deeply interested in all 
 that concerns its introduction and spread in our 
 country." 
 
 With a feeling akin to this the present writer 
 has sought to give a brief account of some of the 
 early printers of Edinburgh, and particularly of 
 Thomas Bassandyne and the first Bible printed 
 in Scotland, with the difficulties and impediments 
 which lay in the way of its production. In con- 
 nection with this, the little volume will be found 
 to contain many curious and interesting things — 
 things honest and of good report — things of histo- 
 rical and antiquarian interest and value — not readily 
 accessible to ordinary readers, relating to the books 
 and printers of Old Edinburgh. It was not thought, 
 when the work was begun, that information regard- 
 ing Thomas Bassandyne and his Bible would be 
 so very difficult to procure ; but only a few books
 
 X (preface. 
 
 of the many consulted proved to be of much service, 
 and the information had to be gathered piecemeal, 
 here a little and there a little, out of many outlying 
 nooks and corners of our old literature. Histories 
 of the period, and other books which were thought 
 to be most likely to give contemporary side-views 
 of local incidents, were almost absolutely barren 
 in this direction, while even volumes treating of 
 Typographical Antiquities, full enough in other 
 respects, tell comparatively little about Bassan- 
 dyne and his Bible. Even James Watson, an 
 Edinburgh printer of the end of the seventeenth 
 and beginning of the eighteenth centuries, gives 
 no information, though he wrote one of the earliest 
 works on the History of Printing — a book one would 
 naturally have supposed to contain some notice of 
 the old printer and his work. 
 
 Limited time and opportunities may well render 
 this contribution to the socio-history of Edinburgh 
 less complete than otherwise it might be, but the 
 writer has conscientiously availed himself of every 
 advantage within his reach, and where defects or 
 omissions may be found, for these every apology 
 is tendered. It is given to few to feel assured that 
 every particular of a cherished object has been duly 
 accomplished, and the present writer cannot say 
 he is of that happy minorit}', and can only hope 
 that this effort may lead some abler individual to 
 follow suit in the composition of a fuller and more 
 comprehensive work regarding the early printers of 
 Edinburgh.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGK 
 
 Introduction of the Bible into Scotland . . • i? 
 
 The Reformation — Importation of Bibles — Patrick Hamil- 
 ton — Henry Forrest — Alexander Ales— The Bible Pro- 
 hibited — Secular Literature — Sir David Lyndsay — Cardinal 
 Beaton— Scots Parliament of March 1543— Reading of 
 the Bible Permitted — The Earl of Arran — Renewal of Per- 
 secution — George Wishart. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Translations of the Biile ..... 39 
 
 The Invention of Printing — Erasmus — William Tyndale — 
 His New Testament — Bishop Tonstal — Burning the Bible 
 — Martyrdom of Tyndale — Coverdale — Matthews' Bible — 
 Taverner's Bible — The Great Bible— Prohibition of the 
 Bible — Queen Mary of England — Bishop Bonner — ^John 
 Bodley — The Geneva Version. 
 
 CHAPTER III, 
 Introduction of Printing into Edinburgh . . 69 
 
 James IV. — Androw Myllar — Walter Chepman— The " Por- 
 teous of Noblenes " — The " Breviarium Aberdonense" 
 — The Poet Dunbar — John Story— Thomas Davidson —
 
 PAGE 
 
 Contents. 
 
 License to Print Acts of Parliament — John Scott — The 
 " Complaynte of Scotland" — Hamilton's " Catechisme" — 
 The "Twopenny Faith" — Restrictions on the Press — The 
 "Tragedy of the Cardinal" — Niniane Winzet — Henrie 
 Charteris — The General Assembly and the Printers — 
 Robert Lekprevik — First License to Print the Bible — The 
 ' ' Donat " — Regent Morton — Satires against the Regent. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Bassandyne and Arhuthnot . . . . loi 
 
 "Fall of the Roman Kirk" — Alexander Arbuthnot — Pro- 
 posal to Print the IMble — Assent of the General Assembly 
 — The " Corrector" and " Composer" — Impediments and 
 Difficulties — Government License for Bible — Partnership 
 Disputes— Pubhcation of the Bible — The Dedicatory Epistle 
 — Enforced Sale of the Bible — Arbuthnot appointed King's 
 Printer — Thomas Vautrollier, a Huguenot Printer. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Bassandyne Bible . . . . . .126 
 
 Collation — Size and Type — Title and Vignette — The Illus- 
 trations — The Genevan "Copy" used — The "Arguments" 
 and Notes— King James the Sixth and the Genevan Notes 
 — The Apocrypha — Tables and Indexes. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 The Successors of Bassandyne . . . -15^ 
 
 Popular Books — "The Seven Sages" — George Young — 
 Books Printed on the Continent — Andro Hart— Thomas 
 Norton — Customs Daties on Books — Hart's Folio Bible — 
 Napier's Logarithms—" Booke of Godlie and Spirituall 
 Sangs" — Thomas Finlayson — Sir John Skene — " Regiam 
 Majestatem " — Robert Young — The Archbishop of Canter-
 
 Contentg. xiii 
 
 bury's Bibles — The Scottish Service Book — Covenanting 
 Troubles — Proclamations of Charles the First — ' ' The 
 Remonstrance of the Nobility," &c. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Evan Tyler — The Andersons . . . -177 
 
 Evan Tyler — New Presbyterian Psalm Book — Archibald 
 Hyslop — Andro Anderson — Monopoly of Printing — Robert 
 Sanders — Sir Thomas Murray and the Statutes — Mrs. 
 Anderson — Incorrect Bibles — Curious Blunders — "Satan's 
 Invisible World Discovered" — The Lord Chancellor and 
 the Bookseller — "The Root of Romish Ceremonies." 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 TVatson, Symson, and Ruddbnan . . . -194 
 
 James Watson — The Darien Riots — The Edinburgh Gazette 
 — Captain Donaldson — The Courant — Adam Boig — Scot- 
 tish Newspapers — Robert Freebairn — First History of 
 Printing — Rebellion of 1715— Watson's Bibles — Andrew 
 Symson — Thomas Ruddiman, Author and Printer — First 
 Sale of Books by Auction— The Caledonian Mercury. 
 
 List of Authorities . . . . . .221 
 
 Index ......... 223
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Vignette from Title of Bassandyne Bible . . Frontispiece 
 
 Sir David Lyndsay ....... Page 33 
 
 First Page of Tyndale's Testament ..... 43 
 
 Burning Bibles at PauPs Cross . . . . . . 51 
 
 The Chained Bible . . . . . . . . 61 
 
 Andro^v Myllar's Device 77 
 
 Sixteenth Century Printing-Office . . . . . 91 
 
 Bookbinding in Sixteenth Century . . . . .109 
 Paper-tnaking in Sixteenth Century . . . . .113 
 
 Title of Bassandyne' s New Testament 117 
 
 Initial from Tyndale's Testament . . . . . .126 
 
 Facsimile page {reduced) of Bassatidyne Bible . . . 127 
 Gardc7t of Eden, from Bassandyne Bible . . . . 135 
 
 The Ark, from Bassatuiyne Bible . . . . . .143 
 
 Ped Sea, from Bassandyne Bible . . . . ■ .151 
 
 Initial from Bassandyne Bible . . . . . .176 
 
 Title-page of Evan Tyler's Scotch Psalms for English Printed 
 
 Bibles 179 
 
 Thomas Ruddiman 215
 
 Zhe Bassanb^ne Bible. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Introduction of the Bible into Scotland. 
 
 HE doctrines of the Reformation, more 
 especially those which asserted the 
 
 supreme authority of the written Word 
 
 and the independence of the individual conscience 
 from all ecclesiastical domination, had made con- 
 siderable progress in Scotland about 1525, aided 
 latterly by the importation of some of Luther's 
 writings. This greatly alarmed the clergy, to 
 whom the name of the great Reformer was a word 
 of terror, and they procured an Act of Parliament 
 in 1525, requiring that "no manner of persons 
 strangers that happened to arrive with their ships, 
 within any part of the realm, should bring with 
 them any books of the said Luther, his disciples, 
 or servants, on pain of imprisonment, besides the 
 
 forfeiture 
 
 B
 
 €^e (§aBBan^isne QBifife. 
 
 forfeiture of their ships and goods." This edict 
 seemingly failed to effect their purpose, and fresh 
 alarm seized the clergy because of a rumour that 
 the forbidden works were being brought into the 
 country by the "king's lieges." In August 1527, 
 accordingly, an additional clause was added to the 
 former edict. " That all other, the king's lieges, 
 assistaries to such opinions, be punished in seem- 
 able wise, and the effect of the said Act to strike 
 upon them." 
 
 As the importation of " books of religion " was 
 a clandestine and dangerous traffic, there is no 
 distinct record of it, though little doubt exists that 
 some of Luther's writings had entered Scotland by 
 this time, but the only books which can be certainly 
 traced were copies of T3'ndale's New Testament. 
 Not only was this the case in Scotland, but also in 
 England — both countries being supplied from the 
 Continent; and neither, though so closely connected, 
 being in this matter dependent on the other. John 
 Hackett was English ambassador in Antwerp at 
 the time of this clandestine importation, and one of 
 his duties was to purchase and burn, or " see justice 
 done," to all such English books as were called 
 the New Testament, " for the preservation of Chris- 
 tian faith." In a letter dated 20th February 1526, 
 Hackett informed Cardinal Wolsey that " there 
 
 were
 
 tH Q^ifife in ^coffanb. 19 
 
 were divers merchants of Scotland that bought many 
 like books, and sent them from Zealand into Scot- 
 land; a part to Edinburgh, and more part to the 
 town of St, Andrews." As February was the 
 closing month of the year, which then began in 
 March, it is evident, from the first edict referred 
 to above, that these were not the first copies of 
 Tyndale's New Testament brought into Scotland 
 in that manner ; as, besides St. Andrews, the ports 
 of Leith, Montrose, and Aberdeen traded with 
 Zealand. No official steps to exclude the Bible by 
 name being taken for five years after this, it may 
 reasonably be inferred that many copies entered 
 again and again by those ports, and that the best 
 part of them, as Hackett says, found their way 
 to St. Andrews, " the very metropolis of super- 
 stition." 
 
 By the reception of the Bible into the country, 
 the years 1525 and 1526 thus became, as has 
 been well said, " by far the most remarkable in 
 the annals of Scotland." The welcome the Book 
 received, however, was not an unmixed one. The 
 common people received it gladly, but its introduc- 
 tion met with fierce opposition from men in authority 
 — alike from clergy, lawgivers and lawyers, and 
 scholars, who deprecated its admission as an evil 
 of the greatest magnitude ; for they very soon 
 
 realised
 
 20 t'^e ^asean^i^ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 realised that, if the Scriptures once got possession 
 of the minds of the people, their authority and 
 influence would ultimately be undermined. One 
 Scottish priest wrote against the common people 
 having the Word of God in their own hands as 
 follows : " Are all merchands, tailours, souters, 
 baxters, wha cannot learne their awin craftes 
 without skilful maisters, ar thir, I say, and uther 
 temporal men, of whatsomever vocation or degree, 
 sufficient doctor of thame selfis to reid and under- 
 stand the hie mysteries of the Bible ? What 
 folie is it that wemen, wha cannot sew, cairde, nor 
 spin, without they lerne the same of uther skilful 
 wemen, suld usurp to reid and interpret the Bible !" 
 About the same time. Dr. Buckenham, prior of 
 Blackfriars, London, spoke at Cambridge in a 
 similar strain of the danger of having the Scriptures 
 in the native tongue : " If that heresy," said he, 
 " should prevail, we should soon see an end of 
 everything useful among us. The ploughman read- 
 ing that if he put his hand to the plough, and should 
 happen to look back, he was unfit for the kingdom 
 of God, would soon lay aside his labour ; the 
 baker, likewise, reading that a little leaven will 
 corrupt the whole lump, would give us very insipid 
 bread ; the simple man likewise finding himself 
 commanded to pluck out his eyes, in a few years 
 
 we
 
 t^e (§me in ^coffan^. 
 
 we should have the nation full of blind beggars." 
 When those in authority held such repressive 
 opinions, it is no wonder that martyrdom soon 
 followed in the track of Tyndale's New Testament 
 — that it brought not peace, but a sword. In 
 February 1528, at the very time Cuthbert Tonstal 
 and his vicar-general were sitting in judgment 
 upon the Word of God in London, it was also 
 being condemned in Scotland by the martyrdom of 
 Patrick Hamilton, the leader of the noble army of 
 martyrs in the British Isles during the sixteenth 
 century. 
 
 Patrick Hamilton, born in 1504, and the great- 
 grandson of James the Second, received the elements 
 of his education at St. Andrews, and afterwards 
 studied on the Continent, chiefly at Paris and 
 Louvaine. On his return to Scotland, to find his 
 mother a widow, his father having been slain in 
 the feud between the Douglases and the Hamiltons 
 on the 30th April 1520, Patrick was again entered 
 at St. Andrews, then the centre of ecclesiastical 
 influence in Scotland, in whose castle the Primate 
 resided, and there pursued his theological studies 
 with special reference to the controversy regarding 
 the doctrines of the Reformation, of which he had 
 heard so much on the Continent. He was not at 
 this early period inclined to Luther — he rather pre- 
 ferred
 
 €^c Q$a66anbgne (J$i6fe. 
 
 ferred Erasmus ; but though he had been Abbot 
 of Feme from his boyhood, such was his hatred to 
 monkish hypocrisy, that an old biographer says 
 "he never assumed the monkish habit or resided 
 with the monks." It is evident that Hamilton 
 when he took orders had no thought of separating 
 himself from the Romish Church, but it was not 
 long before, like Luther, he was driven from her 
 communion, as the conviction forced itself on him 
 that allegiance to the Word of God and to the 
 Pope were incompatible. With increased interest 
 he continued his studies, and especially that of the 
 Scriptures, though he had not as yet seen them 
 in English. However, a copy of Tyndale's New 
 Testament, one of those furtively brought into the 
 country in bales of merchandise, at length fell into 
 Hamilton's hands at St. Andrews, and rumours 
 that he held heretical opinions soon reached Arch- 
 bishop Beaton, who consequently caused " faith- 
 ful inquisition " to be made, and discovered that 
 Hamilton was infected with "heresy, disputing, hold- 
 ing, and manifesting divers heresies of Luther." 
 His liberty and life being now in danger, Patrick 
 Hamilton fled to Germany, and eventually reached 
 Wittemberg, where he found himself side by side 
 with Luther. The happy results which he now 
 saw in Germany, as the fruit of the circulation of 
 
 the
 
 t^e Igifife in ^cotfanb. 23 
 
 the Scriptures, both astonished and deHghted him ; 
 the monasteries were deserted, and the churches, 
 purified from Romish observances, now echoed 
 with the voice of prayer and praise in a language 
 which the people could understand. 
 
 From Wittemberg Hamilton went to Marburg, 
 and became the friend of Francis Lambert, John 
 Fryth, and of William Tyndale, the latter being 
 then busy with his translation of the Old Testa- 
 ment. Hamilton's name stands among the earliest 
 members of the University of Marburg, the first 
 great school which, after the lapse of centuries, 
 was established independently of Papal sanction. 
 Late in the autumn of 1527, Hamilton returned to 
 Scotland, with the resolve at any cost to expose 
 the corruptions of Rome, and enforce " the reading 
 of the Scriptures, and the necessity of repentance 
 towards God and faith in Christ, in order to good 
 works." The ardour with which Hamilton now 
 preached the new doctrines, his learning, courtesy, 
 blameless character, and noble birth, gave great 
 weight to his teaching, and made him specially 
 obnoxious to the clergy, who were panic-struck at 
 his courage. These upholders of the " old learn- 
 ing" therefore determined to crush the heresy at 
 once, lest it should take root in the land. Taking 
 advantage of King James V.'s absence on a pilgrim- 
 age
 
 24 ^^e (§aBBan^isne Q$i6fe. 
 
 age to St. Duthack's, Beaton summoned Hamilton 
 from Feme to St. Andrews, promising him safety ; 
 but Patrick's friends, seeing his danger, advised 
 him to fly for his life. Not accepting this advice, 
 Hamilton was arrested one night in bed, and 
 carried to the Castle of St. Andrews. Next day, 
 in the presence of the Cardinal, thirteen articles 
 were laid to his charge by Alexander Campbell, a 
 Dominican friar, an inveterate and mortal enemy 
 of his ; and during the examination the head and 
 front of Hamilton's offending was proved to be, his 
 having enforced the reading of the New Testament 
 in English. On the same day on which his judges 
 returned their verdict of guilty, Saturday, Feb- 
 ruary 28, 1528, notwithstanding the Archbishop's 
 promise, he was burnt at the stake, opposite St. 
 Salvador's College, and his body reduced to ashes, 
 before the sun went down. 
 
 The second martyr at St. Andrews, Henry 
 Forrest, a Benedictine monk of Linlithgow, was 
 also a young man. His martyrdom took place in 
 I533> "for nou uther crime but because he had ane 
 New Testament in Engliss," and had been heard 
 to say that Patrick Hamilton was a true martyr. 
 " He suffered death at the north stile of the Abbe}'- 
 Church of St. Andrews, to the intent that all the 
 people of Forfar and Angus might see the fire, and 
 
 so
 
 t^e (f tfife in ^coffanb. 25 
 
 so might be the more feared from faUing into the 
 like doctrine, which they call heresy." 
 
 Throughout Scotland the martyrdom of Patrick 
 Hamilton aroused much excitement, and nowhere 
 was the feeling deeper than in St. Andrews itself, 
 the Rome of Scotland, and it provoked inquiry 
 everywhere into the reason why he had suffered, 
 and in many cases inquiry led to the new doctrines 
 being embraced. Among those who now cast in 
 their lot with the " New Testamenters," as they 
 began to be called, was Alexander Seaton, the king's 
 confessor ; and the clergy in consequence became 
 generall}'' more and more alarmed, wondering how 
 it would all end. " My lord," said the shrewd 
 John Lindsay to Archbishop Beaton, " if ye burn 
 any more, except 3^e follow my counsel, ye will 
 utterly destroy yourselves. If ye will burn them, 
 let it be in how [hollow] cellars, for the reek [smoke] 
 of Master Patrick Hamilton has infected as many 
 as it blew upon." Despite this and similar warn- 
 ings, an earnest search after heretics began, and 
 for some years many of Scotland's nobility, as well 
 as canons and friars, suffered martyrdom for the 
 Protestant faith, while others recanted, fearing the 
 terrible death which awaited them, and many more 
 fled to England and to the Continent for shelter 
 from their ecclesiastical persecutors. 
 
 During
 
 26 ^^e (J5a60anbpnc QSifife. 
 
 During the years between 1 529 and 1 534, frequent 
 traces are met with of the continued arrival of the 
 New Testament. While searching for Tyndale at 
 Cologne, copies of his translation were discovered, 
 " which would," says the inquisitor, writing to 
 Wolsey, " but for my interposition, have been 
 pressed together, and covered over with flax, and, 
 enclosed in packages, would, in time, without any 
 suspicion, have been transmitted by sea into Scot- 
 land and England, and have been sold as merely 
 waste paper." All through these years, the first 
 decided controversy in Britain, which respected the 
 right of every one, " both high and low, rich and 
 poor together," to read the Scriptures in their own 
 tongue, was being carried on. In the forefront of 
 this controversy in Scotland was Alexander Ales, 
 a priest and canon of the Cathedral of St. Andrews. 
 He was but twenty-eight years old when the start- 
 ling fact transpired that by means of prohibited 
 books some canons and students were infected by 
 the " new learning." Ales read the books to refute 
 them, and when Patrick Hamilton was delivered 
 unto death, he strove to reclaim him and save his 
 life. But he failed ; and, overcome by the argu- 
 ments, and still more by the noble constancy of the 
 martyr, he acknowledged himself conquered, and 
 embraced the new doctrines. His faith was sorely 
 
 tested,
 
 t^c (gim in ^coffan^. 
 
 tested, and after much endurance, he fled to Dundee, 
 from which place he sailed for the Continent in 1 5 3 1. 
 Scarcely had Ales escaped, when the bishops issued 
 an order to prohibit the New Testament from being 
 read or sold in the country. 
 
 In England, as well as Scotland, the ecclesiastical 
 authorities were at one on this matter — the repres- 
 sion of the Scriptures : and yet for some years past, 
 in both countries, they had been welcomed, and 
 held fast by multitudes even unto death ; while, as 
 if to show that the work was altogether independent 
 of human control, those two men — William Tyn- 
 dale, the English translator of the New Testament, 
 and Alexander Ales, the principal advocate of its 
 free circulation in Scotland, stood, as it were, aloof, 
 both exiles in a strange land. Neither of them 
 ever returned to their native countries, and Tyndale 
 suffered martyrdom in 1536 at Vilvorde ; but still 
 the work went on. 
 
 The opposition in Scotland to the Bible continued 
 to gather strength, and on the 8th June I535» 
 Parliament not only confirmed the Acts of 1525 
 and 1527 against prohibited books, but further 
 enacted that " all persons having such books should 
 deliver them up within forty days, under penalty 
 of confiscation and imprisonment." " Discussion 
 of opinions " was likewise forbidden, an exception 
 
 being
 
 28 t^e O$a0ean^gne Q0i6fe. 
 
 being made in favour of " clerks in the schools," 
 who might read in order to be able to refute them, 
 and at length, in May 1536, the "reading of God's 
 Word in the vulgar tongue was publicly prohibited." 
 In spite of all this, many of the people were well- 
 disposed to the Scriptures, and at midnight the 
 " New Testamenters " assembled in secret — the 
 Bible was brought from its hiding-place and read 
 by one while the others listened around, and thus 
 the Gospel took firm root throughout the land. 
 Secular literature, in the form of popular songs and 
 satirical verse, was also brought into the servnce of 
 the Reforming party, and this contributed greatly 
 to expose the ignorance, superstition, and immorality 
 of the Romish clergy of the time.'" These rhymes 
 and ballads being easily committed to memor}'-, 
 were repeated from one to another — no small 
 advantage to the cause at a time when the then 
 
 young 
 
 * Ignorant, however, as the Scottish clergy were, they 
 were perhaps not more so than many on the Continent at 
 the same time. " A foreign monk, declaiming one day in 
 the pulpit against Lutherans and Zuinglians, said to his 
 audience : A new language was invented some time ago, 
 which has been the mother of all these heresies — the 
 Greek. A book is printed in this language, called the New 
 Testament, which contains many dangerous things. Another 
 language is noiv forfning, the Hebrew; whoever learns it 
 immediately becomes a Jew." — M^ Criers Life 0/ Knox.
 
 t^e 0$t6fe in ^coffan^. 29 
 
 young art of printing was under ecclesiastical 
 control. 
 
 In this way perhaps the writings of Sir David 
 Lyndsay had probably the most influence upon the 
 Scottish Reformation, as these were universally 
 popular, and though the bishops managed to have 
 several laws passed against the circulation of his 
 rhymes, they long outlived their enemies. Lyndsay's 
 longest and gravest work, " Ane Dialog betuix 
 Experience and Ane Courteour," is in a lofty tone, 
 and in this poem " Experience " reviews the history 
 of all the mighty bygone kingdoms ; there being 
 also a strong appeal in favour of the translation 
 of the Scriptures into the vernacular tongue, from 
 which there follows an extract, slightly modernised 
 in spelling : 
 
 " Prudent Saint Paul doth make narration, 
 Touching the divers Leed of every land, 
 
 Saying there have been more edification 
 In five vpords, that folk do understand, 
 Then to pronounce of words ten thousand 
 
 In strange language, and knows not what it means ; 
 
 I think such prattling is not worth two preens. 
 
 " Unlearned people on the holy day, 
 
 Solemnedly they hear the Evangell sung, 
 Not knowing what the Priest doth sing or say, 
 But as a Bell when that they hear it rung ; 
 Yet would the Priests in their mother tongue 
 
 Passe
 
 3° €^e Q$a60an^gne QSifife. 
 
 Passe to the Pulpet, and that doctrine declare 
 To Laicke people, it were more necessare. 
 
 " I would that Prelates and Doctors of the Law 
 With Laicke people were not discontent, 
 Though we into our vulgar tongue did knaw 
 Of Christ Jesus the Lyfe and Testament, 
 And how that we should keep commandement. 
 But in our language let us pray and read 
 Our Pater noster, Ave, and our Creed. 
 
 " I would some Prince of great discretion, 
 
 In vulgar language plainly causde translate 
 The needful Lawes of this Region : 
 
 Then would there not be halfe so great debate 
 Among us people of the low estate. 
 If every man the verity did knawe, 
 We needed not to treat these men of Law. 
 
 " To do our neighbour wrong, we would beware, 
 If we did fear the Lawes punishment : 
 There would not be such brawling at the Bar, 
 Nor men of Law clime to such Royal rent, 
 To keep the Law : if all men were content. 
 And each man do as he would be done to, 
 The Judges would get little thing adoe. 
 
 " The prophet David King of Israel, 
 
 Compylde the pleasant Psalmes of the Psalter 
 In his own proper tongue, as I here tell : 
 
 And Solomon, which was his Son and Haire, 
 Did make his Book into his tongue vulgare : 
 Why should not their sayings be to us shown 
 In our language, I would the cause were known. 
 
 Let
 
 t^e (§iMe in §cotfanb, 31 
 
 " Let Doctors write their curious questions, 
 And arguments sown full of sophistries, 
 Their Logick, and their high opinions, 
 Their dark judgements of Astronomie, 
 Their Medicine, and their Philosophic ; 
 Let Poets show their glorious engine, 
 As ever they please, in Greek or in Latine. 
 
 " But let us have the books necessare 
 
 To Common-wealth and our Salvation 
 
 Justly translated in our tongue vulgare ; 
 And eke I make you supplication, 
 O gentle Reader, have none indignation, 
 
 Thinking to meddle with so high matter. 
 
 Now to my purpose forward will I fare." 
 
 Among the many efforts of the intolerant 
 ecclesiastical party, reference may be here made to 
 one which was put forth on the 2d March 1558, 
 when a provincial Synod — worthy of notice as the 
 last ever held in Scotland during Roman Cathohc 
 times — was held in the Black Friars' Church, to 
 consult regarding measures for preserving the faith 
 against the Reforming party of the " Congregation." 
 Amongst other things decreed by this Synod, was 
 the denouncing of Sir David Lyndsay's works, 
 which were ordered to be burnt. No doubt the 
 poet deserved some such reprisal at their hands, 
 for he was very severe on the ignorant Romish 
 clergy of his time, as in the satirical poem of 
 
 " Kittie's
 
 3 2 €^e (§aeeantisne Q$i6fe. 
 
 " Kittie's Confession," wherein an ignorant father- 
 confessor is alluded to with sly humour : 
 
 " He speirit monie strange case, 
 How that my lufe did me embrace. . . . 
 He me absolvit for ane plack, 
 Thocht he with me na price wad mak ; 
 And mekil Latine did he mummill ; 
 I heard na thing but hummill bummill." 
 
 But the poet was already in his grave when his 
 writings were thus condemned — Lyndsay having 
 died, it is supposed, about the end of 1557. Pre- 
 vious to the Reformation, the corruptions of the 
 Church had risen to a greater height in Scotland 
 than in any other nation within the pale of the 
 Western Church ; and the abuses in morals, to- 
 gether with differences in purely religious matters, 
 had much to do with the spread of the Reforming 
 doctrines. Yet there were other causes at work 
 also, of a perhaps more practical nature. There 
 was, first, the collision between the higher ecclesi- 
 astics and the nobility ; for a long time the latter 
 had seen their property and their power taken from 
 them to enrich the priesthood, and when a set of 
 teachers arose who taught that the clergy had no 
 right to the position and wealth they had assumed, 
 the nobles were very willing to be convinced. As 
 regards the poorer classes, again, the tithes and 
 
 other
 
 t^e Q$t6fe in ^cotfan^. 33 
 
 other dues exacted by the Church had long been 
 felt to be a grievous burden, and they were thus 
 
 
 SIR DAVID LYNDSAY.* 
 
 also ready enough to follow in the track of their 
 native nobility. 
 
 Besides 
 
 * From frontispiece to Pinkerton's "Scottish Poems." 
 3 vols. London, 1792. 
 
 c
 
 34 €^e Q5a66anbpne (J$tfife» 
 
 Besides the poet Lyndsay, many persons of rank 
 had thus adopted the new doctrines previous to 
 1540, among whom were the Earl of Glencairn, 
 his son, Lord Kilmaurs, the Earl of Errol, Lord 
 Ruthven, and others, several of whom narrowly 
 escaped the fate of Patrick Hamilton. They pro- 
 bably would have suffered, had not King James V. 
 himself died on the 14th December 1542. Upon 
 the death of the king, Cardinal Beaton presented 
 to the nobility a forged will, in the hope that by 
 this means he might procure the regency of the 
 kingdom for himself during the minority of the 
 infant Queen Mary. His scheme failed, for within 
 forty-eight hours after the burial of James V. on 
 the 8th January, James Hamilton, the second Earl 
 of Arran, was proclaimed Protector and Governor 
 of the kingdom, and the defeated Cardinal was 
 thrown into prison for a time. Shortly after, on 
 the 1 2th March 1543, "the most substantious 
 Parliament that ever was seen in Scotland in any 
 man's remembrance " was called together. Busi- 
 ness began on a Tuesday, and lasted only for three 
 days. On the last day, Robert, Lord Maxwell, a 
 nobleman well disposed towards the New Testa- 
 menters, though, while Beaton was in full sway, 
 he was careful to avoid gaining notoriety regard- 
 ing his opinions, brought in a bill to allow " the 
 
 Scriptures
 
 t^e Q5i6fe in ^coffanb. 35 
 
 Scriptures to be read by all, without any limita- 
 tion," and " in the vulgar tongue." This proposal 
 met with fierce opposition from the ecclesiastics 
 present in Parliament, but in spite of all their 
 efforts the bill passed, and stands to this day un- 
 repealed in the statute-book of the country. This 
 bill was in part as follows : 
 
 "It is statute, and ordanit, that it sal be lefull to all 
 our sovirane ladyis leiges to have the haly writ, to wit, 
 the New Testament and the Auld, in the vulgar toung, in 
 Inglis, and Scotis, of an gude and trew translation, and 
 that thai sal incur na crimes for the hefing and reding 
 of the samen ; providing always that na man dispute, 
 or hald opinizeonis under the pains conteinit in the actis 
 of parliament. The lordis of Articklis beand avisit with 
 the said writting, finds the samin resonable, and therefore 
 thinkis that the samin may be usit amongis all the lieges 
 of this realme of our vulgar toung, of an gude, trew, and 
 just translation, because there was na law shewn, nor 
 producit in the contrar ; and that none of our soverane 
 ladyis legiges incur ony crimes for haifing, or reding of 
 the samin, in form as said is, nor sail be accusit therefor 
 in time coming ; and that na personis dispute, argou, or 
 hold oppunionis of the samin, under the saidis painis 
 containit in the foresaidis actis of parliament." 
 
 The Regent's proclamation, on the 19th March 
 1543, regarding this bill was as follows : 
 
 " C/erk of Register. — It is our will and we charge you, 
 
 that
 
 3 6 t^c OSaesanbgne Q$i6fe. 
 
 that ye gar proclaim this day in the mercat cross of Edin- 
 burgh, the Acts made in our Sovereign lady's Parliament, 
 that should be proclaimed and given forth to her lieges ; 
 and in special, the Act made for having of the New 
 Testament in vulgar tongue, with certain additions, and 
 thereafter give forth the copies thereof authentic, as 
 effeiris, to all them that will desire the samyn, and 
 insert this our command and charge in the books of Par- 
 liament for your warrant. Subscrivit with our own hand 
 at Edinburgh, the 19th day of March, the year of God 
 1543 years. 
 
 "James G[ubernator]." 
 
 Still there was in this Act a certain limitation, 
 in so far that while liberty was granted to read 
 the Scriptures, it forbade all discussion upon the 
 doctrines taught in them, under the pains contained 
 in the former Acts of Parliament, and this limita- 
 tion proved to be a source of much trouble in after 
 years. Looking back upon the passing of this 
 bill of March 1543, some twenty-five years after- 
 wards, John Knox writes of the memorable event : 
 " This was no small victory of Christ Jesus, fight- 
 ing against the enemies of His verity : not small 
 comfort to such as were before holden in such 
 bondage, that they durst not have read the Lord's 
 Prayer, the ten commandments, nor the articles of 
 their faith in the English tongue, but they should 
 have been accused of heresy. Then might have 
 
 been
 
 t^e (J?i6fe in ^coffan^. 37 
 
 been seen the Bible lying upon almost every gen- 
 tleman's table ; the New Testament was borne about 
 in many men's hands." 
 
 On the 3rd September 1543, the Earl of Arran, 
 at the Franciscan convent of Stirling, publicly re- 
 nounced all connection and abjured all sympathy 
 with the Reformed religion ; and being now recon- 
 ciled to Beaton, at the same time received absolu- 
 tion at the hands of the Primate, whom he had 
 proclaimed a traitor and had thrown into prison 
 in the preceding January. The Cardinal having 
 regained authority, it is not surprising that per- 
 secution, more bitter and more relentless than 
 hitherto, set in anew against those who dared 
 to express opinions contrary to the dogmas of 
 the Church of Rome. It was then that George 
 Wishart, one of the boldest among the promoters 
 of the Reformation, suffered martyrdom, March 28, 
 1546 — hurried to death without even the semblance 
 of a trial by Cardinal Beaton, who was himself in 
 the May following assassinated at St. Andrews, 
 and with his death the worst features of the evil 
 tyranny of the Romish Church in Scotland came 
 to an end. 
 
 It is not to be wondered at that during those 
 dark days of persecution no edition of the entire 
 Bible, or even of the New Testament separately, 
 
 was 
 
 41G7C4
 
 .38 t^e (30a60an^l?ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 was ever printed at the Scottish press, now many 
 years in existence, though copies of these were 
 to be found in almost every parish in Scotland. 
 It was not till 1579 — thirty-three years after the 
 death of Beaton, its bitter enemy, and seven after 
 the death of Knox, its friend and advocate, that the 
 first copy of the Bible was printed in Scotland. 
 
 Chapter
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Translations of the Bible. 
 
 ANY attempts were made during the 
 Middle Ages to satisfy the constant 
 desire of rehgious people to possess 
 the Scriptures in their native tongue, and transla- 
 tions of the Bible in manuscript were made by 
 Wickliffe, Nicolas de Hereford, and John Purvey. 
 These again were copied by friendly hands, and 
 distributed amongst eager purchasers throughout 
 the country. Bitter opposition was made to the 
 circulation of these MS. Bibles, which never indeed 
 could be very plentiful — the labour of transcription 
 being so great — and the possession of a copy in- 
 volving risks so serious, it became even dangerous 
 to possess them ; but all the zeal which the opponents 
 of the Scriptures could display was not sufficient 
 to destroy every copy, or tread down the sparks of 
 spiritual life which had been kindled by their perusal. 
 Just at this time, when the European mind was 
 waking up from the sleep of ages, and new ideas 
 
 eager
 
 40 €H (30a06an^ene Q$i6fe. 
 
 eager for dissemination could not wait the slow and 
 uncertain quill of the copyist, and when the Book 
 had been rendered into the native tongue, the 
 needful instrument for its wide-spread diffusion was 
 invented. At the fitting epoch in God's providence, 
 the art of printing was discovered, and soon proved, 
 with its speed of impression and power of multi- 
 plication, the best handmaid for the dissemination of 
 the truth ; among the first, if not the very first com- 
 plete volume which the art gave to the world being 
 a Latin Bible — now called by way of distinction 
 the " Mazarin Bible " — whose date is about 1450. 
 Within a few years after this. Bibles were printed 
 in France, Italy, Holland, and Germany in the 
 native languages ; but these, valuable as they were 
 to their own countries, were of less value than that 
 which was afterwards given to England, being made 
 generally from Latin MS, Bibles, and therefore 
 faulty and imperfect ; while the first one given to 
 this country was translated directly from the original 
 Hebrew and Greek. The Old Testament in Hebrew 
 appeared in a complete form at Soncino in 1488, and 
 various portions of the New Testament in Greek 
 were now and again issued, such as that of the 
 printer Aldus, who in 1504 issued the first six 
 chapters of John's Gospel ; but it was not till 
 about seventy years after the discovery of the art 
 
 of
 
 Ztansfaiione of f^e Q5t6fe. 41 
 
 of printing by movable type that there appeared 
 an entire copy of the New Testament in Greek. 
 This was the edition of Erasmus, professor of 
 Greek at Cambridge, who prepared it from a few 
 MSS. which he had at his command, and he had 
 it printed at Basle in 15 16. The publication of 
 this Greek Testament by Erasmus may be said to 
 have begun a new epoch in the history of Western 
 Christendom. 
 
 The time for England was come — the materials 
 for a translation into English from the original 
 languages direct were now within reach, and a man 
 equal to the work and willing to undertake it was 
 not long in appearing. William T3'ndale, born in 
 Gloucestershire, educated at Oxford, and a pupil of 
 Erasmus at Cambridge, was so fully alive to the 
 need of an English version of the Scriptures that 
 the desire to supply it became the one ambition 
 of his life. Tyndale's character was in harmony 
 with his pursuits and intellectual abilities ; " his 
 manners and conversation were such that all who 
 knew him respected and esteemed him to be a man 
 of most virtuous disposition and life unspotted." 
 He received little favour or encouragement in the 
 work to which he purposed to devote himself from 
 those whose aid and influence he sought. Cuthbert 
 Tonstal, Bishop of London, to whom Tyndale re- 
 sorted
 
 42 t^t (gazBan^i^ne Q^ifife. 
 
 sorted about 1522, could afford no shelter for such 
 a worker ; and he soon discovered that there was 
 no place in his native country where he might 
 translate the sacred book. Forced into exile, 
 Tyndale travelled to Hamburg early in 1524, where 
 he resided some months, spending his time in 
 the great work to which he had devoted his life ; 
 and he soon gave to the world his translation 
 of Matthew's Gospel, then that of Mark, which 
 shortly after reached England and produced a 
 favourable impression. Late in the year 1524, 
 Tyndale went to Cologne, and having completed 
 his translation of the whole New Testament, it 
 was there put into the hands of the printers. 
 The type was set up, several of the sheets were 
 printed off, when a threatened seizure compelled 
 Tyndale to escape with his printed sheets and 
 blocks to Worms, where the enthusiasm for Luther 
 and the Reformation was then at its height, in 
 which place no time was lost in furthering the 
 work, and a large edition was soon ready for 
 transport to England. In spite of a most vigilant 
 watch along the coasts of Scotland and England, 
 numerous copies of this translation found their 
 way, in cases, in barrels, in bales of cloth, in 
 sacks of flour, and every secret way that could be 
 devised, into the country, and were scattered far 
 
 and
 
 Z\it gofptll of i5.^at!jnu* 
 
 Ibps p8 tht boKf of 
 
 t^c^cncr^io of 3efii3 €^n(i t\)c fos; 
 ffe of ©ftrib/^^e fonne alfo ofOihiCi 
 
 3r««cbe^Att3«c<5b: 
 
 3«cob bcgart 3ubtf0 4n^ ^3?0 bie> 
 
 Sii^&ehe^atp^avcs: (tlfvcn: 
 
 an"^ ^ararn of t^amar; 
 pi)avc0 bi^jsatt iEfrom: 
 ^frorn be0att2(ram : 
 
 I2(rambe0att2(minab4b: 
 
 2(mina&abbe0«tt rtaaffan: 
 
 ilaaflon bcgatt ©afmon: 
 
 Calmort bcj^attbooeof rafjrtb: 
 
 B003 bc^att obcbof rut^ : 
 
 ©bcbbc0att3«|]e: 
 
 3e(rc bc^att bavit> the fyngc: 
 
 C0ft»it) t^eP)>rt£fe bcfiatt Solomoit/of jpef t{)at wrtst^e 
 
 0^o(omonbc0atroboflm; QiJyfcofvry: 
 
 Kobo«mbc^att2(bi« 
 
 !2(bia becfattafa: 
 
 2((abccfflftiofap()at:. 
 
 3ofap|iatbcfi[art3oraji^: 
 
 3oram bc0att(D(ta6: 
 
 <Dfta0 b€0att3oat^am: 
 
 3oaf l;a»i bc^att ^(ct^as: 
 
 I:^£^a5bc0att^5ed>ta£i : 
 
 i^ana(]c6 be0att2(nion; 
 
 2(monbc0att3ofia6: 
 
 3o(ifl3 bc5att3^^«>nf<»« «nb ^I'g bret^f eti ft^ouf t'^c t)?me©f 
 
 t^e captit)itcof babilon 
 i|E2(|icrt{)cj?tccrcIc^captit^eto5al)^wi/'3ec|^oniai5&ljg 
 
 * ^b:a^am an;* 
 feavi&arcf|'zftrc 
 bearfi't>/ bccaufc 
 rtjflt c/jnflc was 
 cljeflv promjre& 
 Vntorfecm. 
 
 levctl2 ctii-ccrfe-^ 
 ^ne generations/ 
 
 c&ercribetbiCb''/ 
 nf^e^hnaacfrotti 
 aolomo/after tl^c. 
 Iat»eof::^oreff/ 
 but%u(&Bt>ckri^/ 
 betl?icaccort>fng 
 to nature/ fro na^ 
 tba« folomo^br'i' 
 ctl?er.^ortl?elft^ 
 wc calletl? tbem 
 a manned clJI^^re 
 xipf?tcf? I?l0bro^er 
 bcgattofl^/B'tt'V'ii? 
 fe lefte bebl'«)e 
 
 Facsimile of first page of Tyndales Testament.
 
 €tan6faiione of f^e Q^ifife. 45 
 
 and wide, being sought after by men of all ranks 
 and degrees. 
 
 Living in a city where there was a large Jewish 
 population, Tyndale improved the opportunity by 
 acquiring a mastery of the Hebrew language, and 
 then proceeded to translate portions of the Old 
 Testament. These show evident marks of care 
 and patience, and the various notes and inter- 
 pretations given with the text evidence signs of 
 an acute, original, and painstaking scholarship. 
 Tyndale's work was very different from Luther's 
 — Luther being mighty by tongue and pen, for 
 he was a man of war, unwearied in assault, and 
 dealing out to opponents unmeasured scorn and 
 vituperation ; while Tyndale, on the other hand, 
 lived a life of tranquil toil in his study, earnestly 
 working on the one Book of divine truth, which he 
 sent forth " to be known and read of all men." If 
 he did not enter the lists of controversy an active 
 champion like Luther, he wielded a still mightier 
 power when he despatched across " the silver streak 
 of sea " the English Bible, that the people might 
 have and read the simple, plain, and profitable 
 Word of Scripture. 
 
 Tyndale's English is decidedly superior to the 
 writings of his time which have come down to us ; 
 his Bible is a noble translation, the basis of every 
 
 subsequent
 
 4^ €^e (J$a60anbgne (J$i6fe. 
 
 subsequent English version, and in several respects 
 better than all succeeding versions. It has an 
 individuality as pronounced as Luther's ; its Saxon 
 is racy and strong, sometimes majestic, and, above 
 all, it is hearty and true ; the reader feels that the 
 translator felt what he wrote, that his heart was 
 in his work, and that he strove to reproduce in 
 his own mother-tongue what he believed to be 
 the true sense of the Word of God as he under- 
 stood it. " The peculiar genius," says Mr. Froude, 
 "which breathes through the English Bible, the 
 mingled tenderness and majesty, the Saxon sim- 
 plicity, the grandeur, unequalled, unapproached in 
 the attempted improvements of modern scholars — 
 all are here, and bear the impress of the mind of 
 one man, and that man William Tyndale." 
 
 A few specimens of Tyndale's verses are here 
 given : 
 
 "And Mary sayde, My soule magnifieth the Lorde, 
 and my sprete rejoyseth in God my Savioure. 
 
 For he hath loked on the povre degre off his honde 
 mayden. Beholde now from hens forthe shall all gene- 
 racions call me blessed. 
 
 For he that is myghty hath done to me greate thinges, 
 and blessed ys his name : 
 
 And hys mercy is always on them that feare him 
 thorow oute all generacions. 
 
 He hath shewed strengthc with his armc ; he hath 
 
 scattered
 
 ttdmfaiione of i^e (gifife. 47 
 
 scattered them that are proude in the ymaginacion of 
 their hertes. 
 
 He hath putt doune the myghty from their seates, and 
 hath exalted them of low degre. 
 
 He hath filled the hongry with good thinges, and hath 
 sent away the ryche empty. 
 
 He hath remembred mercy, and hath holpen his ser- 
 vaunt Israhel. 
 
 Even as he promised to oure fathers, Abraham and to 
 his seed for ever." 
 
 " Oure Father which arte in heven, halowed be thy 
 name. Let thy kingdom come. Thy wyll be fulfilled, 
 as well in erthe, as hit ys in heven. Geve vs this daye 
 cure dayly breade. And forgeve vs oure treaspases, even 
 as we forgeve them which treaspas vs. Leede vs not 
 into temptacion, but delyvre vs from yvell. Amen." 
 
 Revelation ii. 12-17. 
 
 " And to the messenger of the congregacion in Per- 
 gamos wryte : This sayth he whiche hathe the sharp 
 swearde with two edges. 
 
 I knowe thy workes and where thow dwellest, evyn 
 where Sathans seat ys, and thou kepest my name and 
 hast not denyed my fayth. And in my dayes Antipas 
 was a faythfuU witnes of myne, which was slayne amonge 
 you where sathan dwelleth. 
 
 But I have a fewe thynges agaynst the : that thou 
 hast there, they that mayntayne the doctryne of Balam 
 whiche taught in balake, to put occasion of syn before 
 
 the
 
 48 t^e (3(K6B(irx^i^ne Q$t6fe. 
 
 the chylderne of Israhell, that they shulde eate of meate 
 dedicat vnto ydoles, and to commyt fornicacion. 
 
 Even so hast thou them that mayntayne the doctryne 
 of the Nicolaytans, whiche thynge I hate. 
 
 But be converted or elles I will come vnto the shortly 
 and will fyght agaynste them with the swearde of my 
 mouth. 
 
 Let him that hath eares heare what the sprete sayth 
 vnto the congregacions : To him that ouercommeth will 
 I geve to eate manna that is hyd, and will geve him a 
 whyte stone, and in the stone a newe name wrytten, 
 whych no man knoweth, saving he that receaveth it." 
 
 The introduction of Tyndale's translations as- 
 sumed such proportions that the zeal of the clergy 
 against them found vent in England, as it had in 
 Scotland, in most violent and very unecclesiastical 
 measures, which resulted not only in burning the 
 books themselves, but also brought many of their 
 readers to the flames. At the treaty of Cambray 
 in 1529, where Bishop Tonstal and Hackett were 
 among the representatives of England, it was 
 stipulated that the contracting parties were not " to 
 print or sell any Lutheran books on either side." 
 Tonstal took Antwerp on his way to England, and 
 to that visit is referred the following incident, 
 narrated by Halle in his Chronicle. The Bishop 
 sought out Augustus Pakington, a mercer and 
 
 merchant
 
 ^tansfaiiorxB of i^c Q$i6fe. 49 
 
 merchant trading between Antwerp and London, 
 and asked him as to the best way of securing the 
 English Testaments for the purpose of burning 
 and destroying them. " My lord," said Pakington, 
 who was a secret friend of Tyndale, " if it be 
 your pleasure, I could do in this matter probably 
 more than any merchant in England ; so if it 
 be your lordship's pleasure to pay for them — 
 for I must disburse money for them — I will 
 ensure you to have every book that remains un- 
 sold." 
 
 " Gentle Master Pakington," said the Bishop, 
 * deemyng that he hadde God by the toe, whanne 
 in truthe he hadde, as after he thought, the devyl 
 by the fiste,' * " do your diligence and get them 
 for me, and I will gladly give you whatever they 
 may cost ; for the books are naughty, and I intend 
 surely to destroy them all, and to burn them at 
 Paul's Cross." 
 
 A week or two later Pakington sought the trans- 
 lator, whose funds he knew were low. " Master 
 Tyndale," he said, " I have found you a good pur- 
 chaser for your books." 
 
 " Who is he ? " asked Tyndale. 
 
 " My lord of London." 
 
 "But 
 
 * Halle's Chronicle. 
 
 D
 
 5° €^e ^asBCin^i^nc Q0i6fe. 
 
 " But if the Bishop wants the books it must 
 only be to burn them." 
 
 "Well," was the reply, "what of that? The 
 Bishop will burn them anyhow, and it is best that 
 you should have the money for the enabling you 
 to imprint others instead." 
 
 And so the bargain was made. " The Bishop 
 had the books, Pakington had the thanks, and 
 Tyndale had the money." " I am the gladder," 
 said Tyndale, " for these two benefits shall come 
 thereof. I shall get money to bring myself out of 
 debt, and the whole world will cry out against the 
 burning of God's Word, and the overplus of the 
 money that shall remain with me shall make me 
 more studious to correct the said New Testament, 
 and so newly to imprint the same once again, and 
 I trust the second will be much better than ever 
 was the first." 
 
 The old Chronicler goes on to tell that " after 
 this Tyndale corrected the same Testaments again, 
 and caused them to be newly imprinted, so that 
 they came thick and threefold into England. The 
 Bishop sent for Pakington again, and asked how 
 the Testaments were still so abundant. ' My 
 lord,' replied the merchant, ' it were best for your 
 lordship to buy up the stamps too by the which 
 they are imprinted.' " 
 
 It
 
 ZvansfafioixB of t^e (J5t6fe. 5^ 
 
 It is with evident enjoyment that Halle presents 
 us with another scene as a sequel to the story. 
 
 BURNING THE BIBLES AT PAULS CROSS. 
 
 A prisoner, a suspected heretic named Constantine, 
 
 was
 
 52 €^e Q5a00an^)?ne (3^i6fe. 
 
 was being tried a few months later before Sir 
 Thomas More. " Now, Constantinc," said the 
 judge, " I would have thee to be plain with me in 
 one thing that I shall ask, and I promise thee I 
 will show thee favour in all other things whereof 
 thou art accused. There are beyond the sea 
 Tyndale, Joye, and a great many of you ; I know 
 they cannot live without help. There must be 
 some that help and succour them with money, and 
 thou, being one of them, hadst thy part thereof, and 
 therefore knoweth from whence it came. I pray 
 thee, tell me who be they that help them thus ? " 
 
 " My lord," quoth Constantino, " I will tell thee 
 truly — it is the Bishop of London that hath holpen 
 us, for he hath bestowed among us a great deal of 
 money upon New Testaments to burn them, and 
 that hath been our chief succour and support." 
 
 " Now, by my troth," said Sir Thomas More, 
 " I think even the same, for I told the Bishop thus 
 much before he went about it." 
 
 The opponents of the book began at last to see 
 that a printed Testament continually being pro- 
 duced was quite beyond their power to destroy. 
 Bishop Tonstal profited by his lesson, and instead 
 of buying and burning the book any longer, he 
 preached a famous sermon at Paul's Cross, de- 
 claring its " naughtiness," and asserting that he 
 
 himself
 
 ^ranefaftons of f^e QStfife. 53 
 
 himself had found in it more than two thousand 
 errors ; * and at the close of his sermon he hurled 
 the copy which he held into a great fire that 
 blazed before him. 
 
 Tyndale, after his residence at Worms, next 
 went to the quaint old town of Marburg, in the 
 valley of the Lahn, where he appears to have 
 remained for about two years, working with his 
 friend John Fryth at the Pentateuch, besides print- 
 ing here also his " Practice of Prelates." After 
 this he again returned to Hamburg, where various 
 endeavours were made by the ecclesiastical autho- 
 rities of England to induce Tyndale to return home 
 on certain proposed conditions. These efforts fail- 
 ing, the aim henceforth was to get him arrested, 
 and throughout all the turmoil and trouble to which 
 he was at this time subjected, the brave old man 
 still proceeded with his work of translation. In 
 1533 Tyndale was for a short time at Niirnberg 
 for the sake of printing, and then again at Antwerp, 
 where he was liberally provided for by the English 
 merchants. Four editions of his New Testament 
 
 were 
 
 * " There is not so much as one i therein," Tyndale 
 said in reply to this attack, " if it lack the tittle over its 
 head, but they have noted and number it to the ignorant 
 people for a heresy."
 
 54 t-^e ^asBanbi^ne (J0i6fe. 
 
 were printed at Antwerp in 1534. At last the 
 long search and crafty intrigues of his enemies 
 succeeded, and Tyndale was treacherously seized 
 at the house of his friend Poyntz at Antwerp 
 towards the autumn of 1535, and sent to the castle 
 of Vilvorde. In October 1536 Tyndale was con- 
 demned, strangled, and burnt — his last words being 
 the prayer, " Lord, open the King of England's 
 eyes." 
 
 " Patriots have toiled, and in their country's cause 
 Bled nobly, and their deeds, as they deserve, 
 Receive proud recompense. We give in charge 
 Their names to the sweet lyre. . . . 
 But martyrs struggle for a brighter prize. 
 And win it with more pain. Their blood is shed 
 In confirmation of the noblest claim, — 
 Our claim to feed upon immortal truth, 
 To walk with God, to be divinely free. 
 To soar, and to anticipate the skies. 
 Yet few remember them. They lived unknown 
 Till Persecution dragged them into fame. 
 And chased them up to heaven. Their ashes flew 
 — No marble tells us whither. With their names 
 No bard embalms and sanctifies his song ; 
 And history, so warm on meaner themes, 
 Is cold on this. She execrates indeed 
 The tyranny that doomed them to the fire, 
 But gives the glorious sufferers little praise." * 
 
 No 
 
 * Cowper's " Task."
 
 ZtamfaiiorxB of f^e (jSifife. 55 
 
 No grander life than Tyndale's shows itself in 
 the whole annals of the Reformation — none which 
 comes nearer in its beautiful self-forgetfulness to 
 His who " laid down His life for His sheep," and 
 no higher honour could be given to any man than 
 the accomplishment of such a work as that to 
 which he gave himself. All the earlier English 
 translations were but translations of a translation, 
 and Tyndale was the first to go back to the original 
 Hebrew and Greek, though the MSS. accessible 
 to him were not of so much authority or value as 
 those available in these latter days. Every suc- 
 ceeding version is in reality little more than a 
 revision of Tyndale's, and his New Testament was 
 a noble aid to the early advancement of the cause 
 of the Reformation in Scotland, and greatly influ- 
 enced the passing of the Act allowing a free Bible 
 in that country. 
 
 Another most important translation of the Bible 
 made its appearance in October 1535, bearing the 
 name of Miles Coverdale. This was the very first 
 entire Bible which had been seen in print, and is on 
 this account remarkable, Tyndale's New Testament, 
 with several of the books of the Old Testament, 
 were to be had by this time, but Miles Coverdale 
 gave to the people for the first time in one volume 
 the Word of God complete in their own tongue. 
 
 It
 
 56 Z^e Q5a60anbi?ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 It is not known where this Bible was first printed, 
 but it is very generally supposed to have been 
 done in some foreign city, and some have asserted 
 that it was printed by Christian Egenolph at 
 Frankfort. Coverdale makes no pretence that his 
 Bible is an original translation, and does not con- 
 ceal that " it is translated out of Douche * and 
 Latin into English," with the help of " five sundry 
 interpreters " (translators) ; the chief of these inter- 
 preters being evidently William Tyndale, whom, 
 in the New Testament, Coverdale closely follows. 
 
 Although Coverdale's version was thus only 
 secondary, it possessed merits of its own ; and 
 not a little of that indefinable quality that gives 
 popular charm to our English Bible, and has en- 
 deared it to so many generations, is owing to 
 Coverdale. The characteristic features are Tyn- 
 dale's in all their boldness of form and expression, 
 the more delicate lines and shadings are the con- 
 tribution of Coverdale, both in his own version, 
 and in the Great Bible which he afterwards re- 
 vised and edited. The version of Coverdale is 
 also known as the " Treacle Bible," from the render- 
 ing of the twenty-second verse of Jeremiah viii. : 
 
 "Is 
 
 * Douche at that time meant what is now called German, 
 not Low German or Dutch.
 
 ^ranefafione of t^e Q^i6fe. 57 
 
 " Is there no triacle in Galaad ? " A few other 
 passages which appear quaint to modern readers 
 may also be quoted : " And she bare it [an olive 
 leaf] in her nebb," Gen. viii. 1 1 ; " Cast a pece 
 of a mylstone upon Abimelech's heade and brake 
 his brain panne," Judges ix. 53; "And stackered 
 towarde the dores of the gate, and his slaveringes 
 ranne downe his beerde," i Sam. xxi. 13; "The 
 foolish bodyes saye in their hertes, Tush, there is 
 no God," Psalm xiv. i ; " Thou shalt not nede to 
 be afrayde of ony bugges by night," Psalm xci. 5 ; 
 " So that they shal breake their swerdes and 
 speares, to make sythes, sycles, and sawes thereof," 
 Isaiah ii. 4 ; " The erth shal geue a greate crack, 
 it shal haue a sore ruyne, and take an horrible 
 fall," Isaiah xxiv. 20 ; " Because their wyddowes 
 were not looked vpon in the daylie hand-reachinge," 
 Acts vi. I ; " But waysteth his brayne aboute ques- 
 tions and stryuynges of wordes," i Tim. vi. 4, &c. 
 The time of Coverdale was one of great progress 
 in every respect ; but in no one branch of knowledge 
 was there a more perceptible advance than in that 
 of Biblical learning. Following upon Coverdale's, 
 "Matthews' Bible" appeared in 1537. This Bible 
 was really prepared by John Rogers, one of the 
 early Reformers, who afterwards was the first 
 person condemned as a heretic in the reign of 
 
 Queen
 
 58 t^e OSaesanbgne Q5i6fe. 
 
 Queen Mary, and was burnt at Smithfield, February 
 i> 1555- "Matthews'" work was Tyndale's trans- 
 lation pure and simple, all but part of the Old 
 Testament, which, with some alteration, is taken 
 from Coverdale. Shortly after appeared "Taverner's 
 Bible," which was little more than an edition of 
 Matthews', with its notes either omitted or toned 
 dow^n. 
 
 None of these versions were satisfactory, and 
 so it came about that Cranmer and some of Henry 
 VIII. *s chief advisers set their hearts upon a trans- 
 lation worthy of the position of a National Bible. 
 Miles Coverdale was selected to take charge of this 
 one, which became known as the " Great Bible," 
 or " Cranmer's Bible," and he went to Paris with 
 the King's printer, that the book might be pro- 
 duced in the best style of the time. The Inqui- 
 sitor-General, however, got notice of the project, 
 and the result was that Coverdale carried off the 
 printing-press, types, and the printers themselves 
 to complete the work in England. It may be 
 described as a compilation from Matthews' and 
 Coverdale's Bibles, or as a revision of Matthews' 
 by Coverdale, and hence, as Matthews' was almost 
 entirely Tyndale's version, the Great Bible after 
 all was really little more than a revised edition of 
 Tyndale ! 
 
 " Thus
 
 tvansfations of i^e Q^tfife. 59 
 
 " Thus had the old martyr triumphed. Only a 
 few years had elapsed since he had been brought 
 to his death, and here was his Bible, authorised by 
 the King, commended by the clergy, and placed in 
 the parish churches for the teaching of the people ! 
 And as if to mark the change with all the emphasis 
 that was possible, an inscription on the title told 
 that ' it was oversene and perused at the commande- 
 ment of the King's Highness by the ryghte reverende 
 fathers in God, Cuthbert bishop of Duresme 
 (Durham), and Nicholas bishop of Rochester.'" 
 And this Bishop Cuthbert was none other than 
 Cuthbert Tonstal, Tyndale's untiring opponent and 
 persecutor, who had bargained with Pakington to 
 purchase the New Testaments, and had hurled into 
 the flames from the pulpit at Paul's Cross the trans- 
 lation which now went forth with royal approval to 
 the people. 
 
 The desire to read or listen to the words of 
 Holy Writ in their own tongue had now become 
 so intense, that crowds would often gather round 
 one who was able to read the large Bible set up, 
 and frequently chained, to a pillar in the churches. 
 Even Bishop Bonner was so moved by the popu- 
 lar wish as " to set up in certain convenient 
 places in St. Paul's Church six large Bibles," so 
 that the people might come there and learn for 
 
 themselves
 
 6o ^^e (J$a60Cinbgne Q$t6fe. 
 
 themselves their duties and privileges as Chris- 
 tians. 
 
 This halcyon period was not of long duration, 
 and shortly after the publication of the Great 
 Bible a reaction set in, vi^hen all translations bear- 
 ing the name of Tyndale were proscribed, — a pro- 
 hibition which King Henry VIII, renewed in 1546, 
 and at this time included Coverdale's New Testa- 
 ment along with the books of Tyndale. The Great 
 Bible thus alone remained unforbidden, though 
 severe restrictions were laid upon its use, and it is 
 believed that this was the cause of a great destruc- 
 tion of the earlier Bibles and Testaments, while 
 even where the books have been preserved, in 
 a number of cases the titles have been taken out, 
 so that the true character of the volume might 
 escape the observation of a hasty and ignorant 
 inquisitor.* 
 
 King Henry VIII. died in January 1547, and was 
 succeeded by Edward VI., in whose short reign of 
 six and a half years the restrictions were greatly 
 removed, and many editions of the Bible were 
 
 printed, 
 
 * A copy of Miles Coverdale's Bible, issued in 1535, 
 was sold recently in London for ^120. No perfect copy 
 of this Bible is known to exist, and the one sold on this 
 occasion had the title, first few leaves, and map in fac- 
 simile.
 
 THE CHAINED BIBLE.
 
 tramfatiorxB of t^e Q$tfife. 63 
 
 printed, but no new translation was undertaken. 
 Then followed the dark period of Queen Mary, 
 when no Bible was permitted to be printed, and by 
 various proclamations the public or open reading 
 of the Scriptures was prohibited, and when those 
 who had been earnestly striving to put God's Word 
 into the hands of the people had to yield up their 
 lives at the stake, or flee from their native land 
 to foreign countries. How Queen Mary and her 
 minions dealt with the Bible may be learned from 
 the following edict issued by Bishop Bonner in 
 October 1554- " Because some children of iniquit}^, 
 given up to carnal desires and novelties, have by 
 many ways enterprised to banish the ancient manner 
 and order of the Church, and to bring in and establish 
 sects and heresies ; taking from thence the picture 
 of Christ, and many things besides instituted and 
 observed of ancient time laudably in the same ; 
 placing in the room thereof such things, as in such 
 a place it behoved them not to do ; and also have 
 procured, as a stay to their heresies (as they 
 thought), certain Scriptures wrongly applied to be 
 painted upon the church walls ; all which persons 
 tend chiefly to this end — that they might uphold 
 the liberty of the flesh, and marriage of priests, 
 and destroy, as much as lay in them, the reverent 
 sacrament of the altar, and might extinguish and 
 
 enervate
 
 ^4 €de ^aBBCin^i^ne (jBifife. 
 
 enervate holy-days, fasting-days, and other laud- 
 able discipline of the Catholic Church ; opening a 
 window to all vices, and utterly closing up the way 
 unto virtue : wherefore we, being moved with a 
 Christian zeal, judging that the premises are not 
 to be longer suffered, do, for discharge of our duty, 
 commit unto you jointly and severally, and by the 
 tenor hereof do straitly charge and command you, 
 that at the receipt hereof, with all speed convenient, 
 you do warn, or cause to be warned, first, second, 
 and third time, and peremptorily, all and singular 
 churchwardens and parishioners whosoever, within 
 our aforesaid diocese of London (wheresoever any 
 such Scriptures or paintings have been attempted), 
 that they abolish and extinguish such manner of 
 Scriptures, so that by no means they be either read 
 or seen ; and therein to proceed, moreover, as they 
 shall see good and laudable in this behalf And if, 
 after the said monition, the said churchwardens and 
 parishioners shall be found remiss and negligent, 
 or culpable, then you, jointly and severally, shall 
 see the foresaid Scriptures to be razed, abolished, 
 and extinguished forthwith." This mandate was 
 directed, of course, against the usage introduced in 
 Edward VI. 's reign, of writing Scripture texts on 
 the walls of the churches ; and as a favourite in- 
 scription was one which bore especially against 
 
 Romish
 
 ^ran0fafton0 of f^e Q$i6fe. 65 
 
 Romish superstition, i John v. 21, in T3aidalc's 
 version, " Babes, kepe youre selues from ymages," 
 this may account for Bonner's severity. 
 
 Among those forced into exile through the terror 
 of fire and sword were Coverdale and several others, 
 who found a temporary home at Geneva ; and these 
 earnest men, free in this city to pursue their labours 
 in comparative peace, and allowed to worship God 
 according to their own convictions, set diligently to 
 work in producing another English translation which 
 should avoid the blemishes of either Tyndale's or 
 the Great Bible. Both by day and by night, these 
 learned and pious men engaged themselves with the 
 arduous task — comparing former translations with 
 the original tongues, and searching through the 
 Hebrew and Greek MSS, then at Geneva, in order 
 to detect any errors which might accidentally have 
 been allowed to creep in. They were so diligent 
 in their work that copies of the New Testament 
 found their way into England, surreptitiously no 
 doubt, before the death of Queen Mary, as appears 
 from a declaration by John Living, a priest, who 
 had been robbed in Paternoster Row of his purse, 
 girdle, psalter, and a " New Testament of Geneva." 
 
 The labours of the exiled Reformers eventually 
 produced a more complete and satisfactory trans- 
 lation of the Bible in 1560, with many important 
 
 additions
 
 66 Z^t Q5a60an^gne Q5i6fe. 
 
 additions and improvements, the New Testament 
 portion being issued first in 1557. The chief 
 burden of its expense was borne by the EngUsh 
 congregation at Geneva, of which John Bodley, 
 father of Sir Thomas Bodley, the founder of the 
 Bodleian Library at Oxford, was a member who 
 contributed generously ; and he received a grant, 
 on his return to England, of a patent for printing 
 that edition for seven 3'ears. There was in this 
 Bible a Dedication to Queen Elizabeth, quite free 
 from the fulsome flattery which is so conspicuous in 
 the one to King James, which afterwards appeared 
 in the Authorised Version of 161 1. There is also 
 an " Address to the Christian Reader," describing 
 the nature and features of the work, of which the 
 following is part : " Yet lest either the simple 
 should be discouraged, or the malicious have any 
 occasion of iust cauillation, seeing some transla- 
 tions reade after one sort, and some after another, 
 whereby all may serue to good purpose and edifi- 
 cation, we haue in the margent noted that diuersitie 
 of speech or reading which may also seeme agreeable 
 to the minde of the Holy Ghost, & proper for our 
 language with this marke ||. Againe, whereas the 
 Ebrewe speeche seemed hardly to agree with ours, 
 we haue noted it in the margent after this sort \, 
 vsing that which was more intelligible. And albeit 
 
 that
 
 ttanefaiiom of f^e Q^ifife. 67 
 
 that many of the Ebrewe names be altered from 
 the old text, & restored to the true writing & 
 first originall, whereof they haue their signification 
 yet in the vsuall names, little is changed for feare 
 of troubling simple readers. Moreouer, whereas 
 the necessitie of the sentence required any thing 
 to be added (for such is the grace and proprietie of 
 the Ebrewe & Greeke tongues that it cannot but 
 either by circumlocution or by adding the verbe or 
 some worde, be vnderstood of them that are not 
 well practised therein), we haue put it in the text 
 with another kinde of letter, that it may easily bee 
 discerned from the common letter. As touching 
 the diuision of the verses, we haue folowed the 
 Ebrewe examples, which haue so euen from the 
 beginning distinguished them. Which thing as it 
 is most profitable for memorie, so doth it agree 
 with the best translations, & is most easie to 
 finde out both by the best Concordances, & also 
 by the quotations which we haue diligently herein 
 perused & set forth by this *. Besides this, the 
 principall matters are noted and distinguished by 
 this marke H. We haue also indeavoured both by 
 the diligent reading of the best commentaries, & 
 also by the conference with the godly & learned 
 brethren, to gather briefe annotations vpon all the 
 hard places, as well for the vnderstanding of such 
 
 words
 
 68 Z^e ^aeean^i^ne 0$t6fe. 
 
 words as are obscure, & for the declaration of the 
 text, as for the application of the same, as may 
 most appertaine to God's glorie, & the edification 
 of his Church," &c. 
 
 This work, which commonly went under the 
 name of the " Geneva Bible," was well received by 
 all classes and soon gained a high reputation, and 
 from the time of its first appearance became the 
 household Bible of the English-speaking people, 
 continuing to be so for nearly three-quarters of a 
 century. Its size was more handy, and its cost 
 more moderate, than the Great Bible, which thus 
 soon lost its hold on the popular favour. Many 
 editions of the Geneva version were published 
 between 1560 and 161 1, the date of King James's 
 Authorised Version, and to the second edition of 
 the Geneva in 1561 it is that we are indebted for 
 the Bassandyne Bible, that which was first printed 
 in Scotland. 
 
 Chapter
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Introduction of Printing into Edinburgh. 
 
 IBERTY having at last been given by 
 the Scottish Parliament, in March 
 1543, to the people to use the Bible 
 in their own tongue, and a suitable complete ver- 
 sion being now ready, it remains to be seen how 
 this was accomplished, with the help of the new 
 art of printing. Under the energetic government 
 of James IV., Scotland for some years enjoyed the 
 utmost tranquillity and prosperity. The King's 
 amiable and popular manners, his enactment of 
 wise and salutary laws, combined with his stern 
 repression of the disorder and spoliation practised 
 by the turbulent nobility, all contributed to render 
 the reign of this gallant monarch one of the most 
 auspicious the people of Scotland had ever experi- 
 enced. Learning was looked upon with the highest 
 favour by the Court, and literature was rapidly 
 extending its influence under the zealous co-opera- 
 tion of Dunbar, Douglas, Lyndsay, Kennedy, and 
 
 others.
 
 7° €^e a^ciBBan^i^ne Q^iBfe. 
 
 others. The husbandman tilled his lands, and 
 the merchant traversed the country with his goods 
 in security, while the foreign trader visited the 
 markets of the different burghs fearless of plunder 
 or interruption. It was during this brief interreg- 
 num of freedom from the foreign and internecine 
 strife which had always more or less been the 
 general characteristic of Scottish history, that the 
 invention of printing — that art which, perhaps more 
 than any other human discovery, has changed the 
 condition and destinies of the world — found its 
 way into Scotland. James IV. evidently took an 
 enthusiastic interest in every new invention, and 
 it is known that he had a strong love for learn- 
 ing, being himself no mean scholar. In connection 
 with this is found the earliest record of Androw 
 Myllar, one of the first Scottish printers, which 
 bears that on the 29th March 1503 he was paid 
 the sum of ten pounds for certain Latin books 
 supplied to the King ; and at another time we find 
 the King's treasurer ordered to pay fifty shillings 
 " for iij. prentit bukis tane fra Andro Myllaris wyf." 
 Interested thus in literature. King James could not 
 look upon the new art with indifference, and it 
 may have been brought more especially under his 
 notice by Walter Chepman, seemingly a man of 
 wealth and consequence, and evidently an officer 
 
 of
 
 ^tiniinQ in (BbinBurg^. 71 
 
 of the King's household, as his name frequently 
 appears in the Accounts and Register of the Privy 
 Seal after the year 1494. 
 
 The facts regarding the introduction of printing 
 into Scotland were ascertained beyond dispute by 
 the discovery, towards the end of last century, 
 among the records in the Register House at Edin- 
 burgh, of the following patent, dated 15 th September 
 1507, granted by James IV, to Walter Chepman 
 and Andrew Myllar, burgesses of Edinburgh : 
 
 "James, etc. — To al and sindrj our officiaris liegis 
 and subdittis quham it efferis, quhais knawlage thir our 
 lettres salcum, greting ; Wit ye that forsamekill as our 
 lovittis servitouris Walter chepman and Andro myllar 
 burgessis of our burgh of Edinburgh, has at our instance 
 and request, for our plesour, the honour and profitt of 
 our Realme and liegis, takin on thame to furnis and 
 bring hame ane prent, with all stuff belangand tharto, 
 and expert men to use the samyne, for imprenting within 
 our Realme of the bukis of our Lawis, actis of parlia- 
 ment, croniclis, mess bukis, and portuus efter the use 
 of our Realme, with addicions and legendis of Scottis 
 Sanctis, now gaderit to be ekit tharto, and al utheris 
 bukis that salbe sene necessar, and to sel the sammyn 
 for competent pricis, be our avis and discretioun thair 
 labouris and expens being considerit ; And becaus we 
 understand that this cannot be perfurnist without rycht 
 greit cost labour and expens, we have grantit and promittit 
 
 to
 
 €^e (J0aB0an^ene (J$t6fe. 
 
 to thame that thai sail nocht be hurt nor preventit tharon 
 be oray utheris to tak copyis of ony bukis furtht of our 
 Realme, to gir imprent the samyne in utheris cuntreis, to 
 be brocht and sauld agane within our Realme, to cause 
 the said Walter and Androu tyne thair gret labour and 
 expens ; And alis It is divisit and thocht expedient be 
 us and our counsall, that in tyme cuming mess bukis, 
 manualis, matyne bukis, and portuus bukis, efter our 
 awin scottis use, and with legendis of Scottis Sanctis, as 
 is now gaderit and ekit by ane Reverend fader in god, 
 and our traist consalour Williame bischope of abirdene 
 and utheris, be usit generaly within al our Realme alssone 
 as the sammyn may be imprentit and providit, and that 
 na maner of sic bukis of Salusbery use be brocht to be 
 sauld within our Realme in tym coming ; And gif ony 
 dois in the contrar, that thai sal tyne the sammyne; 
 Quharfor we charge straitlie and commandis yow al and 
 sindrj our officiaris, liegis, and subdittis, that nane of 
 yow tak apon hand to do onything incontrar this our 
 promitt, devise, and ordinance, in tyme cuming, under 
 the pane of escheting of the bukis, and punising of thair 
 persons bringaris tharof within our Realme, in contrar 
 this our statut, with al vigour as efferis. Geven under 
 our prive Sel at Edinburgh, the xv day of September, 
 and of our Regnc the xx'' yer." — Boo/cs of the Privy Seal, 
 iii. 129. 
 
 Only a short period after this, Scotland was at 
 the mercy of her southern rival : her King was 
 slain, the chief of her nobles and warriors had 
 
 perished
 
 ^viniinQ in (BbinBurg^. 73 
 
 perished at Flodden, on the 8th September 15 13, 
 and adversity and ignorance again replaced all 
 the advantages which had followed the rule of 
 James IV. 
 
 To what extent Chepman and Myllar made use 
 of their patent cannot now be determined, but it 
 is surmised that a number of works issued from 
 their press ; of these only two, however, were for 
 a long time known — the earliest, a volume of met- 
 rical tales and ballads, such as were popular in 
 those days, and of which the first tale in order 
 is " The Porteous of Noblenes ; " the other work 
 being the " Breviarium Aberdonense." This Bre- 
 viary consists of two volumes, and the first page 
 begins — " In nomine sandce et individuce TrinitatiSy 
 Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Breviarium ad 
 usum et consuetudinem percelebris ecclesiae cathe- 
 dralis Aberdon. in Scotia, regnante principe nostro 
 serenissimo Jacobo, quarto, divina favente dementia 
 Scotorum rege illustrissimi, imperii sui anno vices- 
 simo secundo, pro hyemali parte feliciter sumit 
 exordium." At the end are these words : " Opido 
 Edinburgensi impresso jussu et impensis honora- 
 bilis viri Walteri Chepman ejusdem opidi Mercatoris, 
 quarto die mensis Junii, anno Domino millesimo 
 ccccc decimo." There is on the back of this latter 
 page an engraving of Chepman's device, represent- 
 ing
 
 74 €^e {§aBecir\ti^ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 ing a savage man and woman at full length — their 
 shoulders bare, their lower limbs clothed with 
 skins of beasts, in their hands flower-stalks, and 
 their heads wreathed with flowers. They are 
 standing one on each side of a tree, from which 
 hangs a shield with the cipher of W. C. At the 
 bottom, between two black lines, are the words : 
 
 " I caaltenis ; cljepman ::." This kind of 
 
 device was peculiar to French printers, and the 
 cut agrees with those on several old French books, 
 excepting the cipher. The italic words in the 
 extracts above are printed with red ink in the 
 original. 
 
 Of the four copies of the Breviary known to 
 exist, all are defective, and it would barely be 
 possible to form a complete copy out of the whole 
 four ; the only one possessing a title is that in the 
 University Library at Edinburgh, and this only to 
 the first volume.* It was not till 1788 that any 
 earlier production of Chepman and Myllar's press 
 than the Breviary was known, but in that year 
 
 there 
 
 * " The ' Breviarium Aberdonense ' seems to have esta- 
 blished in Scotland something like the supremacy of the 
 ' Usum Sarum ' in England. The whole Breviary was re- 
 printed in London in 1854, in two volumes quarto, making 
 one of the finest specimens of facsimile-reprinting then in 
 existence." — Nz7/ Burton.
 
 ^nnftng in (B^tnfiurg^. 75 
 
 there was presented to the Advocates' Library the 
 volume of ballads already referred to. There are 
 in this book eleven separately printed small quartos, 
 some of which indicate the printers and date of 
 printing. The earliest dated piece, and the most 
 complete one in the collection, has the following 
 colophon : 
 
 "f^t'er cntiis i^z maomtj mti liisport of cljauccr. 
 3Imprcntit in tl)e soutljgatt of ^liinburgfj be 
 SjKaltcr cl^cpman antj Slntiroto mgllar tlje faurtlj 
 tjag of aprilc f^t gl)£rE of goti iH.ai:ai:^€:C. aiili 
 tiii. gljcris." 
 
 Another, in six leaves quarto, bears the following 
 title : 
 
 "f^fer ficggnngs aue liti'l trctte mtftulit tlje goltign 
 targe rompilit ie ffilaister Miloatn tiunbar." 
 
 These Ballads are printed from a Pica Black, in 
 pages about the size of demy 8vo, and nothing can 
 surpass the regularity of the letters, which are at 
 once carefully formed and beautifully cast. The 
 tracts, it is true, abound in errata, arising no doubt 
 from the circumstance that they were composed, as 
 well as read for press, by foreign workmen, but the 
 press-work would put to shame many modern 
 examples. Especially is this latter point true of 
 
 the
 
 7^ €^e Q$a06anbgne Q0i6fe. 
 
 the Aberdeen Breviary, which is in a Longprimer 
 Black type, in double columns, many of the pages 
 having lines and paragraphs in red and black 
 alternately. The Metrical Romances were reprinted, 
 under the supervision of Dr. Laing, by Messrs. 
 Ballantyne & Company in 1827; but after the 
 volume was completed, a disastrous fire occurred in 
 the binder's premises, which destro^^ed the greater 
 portion of the sheets, so that only seventy-six 
 copies (four of which are on vellum) were actually 
 published, and of these not a few bore marks of the 
 conflagration from which they had escaped. The 
 volume, as reprinted, takes its name from the poem 
 first in order — "The Knightly Tale of Golagros 
 and Gawane ; " and the following is a list of the 
 contents : 
 
 <E^t l^nigljtlg STale of (Solarjros nnt5 (Sairane. 
 
 E\)z ffiroltign SEarge. 
 
 9ri)c iFloting of Sunbar m\0 Itcnnetig. 
 
 QTfic JITtoa iHartit ilBcmcn anU i\}z raeHo. 
 
 SEljc BallatJ of 3Lart) ^jarnnvb Stciuart. 
 
 STfjc 2Crai'ttc of ©rpljais Icttng. 
 
 ^ne Bufic of ffiutJ (Counsalc. 
 
 9ri)£ fHagmcj, or Disport of Cljauccr. 
 
 Sir IStjIamour of Srtcas. 
 
 a ffi£2t of tXohmi %}0l3t. 
 
 Etc Portcous of Noblcncs. 
 
 The
 
 ^tiniins in (5^tn6urg^. 
 
 77 
 
 The two works above-named, the Breviary and 
 the Ballads, were long thought to have been the 
 earliest in which Myllar had been engaged as 
 the printer; but at Paris in 1869 ^ book entitled 
 
 DEVICE OF ANDROW MYLLAR. 
 
 "Expositio Sequentiarum" (dated 1506) was exposed 
 for sale, which, though not indicating where or by 
 whom it was printed, contains the name of Androw 
 Myllar on the sill of the device, while the types are 
 
 identical
 
 Z^e (§aB6ar\bi^ne QSifife. 
 
 identical with those used by Laurence Hostingue 
 of Rouen, and also afterwards by Myllar. The 
 book was bought for the British Museum for ;^40. 
 Again, in 1878, there was found in a private library 
 at Dinant, in Bretagne, a black-letter quarto of 62 
 folios, the Latin title of which means, " The Inter- 
 pretation of many ambiguous words, by Master 
 John of Garland, indispensably needful to the 
 Grammarian and lover of Latin," &c., and having 
 the colophon and device of "Androw Myllar of 
 Scotland," "in the year of the Christian Redemption, 
 One Thousand Five Hundred and Five." Evidently 
 this also was printed at Rouen. These discoveries 
 have led to the conjecture that at the time when 
 King James bought the books from " Myllaris wyf," 
 Androw himself was abroad gaining instruction in 
 the art, and that, as Chepman was wealthy, he may 
 have sent Myllar to Rouen, and on his return with 
 presses and type, retained him as working partner 
 in the printing-house they set up. The workshop 
 of these two first printers was in the south-gait of 
 Edinburgh, as appears from the colophon given on 
 page 75 ; but whether the south-gait refers to the 
 Cowgate or to the lower part of High Street is a 
 controverted point. Dr. Robert Chambers states that 
 the workshop of the first Scottish printers was in 
 the Cowgate, near to where George IV. Bridge now 
 
 is.
 
 (ptintirxQ in (E^infiurg^. 79 
 
 is, and where not a few printing-offices in later 
 times were established ; while Dr. Laing is of 
 opinion that their office was in High Street, near 
 the head of Blackfriars' Wynd, and supports his 
 view by a quotation from a license in the Registers 
 of the Privy Seal to Chepman giving him power to 
 have " stairis towart the Hie Strete and Calsay, 
 with bak staris and turngres in the Frer Wynd, 
 or on the forgait, of sic breid and lenth as he sail 
 think expedient for entre and asiamentis to his land 
 and tenement," &c. But as Chepman was wealthy, 
 and possessed of considerable property, this license 
 may have referred to alterations on another building 
 than that in which the printing-house was situated ; 
 and as the south-gait is thought to have been only 
 another name for Cowgate, the probability is in 
 favour of the latter locality. Wherever their place 
 of business was, however, we may suppose that 
 visits were frequently paid to it by the gallant 
 King James, where he saw types set, the ink-balls 
 applied, proofs pulled, and chatted with the printers, 
 and showed his delight at the new and astonishing 
 art which was destined to work such wonders. 
 
 It affords conclusive evidence of the wealth of 
 Chepman, and of the success which attended the 
 art immediately after its introduction, that on the 
 2 1 St of August 1 5 13, Walter Chepman founded a 
 
 chaplainry,
 
 8o t^e Q$a60an^i?ne (jSifife. 
 
 chaplainry, " for the welfare of the souls of the 
 king, queen, and their offspring," at the altar of St, 
 John the Evangelist, in an aisle built by him on 
 the southern side of St. Giles' Church. Chepman 
 also endowed another chaplainry to the memory of 
 his royal master, James IV,, in a Mortuary Chapel 
 of the Holy Cross in the cemetery of St. Giles, in 
 August 1528, the original deed of which is preserved 
 in the city archives. 
 
 Some of Dunbar's poems were among the earliest 
 productions that issued from the press of Chepman 
 and Myllar, forming now very scarce and highly 
 valued reliques of the art ; and in his " Remon- 
 strance to the King " there occurs an inventory 
 which affords an insight into the crafts of Edin- 
 burgh in the time of James IV. A brief extract 
 will suffice : 
 
 " Cunyouris, carvouris, and carpentaris, 
 Beildaris of barkis, and ballingaris ; 
 Masounis, lyand upon the land, 
 And schip wrichtis hewand upone the strande ; 
 Glasing wrichtis, goldsmythis, and lapidaris, 
 Prynioiiris, payntouris, and potingaris," &c. 
 
 The introduction of printers into the above lines 
 shows that the art was well known ; and yet, for 
 about thirty years after the Breviary, there is no 
 actual evidence of the printing of books in Scotland, 
 
 though
 
 ^tiniinq in (SbinBurg^. 
 
 though the production of books in MS. seems to 
 have been actively pursued ; and, in fact, we find 
 that the works of several Scottish writers were 
 during this period printed on the Continent. It 
 is difficult to account for this seeming discontinu- 
 ance of printing after Chepman, who died in 1532 
 or 1533; probably the political distractions of the 
 time may have contributed to render it unprofit- 
 able ; but in its revival by Davidson in 1536 there 
 was no deterioration, either in the importance of 
 the works attempted, or in the manner in which 
 the mechanical part was executed. There is per- 
 haps but one exception to this complete cessation, 
 in a book printed in Edinburgh about this time by 
 John Story, called " The Office of Our Lady of 
 Pity." It has been conjectured that Story was in 
 the employment of Chepman, and succeeded to the 
 business, since the type, as well as the arrange- 
 ment and general appearance of Story's work, cor- 
 responds very much with the appearance of the 
 Aberdeen Breviary ; and it is probable other books 
 were done which are now lost. 
 
 When Thomas Davidson, the next Scottish 
 printer, appeared in 1536, one of his first works 
 seems to have been a Strena, or Latin poem, 
 written on the occasion of James V.'s accession. 
 The only known copy of this book is in the 
 
 British 
 
 F
 
 82 ^^e Q5a00anbpne Q$i6fe. 
 
 British Museum. From the appearance of several 
 of Davidson's books, it might seem, from the type 
 he used being similar in size and character to 
 that used by Chepman, that he had fallen heir to 
 Chepman's " plant," more particularly as there is 
 a look about the type which tells of having seen 
 previous service ; but closer scrutiny shows that 
 while both used Black letter, Davidson's is slightly 
 larger and of more modern design than that of 
 Chepman. About 1540, the Scottish Parliament 
 passed an Act ordaining the Lord Register to 
 publish the Acts of Parliament passed in the reign 
 of James V., and to employ what printer he pleased, 
 providing the printer had the King's special license 
 therefor — this Act being the last passed by King 
 James V. The following is the special license 
 granted to Davidson for this purpose : 
 
 " The copy of the Kingis grace licence and priuilege 
 grantit to Thomas Dauidson, prentar, for imprenting of 
 his gracis actis of parliament. 
 
 "James be the grace of God King of Scottis, to all 
 and sindry, quhom it efferis. Forsamekill as it is ordanit 
 be ws, be an act maid in plane parliament, that all our 
 actis maid be ws be publist outthrow al our realme ; and 
 that nane our shereiffis, stewardis, bailies, prouest, and 
 baillies of oure burrowis, suld pretend ignorance throw 
 misknawing thairof, that our clerk of registre, and counsel, 
 - suld
 
 (prinfirxQ in (B^infiutg^. 83 
 
 suld mak ane autenlik copic of all sik actis as conccrnis 
 the commoun weill of oure realme, and extract the samin 
 under his subscription manuale, to be imprentit be quhat 
 prentar it sail pleis him to cheis ; prouiding alwayis, that 
 the said prentar sail have oure speciall licence thairto, 
 as in the said act at mair length is contenit. 
 
 "U We heirfore hes gevyn, and grantit, & be the 
 tenour heirof gevis and grantis oure licence, to oure 
 louit Thomas Uauidson, imprentar in oure burgh of 
 Edinburgh, to imprent oure saidis actis of parliament, 
 and dischargis all vther imprintaris, and writtaris, within 
 yis oure realme, or without, present, and for to cum, to 
 imprent, or writ our saidis actis of parliament, or bring 
 thaym hame to be sauld, for the space of sex zeris next 
 to cum, eftir the dait of thir presentis, under the pain of 
 confiscatioun of the samyn. Subscrivit with oure hand, 
 and gevin under oure priue seill, at Edinburgh, the sext 
 day of December, and of oure regne the xxix zeir. 
 
 "HGoD KEip THE King." 
 
 The title of this work was : " The new actis 
 and constitutionis of parliament, maid be the rycht 
 excelent prince, James the fyft King of Scottis, 
 1540." On the same page are the Scots arms, 
 above the crest the words " in defens," while on 
 one side of the arms is " Jacobus," on the other 
 "Rex 5." On the back of the title is the above 
 license. At the end of the book is an engraving 
 of Christ on the cross, surrounded by a number 
 
 of
 
 84 t-^e 55a60anbgne Q$i6fe. 
 
 of figures. The work contains the Acts of two 
 Parliaments, " the former begunnyn and haldin at 
 Edinburgh the vii day of Junii, the zeir of God md 
 and XXXV zeiris ; the latter begunnyn and haldin 
 at Edinburgh, the third day of December, the zeir 
 of God MD and xl zeiris." The colophon bears 
 " Imprentit in Edinburgh be Thomas Dauidson, 
 dwellyng aboue the Nether Bow, on the North side 
 of the gait, the aucht of Februarii, the zeir of God, 
 1 541 zeiris.'"^ 
 
 Davidson also printed between December 1541 
 and December 1542 — though a former edition is 
 said by Ames to have been done by him in 1536 — 
 Bellenden's translation of "The history and croniklis 
 of Scotland, with the cosmography and dyscription 
 thairof. Compilit be the nobill clerk, maister Hector 
 Boece, channon of Aberdene. Translatit laitlie in 
 our vulgar and commoun langage be maister Johne 
 Bellenden, archedene of Murray, and channon of 
 Ross ; at the command of the richt hie, richt excel- 
 lent, and nobill prince James the 5th of that name, 
 king of Scottis ; and imprentit in Edinburgh be 
 
 me 
 
 * At the WoodhuU Library sale, a thin folio of Scotch 
 Acts of Parliament, printed in Black letter on vellum 
 about the middle of the sixteenth century, was sold for 
 I 5 I guineas.
 
 (jJrinfing in (BbinBurg^. 85 
 
 me Thomas Dauidson, prentar to the Kingis nobyll 
 grace, dwellyng fornens the Frere wynd [opposite 
 the Blackfriars Wynd]. Cujh prim'/cgio." 
 
 Johne Skot, or Scott, was chronologically the 
 next printer. He is believed by some to have 
 been an Englishman, while other writers unhesi- 
 tatingly pronounce in favour of his being a Scotch- 
 man, and a totally different person from a printer 
 of the same name in London so early as 1521, and 
 till 1537. The very year after the date of the 
 London Scott's last book, 1538, there was printed 
 at John Byddell's office, " at the signe of the Sonne, 
 in Flete strete," " The Complaynte and Testament 
 of a Popinjay," &c., a poem by Sir David Lyndsay 
 — a circumstance which shows that there was some 
 connection between Scotland and Byddell's estab- 
 lishment. Scott may have been engaged here, and 
 have learned that there was then only one printer in 
 Edinburgh, and consequently a favourable opening 
 for starting a second press in that city. Whether 
 he came to Edinburgh of his own accord, or by 
 invitation, is uncertain, but it is the fact that in 
 the following year, one Johannes Scot, designated 
 impressor, received from the King a grant of two 
 chambers, with cellars below, at the foot of Borth- 
 wick's Close, Cowgate. 
 
 Scott's stay in Edinburgh at this time does not 
 
 appear
 
 86 t^e (3$a60an^pne (jBifife. 
 
 appear to have been of long duration, for in 1549 
 he printed at St. Andrews, under the eye of its 
 reputed author, James Wedderburn, that remark- 
 able little book, " The Complaynte of Scotland." 
 In this work the author represents himself as 
 wearied with study, and, to solace himself, "walk- 
 ing out into the wholesome fields to hear the songs 
 of the shepherds." He then gives specimens of 
 the songs of the period, a large number of which 
 are now only known by name. From one of 
 these early songs, called " Lustie Maye," a couple 
 of verses are here given as an example of the 
 verse of the time : 
 
 " O, Lustie Maye, with Flora queen, 
 Whose balmy drops from Phoebus sheen 
 
 Prelusant beam before the day, 
 
 Before the day, the day ; 
 By thee, Diana groweth green, 
 
 Through glaidness of this Lustie Maye, 
 
 Through glaidness of this Lustie Maye. 
 
 " Of every monith in the year. 
 To mirthful Maye there is no peer, 
 Her glistening garments are so gay ; 
 Garments so gay, so gay ; 
 You lovers all make merrie cheer. 
 
 Through glaidness of this Lustie Maye, 
 Through glaidness of this Lustie Maye." 
 
 Scott
 
 printing in <Bbm6urg^. 87 
 
 Scott also printed in St. Andrews several other 
 books, among these being Archibald Hamilton's 
 " Catechisme," which contains an oblong woodcut 
 of Scott's device, rudely representing Hercules 
 with a club in the act of striking a centaur. This 
 work was printed in 1552 at the expense of John 
 Hamilton, Archbishop of St. Andrews, and was a 
 small quarto of about 200 pages, having the follow- 
 ing full title : " The Catechisme. That is to say, 
 ane commoun and catholik instructioun of the 
 christin people in materis of our catholik faith and 
 religioun, quhilk na gud christin man or woman 
 sud misknaw : Set furth be the maist reuerend 
 father in God Johne Archbischop of Sanct Androus, 
 Legatnait and Prymat of ye kirk of Scotland, in 
 his provincial counsale haldin at Edinburgh the 
 xxvi. day of Januarie, the zeir of our Lord I5SI> 
 with the aduise and counsale of the bischoppis 
 and uthir prelatis, with doctours of Theologie and 
 Canon law of the said realme of Scotland present 
 for the tyme." ..." Agane reasone na sober 
 man, agane scripture na christin man, agane ye 
 kirk na peaceabil or quiet man will judge, or hald 
 opinioun." Hill Burton says, " The authors of 
 this manual of religious instruction to the laity 
 had no benefit from the celebrated Catechism of 
 the Council of Trent, which was not issued till a 
 
 later
 
 t-^e Q$a60anbgne Q$t6fe. 
 
 later time. The Scots work had the advantage of 
 appearing in a shape to be read by the people, 
 instead of affording a mere aid to the clergy in 
 the expositions they were told to make in the 
 vernacular." * 
 
 George Chalmers, who made the productions 
 of Scott's press, and particularly his editions of 
 Lyndsay, a critical study, came to the conclusion 
 that the printer had departed in many cases from 
 his " copy," and believed him to have been an 
 Englishman from his having Anglicised a number 
 of the expressions and the spelling of many of the 
 words. Great liberties appear to have been taken 
 in this way with the original MS. of the Catechism, 
 one of the most curious being on the page where 
 we find " The Prayer of our Lord in Latyne," and 
 below it, " The Same Prayer of our Lord tn Ingh's." 
 This is, indeed, a singular heading to a very fair 
 interpretation of the Lord's Prayer tn Scottis. 
 Hamilton's Catechism has been confounded by 
 some writers with what was commonly called the 
 " Twopenny Faith," a small work of four pages, 
 issued by the authority of the Provincial Synod in 
 1558—59. This book was intended to be read as 
 
 a 
 
 * A copy of Hamilton's Catechism was sold some years 
 ago for ^148.
 
 ^tiniirxQ in (B^infiutg^. 89 
 
 a preparation for receiving the sacrament of the 
 Eucharist, supplying what in later times has been 
 called "A Companion to the Altar," and it thus 
 began with an exposition of the dogma of the real 
 presence. It was looked upon with much scorn 
 by the Reformers, and was spoken of by Knox as 
 the " Twopenny Faith." 
 
 The fifth Parliament of Queen Mary, held at 
 Edinburgh on ist February 1551—52, passed an 
 Act which furnishes some insight into the variety 
 and character of the writings then issuing from the 
 press and strongly influencing the public mind. 
 The Act was as follows : " Prenters suld prent na 
 thing without license. Item, For-sa-meikle as there 
 is diverse Prenters in this Realme, that dailie and 
 continuallie prentis buikes concerning the Faith, 
 ballattes, sanges, blasphemationes, rimes, alsweill 
 of Kirk-men, as Temporal, and vthers Tragedies, 
 alsweill in Latine, as in Englis toung, not scene, 
 viewed, and considdered be the Superioures, as 
 apperteinis to the defamation and sclander of the 
 Lieges of this Realme, and to put ordour to sic 
 inconuenientes : it is devised, statute, and ordained 
 be the Lord Governour, with aduise of the three 
 Estaites of Parliament : That na Prenter presume, 
 attempt, or tak vpone hande to prent ony bukis, 
 ballattes, sangis, blasphematiounis, rymes or tra- 
 gedies.
 
 po ^^e Q0a6ganbgnc Q0i6fe. 
 
 gedies, outhir in Latine, or Englis toung, in ony 
 tymes to cum, vnto the tyme the samin be sene, 
 viewit, and examit be sum wyse and discreit per- 
 sounis depute thairto be the Ordinares quhat-sum- 
 evir, and thaireftir ane license had and obtenit fra 
 our Soveraine Ladie, and the Lord Governour, for 
 imprenting sic buikes vnder the pain of confisca- 
 tioun of all the Prentaris gudis, and banisshing 
 him of the Realme for ever." 
 
 Scott returned to Edinburgh again, after being 
 some years at St. Andrews, and resumed the 
 work of printing. Among his productions after 
 his return may be mentioned the following : " The 
 Tragedie of the Vmquhile maist Reuerend Father 
 Dauid be the Mercy of God, Cardinall Archi- 
 byschope of Sanctandrous, &c. Compilit be 
 Schir Dauid Lyndesay of Mont, king of arms." 
 At the foot of this title is Scott's device of Her- 
 cules and the Centaur. It was probably owing to 
 Scott's issuing this work in 1558, without receiving 
 license according to the Act of February 1551—52, 
 that he was shortly after summoned before the 
 Privy Council " for his demerits and faultes," a 
 summons which by some means or other he seems 
 to have evaded. 
 
 Scott again got into serious trouble with the 
 authorities for issuing some time after the follow- 
 ing
 
 printing in (gbinfiurg^. 
 
 91 
 
 ing book : " The Last Blast of the Trompit of 
 Godis worde aganis the vsurpit auctoritie of lone 
 Knox and his Calviniane brether, intrudit Pre- 
 
 SIXTEENTH CENTURY PRINTING-OFFICE. 
 
 cheouris &c. Put furth to the Congregatioun of 
 the Protestantis in Scotlande, be Niniane Winzet, 
 ane Catholik priest, borne in Renfrew. At the 
 desyre and in the name of his afflictit Catholike 
 
 Brether
 
 92 €^c Q$a60an^gne Q0i6fe. 
 
 Brether of ye inferiour ourdoure of Clergie, and 
 laie men. Vir inipitis procacitcr obfirmat vultiun 
 suuni : qui antcm rectus est, corrigit viam suatn. 
 Proverb. 21. Edinburgi vltimo lulii 1562." This 
 work is a Black-letter quarto, of which only five 
 leaves are left in the only copy known. Niniane 
 Winzet, the author, was schoolmaster in Linlith- 
 gow, and was among the most able as well as 
 most active of the Roman Catholics in Scotland at 
 the time of the Reformation. Even after the sup- 
 pression of Popery in the kingdom, he ventured to 
 publish in Edinburgh several works which were 
 exceedingly distasteful to the feelings of the Re- 
 formers. The publication by Scott in May 1562 
 of one of these, " Certane Tractatis for Reforma- 
 tioun of Doctryne and manneris," had greatly 
 incensed the Reformers, who, upon learning that 
 the " Last Blast " was in the printer's hands, took 
 violent measures to put an end to his proceedings ; 
 and the magistrates of the city, with their officers, 
 broke into the printing-house, arrested Scott, and 
 put him in prison. The sheets of the work were 
 seized, and the printing materials confiscated. But 
 the author himself, who seems to have been on 
 the premises at the time, and whose custody the 
 Reformers chiefly desired, escaped in disguise, and 
 made his way to Flanders. 
 
 How
 
 (jjrtnfing in (Ebmfiutg^. 93 
 
 How long Scott was kept in confinement is not 
 known, or how he passed the remaining years of 
 his life, but we next hear of him in 1568, engaged 
 in printing the first complete edition of the works 
 of Sir David Lyndsay for Henrie Charteris, a 
 merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, who shortly 
 after took up the trade of printing on his own 
 account, and continued to exercise it successfully 
 for many years. The imprint on this edition of 
 Lyndsay reads : " Newlie imprentit be lohne Scot, 
 at the expensis of Henrie Charteris : and are to 
 be sauld in his buith, on the north syde of the 
 gait, aboue the trone. Ctwt prinilegio regalia 
 
 The art of printing, contributing, as it did, to 
 the diffusion of knowledge and of liberal opinions, 
 had ere this become an object of jealousy to the 
 Church as well as to the State, and the General 
 Assembly, in 1563, took the press almost entirely 
 under its direction, prohibiting all books concern- 
 ing religion to be printed, till the printers had ob- 
 tained, not only license as formerly decreed from 
 the civil magistrates, but also the approbation of 
 the Church. Although an exclusive privilege was, 
 by royal patent, occasionally bestowed on printers 
 of vending or reprinting for a limited period those 
 books which they had published, yet the occupa- 
 tion appears at this time still to have been by no 
 
 means
 
 94 <t^e Q5a00anbgne Q$t6fe. 
 
 means profitable ; for even the King's printer, who 
 was also printer to the Church, was so distressed 
 in circumstances as to be obliged repeatedly to 
 implore and receive aid from the Church, and he 
 at last received in March 1569—70 an annual salary 
 of ;^50 from it, on account of his poverty and the 
 great expense he had incurred in purchasing types. 
 The printer to the King so aided was Robert 
 Lekprevik, who was in business at the same time 
 as John Scott ; but what were then the privileges 
 conferred on him or the precise value of the royal 
 appointment, has never yet been satisfactorily ascer- 
 tained. The tenement where Lekprevik had his 
 workshop is not known, but it appears to have 
 been somewhere about the eastern nook of the old 
 town, near Netherbow Port. 
 
 One noteworthy book printed in 1560 by Lek- 
 previk may be mentioned here : " The Confessione 
 of the fayht and doctrin beleued and professed by 
 Protestantes of the Realme of Scotland exhibited 
 to the estates of the sam in parliament and by 
 thare publict votes authorised as a doctrin grounded 
 upon the infallable wourd of God. Matth. 24. 
 And this glaid tydinges of the kingdom shalbe 
 preached throught the hole world for a witnes to 
 all nations and then shal the end cum. Imprented 
 at Edinburgh be Robert Lekprewik. Cum priui-' 
 
 legio,
 
 (ptiniirxQ in (S^infiurg^* 95 
 
 iegiOf 1 561." The book is thus prefaced: "The 
 estates of Scotland with the inhabitantes of the 
 sam professing Christ Jesus and his holy euangell. 
 To their naturall cuntre men, and to all others 
 realmes and nations, professing the sam Christ 
 Jesus with them, wyshe grace mercy and peace 
 from God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ with 
 the spirite of righteous iudgement for Saluation." 
 On the last leaf of the book are these words : 
 "From Edinburghe, 17. Augusti, 1560. These 
 actes and articles ar red in the face of Parliament, 
 and ratified by the thre estatis." 
 
 In February 1565, Lekprevik obtained a letter 
 under the Privy Seal, authorising him to print 
 "The Actis and Constitutionis of Parliament maid 
 be the rycht excelent princes Marie quene of 
 Scottis," and also the Psalms of David in " Scottis 
 metir" for a period of seven years. A similar 
 license was given him on January 14, 1567—68, 
 for twenty years, of which license the following 
 sentence forms part : " Thairfore Licencand and 
 gevand to Robert Lekprevik Imprentar in Edin- 
 burgh priuilege and full power to imprent all and 
 quhatsumever actis workis volumis and utheris 
 necessaris alsweile in latine as in inglische for the 
 Weill and commoditie of the leiges thairof. And 
 als all sic thingis as tendis to the glorie of God." 
 
 This
 
 9^ €^e (^aszan^i^rxe Q5i6fe. 
 
 This license was renewed on the 14th April 1568, 
 and giving also an exclusive right to print " Ane 
 buik callit ye Inglis Bybill imprentit of before at 
 Geneva ; " and yet neither Bible nor Psalm-book in 
 " Scottis metir " ever issued from Lekprevik's press, 
 although his other works are neither scarce nor 
 unknown. It may be interesting to quote here the 
 first official license to print the Bible in Scotland, 
 and to some it will no doubt appear strange that, 
 so far as regards the text of the Old and New 
 Testaments, and the metrical Psalms, similar licenses 
 are still required by printers in Scotland. 
 
 License to Lekprevik to Print the "Inglis Bibill," 
 Aj>n/ 14, 1568, 
 
 "Ane Letter maid with awise of my Lord Regent 
 To Robert Lekprevik our Soverane Lordis imprentare 
 Givand grantand and committand to him full licence 
 priuelege and power To imprcnt all and haill ane buke 
 callit the Inglis bybill imprentit of before at Geneva 
 And that continuallie induring the space of tuenty zeiris 
 nixt following the dait heirof Chargeing all and sindrie 
 imprentaris writtaris and utheris his hienes liegis within 
 this realme That nane of thame tak upoun hand to im- 
 prent or caus be imprentit be quhatsumever persoun or 
 persounis within this realme in ony tyme heircftir indur- 
 ing the said space under the panis of confiscatioun thairof 
 The said buke callit the Inglis bibill viz. samony as sal- 
 
 happin
 
 ^riniinq in (Bbtnfiurg^. 97 
 
 happin to be imprentit and payment of the soume of twa 
 hundreth pundis money of this realme &c At Glasgw 
 the fourtene day of Apiile The zeir of God In v<^ Ixviij 
 zeiris." 
 
 Lekprevik's license of January 1567-68 em- 
 powered him also to print exclusively the " buikes 
 callit ' Donatus pro Pueris/ ' Rudiments of Pelisso,' 
 togedder with the gramer to be set furth callit the 
 general gramer to be usid within scolis of this 
 realme for erudition of the zouth." * Lekprevik 
 appears to have gone afterwards for a time to 
 St. Andrews, and several books with " Imprentit 
 at Sanctandrois be Robert Lekprevik " are noted 
 under the date of 1572 in Ames' "Typographical 
 Antiquities." 
 
 The press was not likely to be a friend to the 
 arbitrary Regent Morton, and the Regent, there- 
 fore, was not a friend to the press ; and on July 
 29, 1574, he induced the Privy Council to issue 
 another edict, to the effect " that nane tak upone 
 
 hand 
 
 * The " Donat " was a grammar by Donatus, a cele- 
 brated grammarian, who was the preceptor of Jerome, and 
 lived at Rome about 354. The " Donat" was one of the 
 first books printed by Caxton, and also by Fust at Mentz. 
 By an easy transition, the Donat — the name by which the 
 work of Donatus was commonly known — came to signify in 
 those limes the elements of any art. 
 
 G
 
 98 ^^e ^atsBant^ne Q^tSfe. 
 
 hand to emprent or sell whatsoever book, ballat, 
 or other werk," without its being examined and 
 licensed, under pain of death or confiscation of 
 goods. The repeated issue of similar edicts at 
 different times shows that their provisions were 
 either not very stringently carried out, or that the 
 printers paid little or no attention to them. One 
 instance, however, of Morton's stern dealing with 
 those who in this way gave him offence may be 
 here given ; though it would appear that it was 
 the authors alone who suffered in this case. In 
 September 1579, Walter Turnbull and William 
 Scott were taken into custody in Edinburgh for 
 writing a satire against Regent Morton, enumerat- 
 ing his crimes, and particularly insisting upon his 
 connection with the death of the late Chancellor, 
 the Earl of Athole. Turpbull appears to have 
 been well known as an able schoolmaster, and both 
 he and Scott, a " notar," for their good-humour 
 and knack of rhyming, were in great repute both 
 with the gentry and the common people. Many 
 interested themselves in their behalf, and when 
 they were carried to Stirling to be tried, the King 
 was " pestered " with petitions for their liberty, 
 Morton, on the other hand — for he never knew how 
 to forgive an enemy — managed the process with so 
 " much heat and concern," and so much overawed 
 
 the
 
 ^tintinq in (B^tn6urg^. 99 
 
 the young King James VI. 's inclinations to mercy, 
 that upon the last day of October they were both 
 publicly hanged. " Whilke was thought a pre- 
 cedent, never one being hanged for the like before ; 
 and in the meantime, at the scattering of the people, 
 there were ten or twelve despiteful letters and 
 infamous libels in prose found, as if they had 
 been lost among the people, tending to the reproach 
 of the Earl of Morton and his predecessors." 
 " Some people alleged that the King was never 
 inclined to pardon these two poets, because Scott 
 one day, before some company, reading the Stirling 
 Articles, suddenly stopped when he was but half- 
 way, and being desired to go on, said, * We will 
 what Morton wills, and that is all.' ' Nay,' said 
 Turnbull, ' add the Queen of England too,' The 
 satire here was obvious enough to those who had 
 read the Articles, and indeed it is not unlikely 
 that this jest helped the unfortunate authors to 
 the gallows." The following incident, related by 
 Calderwood, in all probability forms the sequel. 
 At the fall of Morton, less than two years after, 
 when he was taken prisoner for his alleged com- 
 plicity in the murder of Darnley, and conducted 
 to Edinburgh Castle, " as he passed the Butter 
 Tron, a woman who had her husband put to 
 death at Stirling for a ballad entitled ' Daff and 
 
 dow
 
 Z^e t^aBBdYi^i^nc Q$i6fe. 
 
 dow nothing,' * sitting down on her bare knees, 
 poured out many imprecations against him." 
 
 Whether as a cause or a consequence of the 
 edict of 1574 is not very clear, but in the same 
 year Robert Lekprevik fell into disgrace, and was 
 confined for a time in Edinburgh Castle for pub- 
 lishing, without license, " Ane dialogue or mutuall 
 talking betwixt a clerk and a courteour, concerning 
 four parische kirks till ane minister, collectit out of 
 thair mouthis, and put into verse be a young man 
 quha did then forgather with thame in his jornay, 
 to the reproach and slander of our Sovereign Lord's 
 Regent," &c. There is no doubt, however, that 
 Lekprevik now forfeited his license as King's 
 printer, though he continued to print for some 
 years after ; and about the same time he thus lost 
 the royal favour, the printing of the first Bible 
 in Scotland was undertaken in good earnest b}' 
 Thomas Bassandyne — a matter of personal enter- 
 prise on the part of this printer which forms an 
 important era in the literary as well as the religious 
 history of Scotland. 
 
 * " Sport, and be at ease." 
 
 Chapter
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Bassandyne and ArbutJmot. 
 
 HOMAS BASSANDYNE was a native 
 of Scotland, and was educated at 
 Antwerp, from whence he seems to 
 have gone to Paris, and afterwards to Leyden, 
 where he learned the art of printing. He returned 
 to Edinburgh in 1558, when he joined himself to 
 the party of the Lords of the Congregation, as the 
 Reformers were then called, and at the same time 
 began business as a printer, having, it is believed, 
 taken up that formerly conducted by Lekprevik, 
 who had removed to St. Andrews. Bassandyne's 
 workshop is referred to in the imprint to the rare 
 quarto edition of Sir David Lyndsay's poems, 
 printed in 1574, while " dwelland at the Nether 
 Bow," and appears to have been in a tall narrow 
 tenement nearly opposite John Knox's house. This 
 building is supposed to be the one repeatedly 
 referred to in the evidence of the accomplices of 
 
 the
 
 €^e f§aBBan^i^ne (§iMe. 
 
 the Earl of Bothwell in the murder of Darnley, an 
 event which took place in the lifetime of this old 
 printer. In the deposition of George Dalgleish, 
 one of those executed for his share in the crime, it 
 is stated that " eftir thay entirit within the [Nether 
 Bow] Port, thai zeid up abone Bassyntine's house, 
 on the south side of the gait, and knockit at ane 
 dur beneth the sword slippers, and callit for the 
 Laird of Ormistounes, and one within answerit he 
 was not there ; and thai passit doun a cloiss beneth 
 Frier Wynd, and enterit in at the zet of the Black 
 Friers." 
 
 Bassandyne printed a number of books, and as 
 the press was now fully under the special protection 
 and control of the dominant Reformed Church, 
 which had been established on December 20, 1560, 
 and was sorely jealous of any encroachment of the 
 civil powers, he appears to have fallen under the 
 Church's displeasure for two works which he issued 
 in 1568. On the 7th of July in that year, the 
 General Assembly " declared and fund, that Thomas 
 Bassendie, printer in Edinburgh, printed ane book, 
 intituled the Fall of the Roman Kirk, nameing our 
 King and Sovcraigne supreame Head of the primitive 
 Kirk, Also, that he had printed ane Psalme Book, 
 in the end whereof was fund printit ane baudy 
 sang callit Wellcome Fortune ; whilk books he had 
 
 printit
 
 printit without license of the magistrat or revis- 
 ing of the Kirk : Therefore, the haill Assembly 
 ordained the said Thomas, to call in againe all the 
 foresaids books that he has sauld, and keep the 
 rest unsauld untill he alter the foresaid title, and 
 also that he delait the said baudy sang out of the 
 end of the Psalme Book ; and, further, that he 
 abstaine in all tyme comeing from further printing 
 any thing without license of the supreame magistrat, 
 and reviseing of sic things as pertaine to religione 
 be some of the Kirk appointit for that purpose." 
 Whether it was Bassandyne's object to get the 
 song into circulation under the shelter of the Psalm 
 Book, or to promote the sale of the Psalm Book by 
 the insertion of the song, does not appear; but no 
 doubt he had to obey the Assembly's mandate as 
 to its withdrawal. Bassandyne seems afterwards 
 to have regained the favour of the Church, as the 
 title of the following book which he published fully 
 indicates : " CL Psalms of David, in English Metre. 
 With the forme of prayers, and ministration of 
 the Sacraments, used in the Church of Scotland. 
 Whereunto, besydes that was in the former bookes, 
 are also added sundrie other prayers, with a new 
 exact Kalendar, for xvi yeres next to come. 
 Printed at Edinburgh by Thomas Bassendyne, dwell- 
 ing at the Nether Bow, 1575. Cum privilegio." 
 
 It
 
 104 ^^e (J$a0san^gne Q$i6fe. 
 
 It has been already noticed that while Lekprevik 
 was printer to the King and the Church, he received 
 an annuity of ;^50 from the Kirk to help him. 
 This allowance was made on March 3, 1569— 70, 
 in these terms : " The Kirk having respect to his 
 [Lekprevik's] povertie, the great expenses he has 
 made in bying printing irones, and the great zeal 
 and love he beirs to serve the Kirk at all tymes, 
 has assigned to him fifyftie punds yearly, to be 
 payit to him out of the thrids of the Kirk." In 
 spite of this annuity and other occasional help to 
 the printers generally, it still appears that the art 
 was not a prosperous one in those troublous times, 
 as Bassandyne found himself necessitated to take 
 into association in his business a burgess of the 
 city named Alexander Arbuthnot, a man with a 
 better connection and of more means. Their part- 
 nership was evidently also entered into for the pur- 
 pose of undertaking the printing of a Bible, and 
 instead of the usual thick quarto, in which Bibles 
 had hitherto been done, their idea was to do it in 
 folio form, as being possibly more within the com- 
 pass of their resources. Accordingly, in March 
 1575, " Alexander Arbuthnot, burgess of Edinburgh, 
 presented to the General Assembly certain articles 
 for printing of the English Bible ; whereof, with 
 the answers of the brethren, the tenor followeth : 
 
 "Anent 
 
 \
 
 (J$a0fffin^ette anb ^rSut^nof. 105 
 
 " Anent the godly proposition made to the 
 bishops, superintendents, visitors, and commis- 
 sioners, in this General Assembly, by Alexander 
 Arbuthnot, merchant burgess of Edinburgh, and 
 Thomas Bassanden, printer and burgess of the said 
 burgh, for printing and setting forward of the Bible 
 in the English tongue, con forme to the proof 
 given and subscribed with their hands ; it is agreed 
 betwixt this present Assembly, and the said Alex- 
 ander and Thomas, that every Bible which they 
 shall receive advancement for, shall be sold in 
 albis for £4, 13s. 4 pennies Scottis, keeping the 
 volume and character of the saids proofs delivered 
 to the clerk of the Assembly. 
 
 " Item, for advancement of the godly and neces- 
 sary work, and furtherance thereof, and home- 
 bringing of men, and other provisions for the same, 
 the bishops, superintendents, and commissioners, 
 bearing charge within this realm under written, 
 viz. James, Archbishop of Glasgow, &c., have, in 
 presence of the Assembly, faithfully bound them, 
 and obliged them, and every one of them, that they 
 shall travel, and do their utter and exact diligence, 
 for purchasing of such advancement as may be 
 had and obtained within every one of their respec- 
 tive jurisdictions, at the hands of the lords, barons, 
 and gentlemen of every parish, as also with the 
 
 whole
 
 io6 Z2)t Q0a06an^pne QBifife. 
 
 whole burghs within the same, and shall try how 
 many of them will be content to buy one of the 
 saids volumes, and will advance voluntarily the 
 foresaid price, whole, or half at the least, in part of 
 payment, and the rest at the receipt of their books, 
 and shall try what every burgh will contribute to 
 the said work, to be recompensed again in the 
 books in the prices foresaid. And so many as be 
 content to the advancement of the work foresaid, 
 that the said bishops, superintendents, and visitors, 
 collect the said sums, and enrol the samen with 
 their names, what every one of them gives ; which 
 roll, subscribed with their hands, and money, shall 
 be sent by them to the said Alexander and Thomas, 
 betwixt and the last of April next to come, and 
 shall receive, upon their deliverance of the saids 
 sums and rolls, the said Alexander and Thomas's 
 hand writ, to the effect they and their cautioners 
 may be charged for the said books conform to 
 their receipt. 
 
 " Item, That every person that is provided of 
 old as well as of new, be compelled to buy a Bible 
 to their parish kirk, and to advance therefor the 
 price foresaid, and the said prices to be collected 
 and inbrought by the said bishops, superintendents, 
 and visitors, within each bounds and shire within 
 their jurisdiction, betwixt and the last day of June. 
 
 And
 
 And because the said Act appertains and is expe- 
 dient to be ratified by my Lord Regent's Grace, 
 and the Lords of the Secret Council, and an Act 
 of Council to be made thereupon, the Assembly 
 ordains Mr. David Lindsay, minister of Leith, Mr. 
 James Lawson, minister of Edinburgh, and Alexander 
 Hay, Clerk of Council, to travel with his Grace 
 and their Lordships, for the obtaining the same, 
 together with the privilege of the said Alexander 
 and Thomas for imprinting of the said work. 
 
 " The Kirk ordains the said Mr. James and Mr. 
 David to travel with Mr. Andrew Polwart and Mr. 
 George Young, or any of them, for correcting of 
 the said Bible, and to appoint a reasonable grati- 
 tude therefor at the cost of the said Alexander 
 and Thomas. 
 
 " Item, The Kirk hath promised to deliver the 
 authentick copy which they shall follow, to them 
 betwixt and the last day of April. 
 
 " Item, for reforming [performing] of the said 
 work by the said Alexander and Thomas, they 
 have found cautioners, Archibald Seinzeour and 
 James Norvell, burgess of Edinburgh, with them- 
 selves conjunctly and severally, that they shall 
 deliver so many as they shall deliver advancement 
 for perfecting of the said work, which shall be 
 (God willing) betwixt and the last of March, the 
 
 year
 
 jo8 ^^e Q$a60anbgne (§iMe. 
 
 year of God 1576 years ; and the said Alexander 
 and Thomas are bound and obliged to relieve 
 them. 
 
 Sic subscribe- 
 
 Alex. Arbuthnot, with my hand. 
 
 Archibald Seinzeour. 
 
 James Norvell, with my hand. 
 
 Thomas Bassanden, with my hand." 
 
 The General Assembly gave favourable answer 
 to the proposals, and appointed several persons " to 
 oversee every book before it be printed, and like- 
 wise to oversee the labours of others that have 
 travelled therein, to be given in to the printing 
 betwixt and the last of April." The Government, 
 under the Regent Morton, also gave a favourable 
 ear to the project, and the Privy Council, seeing 
 that " the charge and hazard of the wark will be 
 great and sumptuous," decreed that each parish in 
 the kingdom should advance ;^5 as a contribution, 
 to be collected under the care of the said officers 
 of the Church ; £4., 13s. 4d. of this sum being con- 
 sidered as the price of a copy of the impression, 
 to be afterwards delivered, " weel and sufficiently 
 bund in paste or timmer," and the remaining 
 6s. 8d. as the expense of collecting the money. 
 The money was to be handed over to Alexander 
 
 Arbuthnot
 
 Q^afigan^gne anb ^tBut^nof. 109 
 
 Arbuthnot before the first of July next. The 
 Bible was thus, in fact, a present from the people 
 to their respective places of worship ; and as a 
 
 BOOKBINDING IN SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 proof of their zealous desire, it deserves to be 
 recorded that in most instances the money was 
 furnished about three years before the Bibles were 
 
 delivered.
 
 no 
 
 <t^e (J$a00an^gne Q$t6fc. 
 
 delivered. Arbuthnot and Bassandyne, on their 
 parts, bound themselves to execute the work under 
 certain penalties, and respectable men came for- 
 ward as their sureties to the Privy Council. Those 
 who stood for Arbuthnot were David Guthrie of 
 Kincaldrum, William Guthrie of Halkerton, William 
 Rynd of Carse, and James Arnot of Lentusche — 
 all Forfarshire gentlemen, a fact which argues that 
 Arbuthnot himself was originally from the same 
 district. 
 
 At the next General Assembly in August 1575, 
 Arbuthnot again made an appeal for further en- 
 couragement, in which he says : " Whereas it is 
 not unknown to your Wisdoms, what great work 
 and charge I have enterprised, concerning the im- 
 printing of the Bible, for accomplishing whereof, 
 your Wisdoms understood that the office of a 
 corrector, his diligence and attendance therein, is 
 most necessary ; and therefore I humbly desire 
 your Wisdoms to request my Lord Abbot of 
 Dunfermline to licentiate Mr. George Young, his 
 servant, whom I think most fit to attend upon the 
 said work of correctorie, to concur and assist me 
 during the time of my travell, to the effect that the 
 notable work begun and enterprised may be con- 
 summat and perfected in all points. The charges 
 and expenses of his travells I shall reasonably 
 
 deburse
 
 Q$a60an^gne an^ (^r6uf 0nof . 1 1 1 
 
 deburse conforme to your Wisdoms' discretion, so 
 that the work may pass forward and be decent, as 
 the honesty of the same requires ; whereunto I 
 require your Wisdoms' dihgent answer. And in 
 like manner it is not unknown to your Wisdoms 
 that for the furtherance of the same godly work, 
 tane in hand by me, the order is tane that the 
 bishops, superintendents, and commissioners, should 
 diligently travell for the collecting, inbringing, and 
 execution of the charge of our Sovereign Lord's 
 letters, direct to that effect. In consideration 
 whereof I earnestly desire your Wisdoms to com- 
 mand and charge every ordinar within his juris- 
 diction to put the said letters to due execution, and 
 make me to be paid conform to the tenor of the 
 same ; whereby the godly enterprise of the samine 
 may take full effect with expedition. And becaus 
 your Wisdoms sufficiently understand, that the 
 concurrence of my Lord Feuar of Orkney, shall 
 greatly help to the expedition of the said work 
 within his Lordship's bounds, I humbly desire 
 supplication and request to be made to the said 
 Lord, that he would, within the bounds of his 
 jurisdiction, cause obedience and payment be made, 
 conform to the tenor of the said letters : whereby 
 I your Wisdoms' servitor shall pretermit no kind 
 of diligence, expenses, or possible power in me 
 
 lyeth,
 
 t^c O^assan^gne §iQfe. 
 
 lyeth, that so the said godly work may take full 
 furtherance, to the glory of God and the weal 
 of his Kirk." To this supplication, the General 
 Assembly, having read and considered it, also 
 gave a very favourable response. 
 
 We do not know what were the exact arrange- 
 ments between the two partners, Arbuthnot and 
 Bassandyne, but we find that Bassandyne brought 
 over from Flanders one Salomon Kerknett to act 
 as " composer " at 49s. of weekly wages. Having 
 "guid characters and prenting irons," it was 
 thought the work, " great and sumptuous " as it 
 was, would go quickly and pleasantly on ; but 
 this hope was not destined to be realised, as the 
 printers found it a more serious undertaking than 
 they had expected, and had met with, as they said, 
 various " impediments." These impediments may 
 have arisen from scarcity of type, and the diffi- 
 culty of procuring paper, as there was certainly 
 no type-foundry in Scotland in those days, and 
 the first mention of a native manufacture of paper 
 is referred to February 1589-90, when James VI. 
 was absent on his matrimonial visit to Denmark. 
 At that date, Peter Groot Heres, a German, and 
 sundry persons associated with him, proposed to 
 set up paper-making in Scotland, under favour of 
 certain arrangements which they sought from the 
 
 Privy
 
 Q5a06ftnbgne anb ^rBut^nof . 
 
 1^3 
 
 Privy Council ; but there is reason to believe this 
 design proved abortive, and that there was no 
 further attempt at native paper-making till 1675, 
 
 PAPER-MAKING IN SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 when a manufactory was established at Dairy 
 Mills, on the Water of Leith, near Edinburgh.* 
 
 A 
 
 * The manufacturing of paper was first introduced into 
 England by John Tate, in the reign of Henry VIII., or 
 
 H
 
 "4 €^e Q0a00anbgne (jBifife. 
 
 A formal license was obtained from the Privy 
 Council in 1576 permitting the publication of this 
 Bible, of which license the following is a copy : 
 
 "Licence to Alexander Arbuthnot and Thomas 
 Bassanden to print Bibles, /unt; 30, 1576. 
 
 "Ane letter maid to Alexander Arbuthnet burges of 
 Edinburgh and Thomas Bassindyne prentare and burges 
 of the said burgh Gevand grantand and committand to 
 thame licence and priuilege to prent and caus be im- 
 prentit set furth and sauld within this realme or outwith 
 the samin Bibillis in the vulgare Inglis toung in haill or 
 in partis with ane callindare to be insert thairin for the 
 space of ten zeiris nixt and immediatlie following the first 
 begynning quhilk was the xxvij day of Merche the zeir of 
 God I'"v'= Ixxvj zeiris of the said volume fra thynfwrth to 
 indure ay and quhill the full completing and furthrynnyng 
 of the saidis ten zeires allanerlie with power &c. Dis- 
 chargeing all and sindrie his hienes licgis of quhatsumeuir 
 estait or degre thai be of alsweil to burgh as to land as 
 alsua strangearis repairing within this realme That nane 
 of thame tak vpoun hand at ony tyme eftir the publica- 
 tioun of this his hienes priuilege during the said space 
 
 of 
 
 perhaps of Henry VII, John Spilman had a patent for 
 making paper in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Some of 
 Caxton's books are printed on paper which bears the same 
 marks as that used by Fust, and was probably of German 
 manufacture. — Ames and Herbert.
 
 aBaeeanti^ne an^ ^xBui^noi. 115 
 
 of ten zeiris To prent or cause be imprentit in ony car- 
 recture or lettir translatioun or volume quhatsumeuir sell 
 or caus be sauld brocht hame or distribute to ony per- 
 soun or persounes (except with the consent of the saidis 
 Alexander and Thomas) vnder the pane of confiscatioun 
 nocht onlie of the saidis volumes quhilk sal happin to 
 be sua fund with ony persoun Bot alsua that the persoun 
 offendane and contravenan of the premisses or ony part 
 thairof To pay the sowme of ane hundreth pundis sa 
 oft as thai sail happin to be apprehendit thairwith The 
 ane half of the said confiscatioun and soumes to be 
 ressavit to oure soverane Lordis vse and the uther half 
 to the saidis Thomas and Alexanderis vses And this 
 priuilege to indure the foirsaid space Providing that 
 thai sell the saidis bibillis to all oure souerane Lordis 
 liegis according to the prices appointit viz. everie bibill 
 for four pundis xiij s iiij d with all and sindrie fredomes 
 commoditeis &c." 
 
 Immediately after receiving this license, on the 
 8th July 1576, the printers, owing to the "impedi- 
 ments," whatever they may have been, came again 
 with their sureties before the Privy Council, and 
 pled for nine months' further time to complete the 
 work, obliging themselves, in case of failure, to 
 return the money which had been contributed by 
 the various parishes and persons throughout the 
 country. This grace was duly extended to them. 
 Further delays still occurred, and whatever may 
 
 have
 
 11(5 Z^e ^azBanbi^ne (3$t6fe. 
 
 have been the cause, Bassandyne himself seems to 
 have been in fault, for he was shortly after ordered 
 to give up the printing-office altogether to Alexander 
 Arbuthnot — an order which he at this time managed 
 to evade. On the 5th January 1576-77 the work 
 was still in hand, and we have then a complaint 
 made to the Regent by " Salomon Kerknett of 
 Magdeburg, composer of wark of the Bible," to the 
 effect that Bassandyne had refused since the 23d 
 of December bypast to pay him the weekly wages 
 of 49s., which they had mutually agreed upon 
 when Salomon was engaged in Flanders. Regent 
 Morton, finding the complaint just, ordered Bas- 
 sandyne to pay Kerknett his arrears, and to con- 
 tinue paying him at the same rate till the completion 
 of the work. Six days later a more serious com- 
 plaint was made by Arbuthnot, that Bassandyne 
 would not deliver to him, as he had contracted to 
 do, the printing-house and the Bible, so far as 
 printed, " wherethrough the wark lies idle, to the 
 great hurt of the common weal of the realm." The 
 Regent having heard parties, and being ripely 
 advised by the Lords of Council, ordered Bas- 
 sandyne to deliver the printing-house and Bible 
 before the end of the month. 
 
 Bassandyne is believed to have died early in 
 1579, and in July that year the first Bible printed 
 
 in
 
 THE 
 
 NEWE TESTAMENT 
 
 OF OVR LORD lE- 
 
 SVS CHRIST. 
 
 Conferr.ed diligoitly with the GreJce, and bcA approucJ 
 tranflations in diucrs languages. 
 
 SAVE 
 
 KING, 
 
 AT EDINBVRGH. 
 
 H)PR1NTED BY THOMAS 
 
 BASSANDYNEr 
 
 M. D, L X X V I. 
 CYM PRIVILEGIO. 
 
 Reduced facsimile of New Testament title.
 
 ^acBtin^i^ne an^ (^rBuf^not. 119 
 
 in Scotland was finished and in circulation ; and it 
 shows that Bassandyne commenced with the New 
 Testament, which bears his imprint on the title 
 and the date of 1576; while that of the Old 
 Testament bears the name of Arbuthnot and 1579. 
 In the following month of August, Arbuthnot was 
 made King's printer, and received power to print 
 all works in Latin, English, or Scots, " tending to 
 the glory of God and commonweal of this realm, 
 he obtaining first special license thereupon ; " and 
 he had special license granted him at the same 
 time to print and sell Bibles " in the vulgar Inglis, 
 Scottis, and Latin toungis, with ane callendar," for 
 ten years. 
 
 The gratification of the clergy on seeing the 
 Bible produced at a native press found eloquent 
 expression in the Dedication of the work by the 
 General Assembly to the King : " Oh quhat differ- 
 ence," said these devout men, " may be seene 
 between thir days of light, when almaist in every 
 private house the buike of God's law is red and 
 understand in cure vulgarie language, & that age 
 of darknes, when skarcelie in ane haill citie (with- 
 out the clostres of monks & freires) cud the buke 
 of God anes be founde, & that in ane strange 
 tongue of Latin not gud, but mixed with bar- 
 baritie, used & red be fewe, & almaist under- 
 stand
 
 t^e Cl^ciBBan^tne (J$t6fe. 
 
 stand & exponit be nane, & quhen the false 
 namit clergie of this realme, abusing the gentle 
 nature of your hienes maist noble gudshir* of 
 worthie memorie, made it an capital crime to be 
 punished with the fyre to have or read the New 
 Testament in the vulgar language ; and to make 
 them to all men more odious, as if it had been the 
 detestable name of a pernicious sect, they were 
 
 called New Testamenters. -|- We ought," 
 
 they said, " with the most thankful hearts to praise 
 and extol the infinite goodness of God, who hath 
 accounted us worthie to whom He should open 
 such an heavenly treasure." The writers of the 
 Dedication took advantage of it also to give a little 
 praise to Arbuthnot, " as a man who hath taken 
 great pains and travel worthy to be remembered ; " 
 and told likewise how there should henceforth be 
 a copy of the Bible " in every parish kirk, to be 
 
 called 
 
 * His grandfather, James V. 
 
 t One of the " Gude and Godlie Ballats," beginning 
 The Wind blaws cald, has the following lines relative to the 
 New Testamenters in those " times of ignorance " to which 
 the writers of the Dedication refer : 
 
 '' Ouha dois present the New Testament, 
 Quhilk is our faith surely, 
 Priestis callis him like ane heretike, 
 And say is, burnt sail he be."
 
 Q$afieanbgne atx^ (^rfiut^nof. 
 
 called the Common Book of the Kirk, as the most 
 meet ornament for such a place." 
 
 The sale of this first Bible printed in Scotland 
 was rather forced, for the Privy Council enacted 
 that each householder worth three hundred merks 
 of yearly rent, and all substantious yeomen and 
 burgesses esteemed as worth five hundred pounds 
 in land and goods, should have a Bible and Psalm- 
 book in the vulgar tongue, under the penalty of 
 ten pounds. To carry out this enactment, one 
 John Williamson was commissioned in June 1580 
 under the privy seal to visit and search every 
 house in the realm, " and to require the sicht of 
 their Bible and Psalm-buke, gif they ony have, to 
 be marked with their awn name, for eschewing of 
 fraudful dealing in that behalf." About the same 
 time the Magistrates and Town Council of Edin- 
 burgh issued a similar proclamation, commanding 
 all householders to have Bibles, under the pains 
 contained in the Act of Parliament, and advertising 
 them that the Bibles are to be " sauld in the mer- 
 chant buith of Andrew Williamson, on the north 
 side of this burgh^ besyde the Meill Mercat." 
 
 It appears from the Privy Council Records that 
 this searcher was not idle, for several persons 
 " incurrit the payne of the act for not having ane 
 bybill or psalme buik ; " and yet this rigorous 
 
 enforcement
 
 €^e (§a6Banbi^ne (gifife. 
 
 enforcement of the decree compelling the lieges to 
 possess themselves of Bibles seems rather incon- 
 sistent with the fact that Arbuthnot was very 
 tardy in delivering the copies, though he had 
 received payment for them three years before 
 publication. Twelve months after the first issue 
 of the Bible, the General Assembly, in July 1580, 
 presented the following petition to His Majesty's 
 Council : " That order be takin with Alexander 
 Arbuthnot that the Bibles may be delyverit accord- 
 ing to his receipt of money from every paroch, & 
 to that effect that he & his soverties [sureties] 
 may be commandit be letters of horning for de- 
 lyverance thereof, & na suspensioun to be grantit 
 without the samyn be delyverit." 
 
 Curiously enough, Arbuthnot's promotion to be 
 King's printer in August 1579 proved rather 
 damaging to his repute as a printer, as after this 
 he became noted for his incorrectness, and when 
 the General Assembly presented the petition of 
 July 1580, it was very evident from some of its 
 clauses that for some reason or other he had 
 greatly lost favour. Notwithstanding the number 
 of presses now established in the city, the Assembly 
 seemed to think the nation very inadequately served 
 in the way of printing : " Because there is gryt 
 neccssitie of a prenter within the countrie, and 
 
 there
 
 (J0a06an^gnc an^ (^xQui^noi, 123 
 
 there is a stranger banished for rcligioun, called 
 Vautrolier, quha offers to employ his labour in the 
 said vocatioun, for the weill of the countrie, it will 
 please your Grace and Counsell to tak order herein 
 as your Grace thinks guid, and to give license and 
 privilege to him to that effect, if it sail be thought 
 expedient be your Grace and Counsell." His 
 Majesty followed the advice of the Church in this 
 matter more cordially than in many others, as he 
 repeatedly employed Vautrollier as the publisher 
 and printer of works which were either his own or 
 sent forth under his authority. Among the many 
 works of VautroUier's press was the " Essayes of 
 a Prentise in the Divine Art of Poesie," written by 
 the King himself. The title-page has for vignette 
 an anchor, with the words "Anchora Spei," and 
 the following imprint, " Imprinted at Edinburgh 
 be Thomas VautrouUier. 1584. Cum Privilegio 
 Regali." He likewise printed about the same time 
 an edition of the Confession of Faith, and " A 
 Declaration of the Kings Majesties intention and 
 meaning towards the last Act of Parliament." A 
 change of politics about this time, arising through 
 King James having assumed into his own hands the 
 reins of government, precluded all hope of Knox's 
 History being allowed to be printed in Scotland, 
 and Vautrollier made an attempt to have it done in 
 
 England ;
 
 124 ^^e ^aesan^isne (J5i6fe. 
 
 England; but after the work had nearly reached 
 completion, the press was stopped. This appears 
 from the following extract from Calderwood : " Feb- 
 ruary 1586, Vautrollier the printer took with him 
 a copy of Mr. Knox's History to England, and 
 printed twelve hundred of them ; the stationers, at 
 the archbishop's command, seized them, the 18 of 
 February ; it was thought he would get leave to 
 proceed again, because the council perceived that 
 it would bring the Queen of Scots in detestation." 
 Copies of this imperfect edition were allowed to go 
 forth, and are occasionally to be met with. 
 
 Arbuthnot printed, about 1580, the "Bulk of 
 Alexander the Great," which was reprinted by Dr. 
 Laing in 1831—34; the original title of the work 
 seems to have been " The Avowis of Alexander." 
 At least, Henrie Charteris, bookseller in Edinburgh, 
 who died 29th August 1599, had in his stock of 
 books, " xii Avowis of Alexander bund, att x^ the 
 pece ; " also, " nyne unbund, at vij^ the pece ; " and 
 in a previous inventory of Robert Gourlaw, book- 
 binder, 6th September 1581, there was a copy of 
 the " Vowis of Alexander, valued at viij^" The 
 original work is a small quarto printed in Roman 
 letter, and does but little credit to the accuracy 
 or elegance of Scottish typography. In this work 
 there are many inverted letters ; in the first sheets 
 
 small
 
 small letters were much used at the beginning of 
 proper names, and in some cases several words are 
 altogether illegible, owing to carelessness in print- 
 ing, while other words are often separated or run 
 together to accommodate the breadth of the page. 
 The first edition of Buchanan's History was printed 
 by Arbuthnot in 1582 in folio, "with many an 
 error," says George Chalmers, " in every page." 
 This work was done, fuller and more correctly, at 
 Geneva in the following year ; but the best edition 
 is said to be that published at Leyden in 1725, 
 in 2 vols. 4to, under the care of Ruddiman and 
 Grenovius, on the basis of a previous folio edition 
 of 171 5; exclusively edited by Ruddiman. Arbuth- 
 not died on the 1st September 1585.* 
 
 Chapter 
 
 * Arbuthnot the printer has been confounded by some 
 with the Alexander Arbuthnot who, at the same period, was 
 Principal of King's College, Aberdeen, and Moderator of 
 the General AssembHes at Edinburgh in 1573 and 1577, 
 and who was pronounced by James Melville to be "one of 
 the most learned men of whom Europe could at that time 
 boast." Chalmers, however, in his " Life of Ruddiman," 
 thinks that, as Arbuthnot the printer is designated a "bur- 
 gess of Edinburgh," he could not be the same person as Prin- 
 cipal Arbuthnot. The point was settled beyond dispute by 
 the discovery of the printer Arbuthnot's will, printed in the 
 second volume of the " Bannatyne Miscellany." Principal 
 Arbuthnot died at Aberdeen in 1583.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Bassandyne Bible. 
 
 HE following is the full title 
 of the first Bible printed 
 in Scotland : " The Bible 
 and Holy Scriptvres con- 
 tcincd in the Olde & Newe 
 Testament, Translated ac- 
 cording to the Ebrue & 
 Greeke, & conferred with 
 the beste translations in 
 diners languages. With 
 most profitable annotations vpon all the hard places 
 of the Holy Scriptvres & other things of grete 
 importance, mete for the godly Reader. God save 
 the King. Printed in Edinbrvgh, Be Alexander 
 Arbuthnot, Printer to the Kingis Maiestie, dwell- 
 ing at ye Kirke of feild. 1579. Cum gratia et 
 pnvilcgio rrgiae uiajcstaiis." The Bible was of 
 double foolscap folio size, or about thirteen inches 
 in height by nine in breadth, and the type used is 
 
 what
 
 Repent belimc. 
 
 ♦J'hefongoF fhc foulc immonal. 
 
 «bou knowfft not the wotte of God that ftial rifcvpat thrvoyccof thc^birdc : & all i H. (lui na 
 
 worlcffbaU. thc'daughtcrsoffingingftialbcabaftd. hrte.nlT* 
 
 6 Intbemomingfbwttbyfcilc^andinchc s Alfo ihcyflialhc aimed of the' hicihingw.™). (»).«, 
 
 < biMirntarr cucniogHct not thific hand" fcrt: for ihou andfcarc-[fbalbc3\niht'waye, andihcal- s^,i(„ j,^"^ 
 
 •f ntUoing. lmowcftnotwheihcr(ha)profpfr,thho( niondcife(hal~flonlh,&thc"gra(hopiicr ■»>Mraku- 
 
 f ■n.>.i..*of 'ihatjOf whether boihcrtiaJbealilwgood. fliaibcaburdcn,andconcupirccoccflialbe iToSi>.i.i« 
 
 ^■pj'" ~ 7 Surety the light is a picalant thing : and drjneDaway.fgxinangortn ro the houfc '><"i''<»i"i>«'« 
 
 ■oCcJ. itisagoodthuigtotbccycstofcpfiinoe. ofhisagc^nd the tooutdcis go about iofltti flooji"' 
 
 8 Thogha manTiireraaDicycrc5,[and5in Itrcte. ^^ ■' " 
 
 thcmallheretoycc, ycthclhalremcmbci 6 Whilesf filucr^cordcisnotlengthencd „,£^rf^ 
 
 ( TTui ii . of thcdaicsofsdaitrene^jbccaulcthciareiiia nor the golden? ewer broken,norf ipit- «« Jui-siiui. 
 
 'IIm','! "^ nif^llihatcoajcth(;i5>anitit. chetbiolci.natihe'well, iiotihc fwhclciVui'tSir.-. 
 
 k Ht dnidnk p ■> Rcioyce,6 yong man^D thy youth , & brokeaatthc'dHCTnc: 't'*I,''t'^°'" 
 
 tb." dciMi n. let thine heart cherc ihce in the daycs of 7 Andduftreiurneiotbe earth as it was, '„!f^""^ 
 
 woridtwpit.- thy yonih:&walltc in tbewaies of thine & thc^rpirittiettimetoGodthatgaueh. ™ JJ™ "'"* 
 
 God'^dtnot heart.andintJic fightofthinc eyes : but « Vanitieofv3mtics,fiithdiePrcad)et,all „ ,(„*J,,"fl-" 
 
 ""'■'""»*» Inowethatforatlthefc things, God will isvaoiiie. mo of »n u 
 
 bring thee to iudgcmcnt. 
 iTo^cingK [o Therefore takeav^aye' Brief outofthinc 
 k M*!]^^«i hcart,andcaafceuil 'todeparie frotnthy 
 •'"»"" •'^- fle(h:forduldehode andyouihcarc>ant- 
 
 «iirwo fowhu I <• ' 
 
 giua. tic* 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 7 ThefoaleretiwnrtSioGod. .. WKdomeh ti.»gift 
 «rO<vf jnd (OfiflilcEli ro fft)fi«£ LdcD 30d Ltf ibg liH Co*o- 
 
 I T) Eincmbcf now thy Creator in ihe 
 
 coiBC'oieoo- X\ dates of thy ysnth , whiles the e«il 
 Muii mtih. jjijs come n<M, nor ihc yeres approche 
 <]ou<.v>,nn»' wherein ihoQUiauiayJ haue ao pUafaie 
 ::£cl"^J. in them: 
 
 cn»rel. a VVhilesihePjnneis not datke, nor the 
 
 ^J^^^^' light,nprthenwoBe,nortbe(Urics,nor i 
 1,0 Ji^ •doudestcturne after the raine: 
 
 St>.ISc.- » When the '■kepers of the houfcfhal from 
 • TtniM'- fcle^ndt'he' nrongtnenlbal bowe them 
 tliluf""*" ielofs.andfhe'grtndersftalccafe.becau- 
 g vviia .!« fc thei are fewe, and they W3XC darke that 
 jJ^J?" *„j ' 'olfe out by the windowes: 
 rott. jbi. .04 Aandthe'dotresflialbcfhut withoutby 
 *"" °° ""'" thf bafefoundcofthesgtinding.and he 
 
 9 Ar.dthctnorewifethcPreacher'was,thCo -n,, Thiib. 
 mote he taught the pcoplekDowlcdgc,& 'f''^ b"r« 
 cau(edthemtohfate,& fearcncdforihc, „ M«m»g.i,. 
 and prepared tnanie parables. T'TV °' *! 
 
 ^! J^ i /- 1 /■ t 1 b«kfbof«4iia 
 
 10 The Preacher foght to. bnae out plea- ,i,j s<.„vo. 
 
 fantwordes.&an vprigbt writiBg,Ccuen] ^^^''''Jj" 
 the wotdcs of trueih. >«o.uw i.fab>., 
 
 11 Thcwordesofthewifeare liltegojdcs,* "'J^*^""' 
 and like nailes 'faflencdby ihemaliersof ,, Tnab. t)» 
 the afTcmblies , Cwbich3 arc giuen by one ;*j;^ j„ 
 'paftour. ire«j. 
 
 tj And of other ihinfisbcfides there, tnyf^^'''"''- 
 fonne , take ihouhcde:f6rihercisnoDc , Th« ;..*.- 
 endmmakingmanie'bokes:andrauche^^^°^'°'* 
 reading is a weannes of the flefh. d««vnti* tte 
 
 n Letvshcjrethcendofa!l:feareGod8f P°?j;7J^f^;;'-^ 
 kcpebiscommandements-- for this is the to.in hi, ,ch» 
 wbolc[dueticjofn>an. fo'^.^JkoH. 
 
 14 For Cod wd bring eueric workc vnto p<ci>i>c< .■ ih. 
 iudgement.witheuericfecictthing.whe- "J''"' ""*'■ 
 therit begoodoreuit ■ vvki* .rt 
 
 well»pj>n»dSTrh<n>w»ifl«»t.«*oni(hpoiWrttin)aft«tv ? Thai it.b)' God. 
 ■ Tiifl<th4og»t»n»o(l)etompMieoded in boliei.orltJmrdb, ftud<«,bot 
 GMilm'jftiita>aAiiib«ni>ue ib.iu nui<ft onrf) lnovye Uut^iaQmci' 
 tibeiruordiaiic,3ndtliewa}chr«anK>i*iote4feGo<i. 
 
 AN'EXCELLENT SONG § 
 
 which was Salomons. 
 
 <THE A RGVMENT. 
 
 IMtU>fo«i^S«t4wiK>obTeKi(U^rce«ndc.aDK>n3l4calUt^nM&pit<bl<ir?ffcTi!}nhi)«epef£RlMn 
 
 AKoehcwtfrftjffcifttoaot' the OSart6 w*hjth 11 inflimwl with tbekweof Chriit ddi.-nigi'^beftiorcMMi nioct ioywd »• 
 km id loit/,ai>d noi tv S : Ki:^c s /br onlf^iH ox bteatUli Uiat u 10 hci. 
 
 'Ebr.afofiftAf 
 fongi-fcwIlH 
 bccjufc HHtKe 
 
 • 005 , which 
 Salomon rv.Ac 
 
 laJihrul 
 
 1. 
 
 of thy good ointments thy name [is as} , 
 an Ointment powred out . therefore the ( 
 
 nt»tlKir,<o<cciwChni<b. ' "VirgllJCS loUC thcC. I 
 
 him kiOc me with the 3 ■'DrawemcrwcwilturincafTcrthecithc ; 
 
 
 kiffes of hts nioutb : for 
 thy loOe it better then 
 wine. 
 Becaiit of the * fauout 
 
 King haihc broght me into his « cham- 
 basTwc wilrcioyce and be glad in thee, 
 wc wil mnember thy loue moic then wi- 
 ac:thc righteous duloucthcc. 
 
 4 lam 
 
 Cbnftctcrpc 
 llKibrdn.ii. 
 c Meaoing Ae 
 h<nt loyc ^ u 
 
 Reduced facsimile page of Dassandyne Bible.
 
 ^9e Q^asean^gne (J$t6fe. 129 
 
 what is known as a full-bodied pica, with the side 
 and foot notes in bourgeois type. The book is 
 signatured every twelve pages, and the pages 
 themselves are in double columns, sixty lines in 
 the column — the pages being numbered on the 
 right hand only, the folios running from i to 503 
 in the Old Testament, equal thus to 1006 pages ; 
 while the New Testament has folios up to 125, 
 equal to 250 pages, these being entirely independent 
 of the introductory matter at the beginning, and 
 of the various tables and indexes at end of the 
 New Testament. The press-work is by no means 
 so good, nor the type so regular, as that of many 
 preceding books of the early Scottish printers ; but 
 no one can look even cursorily at the large folio 
 volume without being struck with its comparatively 
 modern appearance, and altogether this first Scot- 
 tish Bible is creditable in a high degree to the 
 skill and enterprise of Bassandyne and Arbuth- 
 not. One feature is specially worthy of notice 
 here — the fact that it is supposed to be one of 
 the earliest Bibles in which Roman type was used 
 throughout, Bibles previously having been in 23lacfe; 
 letter, and by the use of Roman type not only 
 reduced in bulk, but also in price. 
 
 The Scottish printers of the time had little or 
 no Greek or Hebrew type in their possession, and 
 
 Bassandyne,
 
 I30 €^e Q^aeean^gne Q5t6fe. 
 
 Bassandyne, in his New Testament, contrived to 
 find very clumsy Greek types for one solitary word 
 in the note on Revelation xiii. i8; but his fount 
 seems not to have comprehended all the letters in 
 the Greek complement of type. The note says : 
 " These greke characteres chi xi st [he means X ^ s"] 
 signifie 666 ; and this nomber is gathered of the 
 small nomber XaTeivog." Other books about the same 
 period as the Bassandyne Bible show that, where 
 words of these languages were required, blanks were 
 left for them, and the words filled in with the pen 
 after the sheets of the books were printed.* 
 
 The title-page is embellished with the royal 
 arms, and " God save the King " by the side of the 
 woodcut, notwithstanding the late reproof by the 
 General Assembly to Bassandyne for considering 
 and addressing the sovereign as the head of the 
 Kirk. On the back of the title are the " Names 
 and Order of all the Bookes." This is followed 
 by a lengthy Introductory Epistle, in the Scottish 
 dialect, to the " Richt Excellent richt heich and 
 michtie prince lames the Sext. King of Scottis." 
 From this Dedicatory Epistle we have already 
 quoted. Following this is " An Dovble Calendare," 
 
 "to 
 
 * Greek type was first introduced into this country about 
 1524, and the first book certainly printed in that character 
 was the Greek Delectus of Edward Grant in 1575.
 
 " to wit, the Romane and the Hebrew Calendare, 
 conferred and compared the one with the other, 
 meete for vnderstanding of the dayes, monethes 
 and yeres mencioned in the Bible. And conteining 
 many other profitable thingis not to be fund in other 
 Calendaris." To these are subjoined " Rules for 
 vnderstanding this dovble Calendare " by R[obert] 
 Pont, a scientific ecclesiastic, who, with the leave of 
 the Kirk, was appointed a Lord of Session, and died 
 on the 8th of May 1608, at the age of eighty-one. 
 To the " Calendares " are annexed some verses "On 
 the incomparable treasure of the holy Scripture : " 
 
 " Here is the spring where waters flowe Esai 12. 3 & 
 
 to quenche our heat of sinne ; ^^' ^°^,_ ^^ 
 
 Here is the tree where trueth doth growe, 6 & 22. 17 
 to lead our lives therein. 
 
 Here is the ludge that stints the strife, 
 
 when mens deuises faile ; 
 Here is the breade that feedes the life, 
 
 that death cannot assaile. 
 
 The tidings of saluation deare, 
 
 comes to our eares from hence : 
 The fortress of our faith is here, 
 
 and shield of our defence. ^p^^- ^- '^ 
 
 lerem. 
 
 33- 
 
 is; 
 
 psal. 
 
 iig. 
 
 1 60 
 
 reuel. 
 
 2- 7. 
 
 , & 
 
 22. 2 
 
 
 
 psal. 119. 
 
 142, 
 
 144 
 
 
 
 loh. 6. 
 
 34 
 
 
 Luk. 2. 
 
 , 10 
 
 
 Then be not like the swyne that hath Mattii. 7. 6 
 
 a pearl at his desire, 
 
 And
 
 132 t-^e O$a06an^gne QSififc. 
 
 And takes more pleasure of the trough 2 Pet. 2. 22 
 and wallowing in the myre. 
 
 Reade not this booke in any case, 
 
 but with a single eye. Matth. 6. 22 
 
 Reade not but first desire Gods grace, Psai. 119. 27, 
 
 to vnderstande thereby. 
 
 73 
 
 Pray still in faith with this respect lud. 20 
 
 to fructifie therein, 
 That knowledge may bring this effect Psai. 119. 12 
 
 to mortifie thy sinne. 
 
 los. I. 8 
 Psai. I. I, 2 
 
 Then happie thou in all thy life, 
 
 what so to the be falles : 
 Yea, double happie shalt thou be Psai. 94. 12, 14 
 
 when God by death thee calles." 
 
 To the verses, after a " Prayer for the true Vse 
 of the Holy Scriptures," follows "A description 
 and successe of the Kinges of Ivda and lervsa- 
 lem ; declaring when and vnder what kinges euery 
 Prophete liued : And what notable thingcs hap- 
 pened in their tymes, translated out of the Hebrew." 
 This again is followed by " An Exhortation to the 
 studie of the holie Scripture, gathered out of the 
 Bible." Then comes the Book of Genesis. 
 
 The Bassandyne Bible is one of the earliest 
 editions of the Geneva version printed in Britain, and 
 
 is
 
 is a verbatim reprint of the second Genevan edition l 
 published in 1561, which formed the "copy" fur- / 
 nished to Thomas Bassandyne by the Kirk. It has 
 all the notes, and has facsimiles of the woodcuts and 
 maps of the original copy, in all about thirty-eight, 
 with the French terms attached to them, as midi, 
 orient^ Occident^ &c. Two blunders in the Genevan 
 copy of 1 56 1 were corrected in the Bassandyne, 
 "Blessed are the place makers " for " peace-makers," 
 in Matt. v. 9, from which error this Genevan edition 
 is known also as the " Whig Bible ; " and another 
 in the contents of Luke xxi., " Christ condemneth 
 the poor widow." 
 
 In the first edition of 1560, the supplementary 
 words were printed in Italics, but in the second 
 they were printed within brackets [ ], and this 
 is the plan followed by Bassandyne. Evidently, 
 however, when he commenced the New Testa- 
 ment, these types had not come to hand, for the 
 brackets do not make their appearance till the 
 Acts of the Apostles have been reached, as none 
 appear in the Gospels. It is not unlikely this 
 defect was one of the " impediments " of which 
 the printers had complained. The Geneva Bible 
 eventually became more popularly known as the 
 " Breeches' Bible," from its rendering of the last 
 clause of Gen. iii. 7, though this translation is not 
 
 peculiar
 
 134 t-^c^ (3$a06an^^ne Q$t6fe. 
 
 peculiar to it, as the same rendering is also used 
 in the Wickliffite versions. 
 
 Of the various " Arguments " or summaries at 
 the beginning of the books of the Bassandyne 
 Bible, there are here given those of the first and 
 the last books of the Scriptures : 
 
 "The First Boke of Moses, called Genesis.* 
 
 T/ie Argiimeiit. 
 
 " Moses in effect declareth the things, which are here 
 chiefly to be considered : First, that the worlde & all 
 things therein were created by God, & that man being 
 placed in this great tabernacle of the worlde to beholde 
 God's wonderful workes, & to praise his name for 
 the infinite graces, wherewith he hath endued him, fel 
 wiUingly from God through disobedience : who yet for 
 his owne mercies sake restored him to life, & con- 
 firmed him in the same by his promes of Christ to come, 
 by whome he shulde ouercome Satan, death and hel. 
 Secondely, that the wicked, vnmindful of Gods moste 
 excellent benefites, remained still in their wickednes, & 
 so falling moste horribly from sinne to sinne, prouoked 
 God (who by his preachers called them continually to 
 repentance) at length to destroye the whole worlde. 
 Thirdly, he assureth us by the example of Abraham, 
 
 Izhak, 
 
 * This worde signifieth the beginning and generacion of 
 the creatures.
 
 THE SITVATION OF THE GAIIDEN OF EDEN. 
 
 Lr QOIFEDSXAJVtEIL-ef 
 
 FacsUnile from Bassandyne Bible. 
 
 " Because mention is made in the tenth verse of this seconde chapter of the riuer 
 that watered the garden, we muste note that Euphrates and Tygris called in Ebrewe, 
 Perath and Hiddekel, were called but one riuer where they ioyned togother, els 
 they had foure heades : that is, two at their springs, & two where they fel into the 
 Persian sea. In this countrey and moste plentiful land Adam dwelt : And this was 
 called Paradise, that is, a garden of pleasure, because of the frutefulnes and abun- 
 dance thereof. And where as it is said that Pishon compasseth ye land of Hauilah, 
 it is meant of Tygris, which in some countreis, as it passed by diners places, was 
 called by sondry names, as some time Diglitto, in other places Pasitygris, and 
 of some Phasin or Pishon. Lil<ewise Euphrates towarde the countrey of Cush or 
 Ethiopia, or Arabia was called Gihon. So that Tygris and Euphrates (which were 
 but two riuers, and some time when they ioyned together, were called after one 
 name) were according to diuers places called by these foure names, so that they 
 might seme to haue bene foure diuers riuers." — JVate to above Illustration in Bas- 
 sandyne Bible.
 
 t^e (J^aeean^gne Q^tfife. 137 
 
 Izhdk, laakob, & the reste of the Patriarkes, that his 
 mercies neuer faile them, whom he chuseth to be his 
 Church, and to professe his Name in earth, but in all 
 their afflictions and persecutions he euer assisteth them, 
 sendeth comforte and deliuereth them. And becaus the 
 beginning, increase, preseruation and successe thereof 
 might be onely attributed to God, Moses sheweth by the 
 examples of Kain, Ishmael, Esati and others, which were 
 noble in mans iudgement, that this Church dependeth 
 not on the estimacion and nobilitie of the worlde : and 
 also by the fewenes of them, which haue at all times 
 worshiped him purely according to his worde, that it 
 standeth not in the multitude, but in the poore and 
 despised, in the smal flocke and litle nomber, that man 
 in his wisdome might be confounded, & the Name of 
 God euer more praised." 
 
 "The Reuelation of Iohn* the Divine. 
 
 T/te Argument. 
 
 " It is manifest that the holie Gost wolde as it were 
 gather into this most excellent booke a summe of those 
 prophecies, which were writen before, but shulde be 
 fulfilled after the comming of Christ, adding also suche 
 things, as shulde be expedient, as wel to forewarne vs of 
 the dangers to come, as to admonish vs to beware some, 
 and encourage vs against others. Herein therefore is 
 liuely set forthe the Diuinitie of Christ, & the testi- 
 
 * Or, declared to Iohn.
 
 138 €^e (§a6san^i^ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 monies of our Redemption : what things the Spirit of 
 God alloweth in the ministers, and what things he 
 reproueth : the prouidence of God for his elect, and of 
 their glorie and consolation in the day of vengeance : 
 how that the hypocrites which sting like scorpions the 
 members of Christ, shalbe destroyed, but the Lambe 
 Christ shal defende them, which beare witnes to the 
 trueth, who in despite of the beast and Satan wil reigne 
 ouer all. The liuelie description of Antichrist is set 
 forthe, whose time and power notwithstanding is limited, 
 and albeit that he is permitted to rage against the elect, 
 yet his power stretcheth no further then to the hurt of 
 their bodies ; and at length he shal be destroyed by the 
 wrath of God, when as the elect shal giue praise to God 
 for the victorie ; neuertheles for a ceason God wil permit 
 this Antichrist, and strompet vnder colour of faire speche 
 and pleasant doctrine to deceiue the world : wherefore 
 he aduertiseth the godlie (which are but a smale portion) 
 to auoide this harlots flateries, and bragges, whose ruine 
 without mercie they shal se, and with the heauenlie 
 companies sing continual praises : for the Lambe is 
 maried : the worde of God hathe gotten the victorie : 
 Satan that a long time was vntied, is now cast with his 
 ministers into the pit of fyre to be tormented foreuer, 
 where as contrariwise the faithful (which are the holie 
 citie of lerusalem, & wife of the Lambe) shal enioye 
 perpetual glorie. Read diligently : iudge soberly, and 
 call earnestly to God for the true vnderstanding hereof." 
 
 Of the marginal notes, forming a kind of com- 
 mentary, and accounting in some measure for the 
 
 great
 
 €^e ^aeBantT^ne Q^tfife. 139 
 
 great popularity of the Geneva version even long 
 after the publication of King James's Authorised 
 Version, there follow a few examples to show their 
 general nature : 
 
 Exod. iv. 14. — " Thovgh we prouoke God iustly 
 to angre, yet he wil neuer reject his." 
 
 Ruth i. 9. — " Hereby it appeareth y' Naomi by 
 dwelling among idolaters was waxen colde in ye 
 true zeale of God, whiche rather hathe respect to the 
 ease of the bodie than to ye comforte of the soule." 
 
 Psalm Ixxxix. 12. — "Tabor is a mountaine 
 vvestwarde from Jerusalem, & Hermon east- 
 warde : so the prophet signifieth y' all partes and 
 places of the worlde shal obey Gods power for the 
 deliuerance of his Church." 
 
 Romans vi. 5. — "The greke worde meaneth, 
 that we growe vp together w' Christ, as we se 
 mosse, yuie, mistaltow or such like growe vp by 
 a tre, and are nourished with the ioyse thereof." 
 
 Romans ix. 15. — "As the onelye wil & pur- 
 pose of God is the chief cause of election and 
 reprobation : so his fre mercie in Christ is an 
 inferior cause of saluation and the hardening of the 
 heart an inferior cause of damnation." 
 
 Revelation
 
 I40 ^0e ^assanti^ne QSifife. 
 
 Revelation ix. 3. — " Locustes are fals teachers, 
 heretikes, and worldelie subtil Prelates, with 
 Mokes, Freres, Cardinals, Patriarkes, Archebishops, 
 Bishops, Doctors, Batchelors, and masters which 
 forsake Christ to mainteine fals doctrine." 
 
 The following are two of the verses with the 
 notes attached to which King James, in settling the 
 arrangements for the preparation of the Authorised 
 Version of 161 1, objected as "very partial, untrue, 
 seditious, and savoring too much of dangerous and 
 traitorous deceits : " 
 
 Exod. i. 19. — "And the midwiues answered 
 Pharaoh, Because the Ebrewe ^ women [are] not 
 as the women of Egypt : for thei are liuely, & 
 are deliuered yer the midwife come at them." 
 
 "s Their disobedience herein was lawful, but their 
 dissembling euil." 
 
 2 Chron. xv. 16. — " H And King Asa deposed 
 Maachah [his] ' mother fro her regencie, because 
 she had made an idole in a groue : and Asa 
 brake downe her idole, & stamped it, and burnt 
 it at the broke Kidron." 
 
 "'Or grandmother: and herein he shewed that he 
 lacked zeale : for she oght to haue dyed both by 
 
 the
 
 €^e ^aeeanti^ne Q$i6fe. 141 
 
 the couenat, and by ye Lawe of God, but he 
 gaue place to foolish pitie, & wolde also seme 
 after a sorte to satisfie the Lawe." 
 
 The following are a selection of passages from 
 the Bassandyne Bible : 
 
 Genesis iii. 1-7, 
 
 1. Now the serpent was more ^subtil then anie 
 beast of the field, which ye Lord God had made : 
 and he '' said to the woman, Yea, hathe God in 
 dede said. Ye shall not eat of euerie tre of the 
 garden ? 
 
 2. And the woman said vnto the serpent, We 
 eat of the frute of the trees of the garden, 
 
 3. But of the frute of the tre, which is in the 
 middes of the garden, God hathe said, Ye shal not 
 eat of it, nether shal ye touch it, '^ lest ye dye. 
 
 4. Then the serpent said to the woman, Ye shal 
 not '^ dye at all, 
 
 5. But God doeth knowe, that when ye shal eat 
 thereof, your eyes shalbe opened, & ye shalbe as 
 gods, * knowing good and euil. 
 
 6. So the woman (seing that the tre was good 
 for meat, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, & 
 a tre to be desired to get knowledge) toke of the 
 frute thereof and did eat, and gaue also to her 
 housband with her, and he "^did eat. 
 
 7. Then
 
 H2 €H (J0a06an^pne (jSifife. 
 
 7. Then the eyes of them bothe were opened, 
 & ^ they knewe that they were naked, and they 
 sewed figtre leaues together, and made them selues 
 brecches.t 
 
 *As Satan can change him selfe into an Angel of 
 light, so did he abuse the wisdome of the serpent 
 to deceaue man. ^ God suffered Satan to make 
 the serpent his instrument and to speake in him, 
 ''In douting of Gods threatning she yelded to 
 Satan. ^ This is Satans chiefest subtiltie, to 
 cause vs not to feare Gods threatnings. '^As 
 thogh he shulde say, God doeth not forbid you 
 to eat of the frute, saue that he knoweth that if 
 you shulde eat thereof, you shulde be like to 
 him. ^Not so muche to please his wife, as 
 moued by ambicion at her persuasion, e They 
 began to fele their miserie, but they sought not 
 to God for remedie. 
 
 Genesis xlv. 26-28. 
 
 26. And tolde him, saying, loseph [is] yet aliue, 
 and he also is gouernor ouer all the land of Egypt, 
 and [laakobs] heart ' failed : for he beleued them 
 not. 
 
 27. And thei tolde him all the wordes of loseph, 
 which he had said vnto them : but when he sawe 
 
 the 
 
 t Edr. things to girde about them to hide their priuities.
 
 •a 
 
 
 a 
 
 U3 
 
 » Ji 
 
 u u 
 
 ^ o 
 
 u; --S
 
 €^e ^asBan^i^ne O0i6fe. 145 
 
 the charets which Joseph had sent to cary him, 
 then the spirit of laakob their father reuiued. 
 
 28. And Israel said, [I haue] ynough : Joseph 
 my sone [is] yet aliue ; I will go and se him yer I 
 dye. 
 
 » As one betwene hope & feare. 
 
 Job xix. 25-27, 
 
 25. For I am sure, that my '^ Redemer liueth, 
 and he shall stand the last on the earth. 
 
 26. And thogh after my skin [wormes] destroy 
 this [bodie], yet shal I se God in my "" flesh. 
 
 27. Whome I my selfe shal se, & mine eies 
 shal beholde, & none other [for me, thogh] my 
 reines are consumed within me. 
 
 1 1 do not so iustifie my selfe before the worlde, but I 
 knowe that I shal come before the great iudge, 
 who shalbe my deliuerer & Sauiour. ^ Herein 
 Job declareth plainely that he had a ful hope, 
 that bothe the soule and body shulde enioye the 
 presence of God in the last resurrection. 
 
 Isaiah xxvi. 19-21. 
 
 19. 'Thy dead men shal Hue: [euen] with my 
 bodie shal thei rise. Awake, & sing, ye that dwell 
 in dust : for thy " dewe [is as] the dewe of herbes, 
 &. the earth shal cast out the dead. 
 
 20. Come, 
 
 K
 
 146 ^^e Q$a06an^gne Q0i6fe. 
 
 20. Come, my people : " entre thou into thy 
 chambers, and shutte thy dores after the : hide thy 
 selfe for a very litle while, vntil the indignacion 
 passe ouer. 
 
 21. For lo, the Lord cometh out of his place, to 
 visite the iniquitie of the inhabitats of the earth 
 vpon them : & the earth shal disclose her ^ blood, 
 & shal no more hide her slayne. 
 
 * He comforteth the faithful in their afflictions, shewing 
 them that euen in death they shal haue life : and 
 that they shulde moste certeinly rise to glorie : 
 the contrarie shulde come to the wicked, as 
 V. 14, ^ As herbes, dead in winter, flourish 
 againe by the raine in the spring time : so they 
 that lie in the dust, shal rise vp to ioye when 
 they fele the dewe of Gods grace. ^ He exhorteth 
 the faithful to be pacient in their afflictions, and 
 to waite vpon Gods worke. y The earth shal 
 vomit and cast out the innocent blood, which it 
 hath drunke, that it may crye for vengeance 
 against the wicked. 
 
 The Apocrypha portion has very few notes. 
 
 EccLESiASTicus xix. 1—6. 
 
 I. A laboring man that is giuen to drunkenes, 
 shal not be riche : & he that contemneth smale 
 things, shall fall by litle and litle. 
 
 2. Wine
 
 €^e (J5a06anb5ne Q^ifife. 147 
 
 2. Wine and women leade wise men out of the 
 waye, and put men of vnderstanding to reprofe. 
 
 3. And he that companieth adulterers, shal 
 become impudent : rottenness and wormes shal 
 haue him to heritage, and he that is to bolde, 
 shalbe taken away, and be made a publicke 
 example. 
 
 4. He that is hastie to giue credit, is light 
 minded, and he that erreth, sinneth against his 
 owne soule. 
 
 5. Who so reioyceth in ,wickednes, shalbe 
 punished : [he that hateth to be reformed, his life 
 shalbe shortened, and he that abhorreth babling 
 of wordes, quencheth wickednes :] but he that 
 resisteth pleasures, crowneth his owne soule. 
 
 6. He that refraineth his tongue, may liue with 
 a troublesome man, and he that hateth babling shal 
 haue lesse euil. 
 
 2 Maccabees xii. 44, 45. 
 
 44. For if he had not hoped, that thei which 
 were slayne, shulde rise againe, it had bene super- 
 fluous, and vaine, to pray for the ^ dead. 
 
 45. And therefore he perceiued, that there was 
 great fauour laid vp for those that dyed godlie. 
 (It was an holie, & a good thoght.) So he made 
 
 a
 
 148 €^e ^aBsarxbi^ne 0$i6fe. 
 
 a reconciliation for the dead that they might be 
 
 deliuered from sinne. 
 
 * From this verse to the end of this chapter the Greke 
 text is corrupt, so that no good sense, muche 
 lesse certeine doctrine can be gathered thereby : 
 also it is euident that this place was not writen 
 by the holie Gost, bothe because it dissenteth 
 from the rest of the holie scriptures, and also the 
 autor of this boke acknowledging his owne infir- 
 mitie, desireth pardon, if he haue not attained to 
 that he shulde. And it semeth that Jason the 
 Cyrenean, out of whome he toke his abbridgement, 
 is Joseph Ben Gorion, who hathe writen in 
 Ebrewe fiue bokes of these matters, and m 
 treating this place, maketh no mencion of this 
 prayer for the dead, lib. iii. ch. 19, for it is con- 
 trarie to the custome of the lewes, euen to this 
 day, to pray for the dead. And thogh ludas 
 had so done, yet this particular example is 
 not sufficient to establish a doctrine, no more 
 than Zipporahs was to proue that women might 
 minister the sacraments, Ex. iv. 25, or the 
 example of Razis that one might kil him selfe, 
 whome this autor so much commendeth, 2 Mace, 
 xiv. 41. 
 
 Of New Testament passages we take the 
 following : 
 
 John x. 14—16. 
 
 14. I am the good shepherd, and ^ knowe mine, 
 and am knowen of mine. 
 
 15. "^As
 
 t^e ^aseanti^ne Q^t6fe. 149 
 
 15. ^ As the Father '^knoweth me, so knowe I 
 the Father : and I lay downe my Hfe for my 
 shepe. 
 
 16. ^ Other shepe I haue also, which are not of 
 this folde : them also must I bring, and they shal 
 heare my voyce : and there shal be one shepefolde, 
 and one shepherd. 
 
 '^ Christ knoweth his because he loueth them, careth 
 and prouideth for them. ® As the Father can not 
 forget him, no more can he forget vs. * In that 
 he loueth and approueth me. ^ To wit, among 
 the Gentiles, which then were strangers from the 
 Church of God. 
 
 Romans v. 12—15. 
 
 12. Wherfore, as by one man sinne entred into 
 the worlde, and death by sinne, and so death went 
 ouer all men, forasmuche as all men haue sinned. 
 
 13. For vnto the ^ time of the Law was sinne 
 in the worlde, but sinne is not imputed while there 
 is no Law. 
 
 14. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, 
 even ouer them also that sinned not ^ after the like 
 maner of the transgression of * Adam, whiche was 
 the figure of ^ him that was to come. 
 
 15. But yet the gift is not so, as is ye offence : 
 for if through the offence of one, many be dead, 
 
 muche
 
 15° ^^e ^aBBdn^i^ne Q^ifife. 
 
 muche more the grace of God, & the gift by 
 grace, whiche is by one man lesus Christ, hathe 
 abunded vnto many. 
 
 ^From Adam to Moses. ^ He meaneth young babes, 
 whiche nether had the knowledge of the Law of 
 nature, nor any motion of concupiscence, much 
 lesse committed any actual sinne : & this may also 
 comprehend the Gentiles, ^ Yet all mankinde, as 
 it were sinned when thei were as yet inclosed in 
 Adames loynes. ^ Which was Christ. 
 
 2 Cor. v. 11-15. 
 
 11. Knowing therfore the ^ terrour of the Lord, 
 we ^ persuade men, & we ' are made manifest vnto 
 God, & I trust also that we are made manifest in 
 your consciences. 
 
 12. For we praise not our selues againe vnto 
 you, but giue you an occasion to reioyce of us, 
 that ye may haue [to answere] against them, which 
 reioyce in the ^ face, and not in the hearte. 
 
 13. For whether we be 'out of our wit, [we are 
 it] ™ to God : or whether we be in our right minde, 
 [we are it] vnto you. 
 
 14. For the loue of Christ constraineth us : 
 because we thus iudge, that if one be dead for all, 
 then were " all dead. 
 
 15. And he dyed for all, that they which °liue, 
 
 shulde
 
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 Z^e (§(ie6an^isne (§iMe, 153 
 
 shulde not hence forthe liuc vnto them selues, but 
 vnto him which dyed for them, and rose againe. 
 
 ^ His feareful iudgement, ^ He proueth the dignitie 
 of his ministerie by the frute and effect therof, 
 whiche is to bring men to Christ. » By imbrac- 
 ing the same faith whiche we preache to others. 
 ^ As they who more estemed the outwarde shewe 
 of wisdome and eloquence, then true godlines. 
 ' As the aduersaries said, who colde not abide 
 to heare them praised. ™ Our folic serueth to 
 Gods glorie. ° Therfore whosoeuer giueth place 
 to ambicion or vaine glorie, is yet dead, and 
 liueth not in Christ. ° As the onelie faithful do 
 in Christ. 
 
 I Peter iii. 1—7. 
 
 1. Likewise let the wiues be subiect to their 
 housbands that euen thei whiche obeye not the 
 worde, may without ye worde be wonne by the 
 conuersacion of ye wiues, 
 
 2. While thei beholde your pure conuersacion, 
 whiche is with feare. 
 
 3. Whose apparelling let it not be outwarde, 
 [as] with broyded heere, and golde put about, or 
 in putting on of apparel. 
 
 4. But let the hid man of the heart be vncorrupt, 
 with a meke and quiet spirit, which is before God 
 a thinge muche set by. 
 
 5. For
 
 J 54 €^e Q0a66an^gne Q0i6fe. 
 
 5. For euen after this maner in tyme past did 
 the holie women, which trusted in God, tier them 
 selues, and were subiect to their housbands. 
 
 6. As Sarra obeied Abraham, and called him 
 t Syr : whose daughters ye are, whiles ye do wel, 
 not being ^ afraide of anie terrour. 
 
 7. Likewise ye housbands, dwel with them as 
 men of ^ knowledge, '^ giuing honour vnto the 
 woman, as vnto the weaker vessel, euen as they 
 which '^ are heires together of the grace of life, that 
 ^ your prayers be not interrupted. 
 
 t Or, master. 
 
 ^ But willinglie do your dutie : for your condition is 
 not the worse for your obedience, ^ By nether 
 keping them to streite, nor in giuing them to 
 much libertie. ' Taking care and prouiding for 
 her. ^ Man oght to loue his wife, because they 
 lead their life together, also for that she is the 
 weaker vessel, but chieflie because that God 
 hathe made them as it were felowe heires to- 
 gether of life euerlasting. " For they cannot pray 
 when they are at dissencion. 
 
 The Bassandyne Bible contains also at the end 
 of the New Testament several tables or indexes, 
 of which there follow a few examples : 
 
 I. A brief c
 
 Z^e (jSaeean^gne Q$i6fe. 155 
 
 I. A brief e tabic of the interpretation of the proper 
 names whiche are chieflic found in the Olde 
 Testament, &c. 
 
 Abel, mourning, the name of a citie, but Habel, the 
 
 name of a man, doeth signifie vanitie, Gen, 4, 2. 
 Bacchides, one that holdeth of Bacchus, or a drunkard, 
 
 I Mace. 7, 8. 
 Elymas, a corruptor, or sorceror, Acts 1 3, 8. 
 lob, sorrowful, or hated, lob 1,1. 
 Shimshon, there the second time, because the Angel 
 
 appeared the second time at the prayer of his father, 
 
 Judges 13, 24. 
 
 A table of the principal things that are conteined 
 in the Bible, after the order of the alphabet. 
 The first nomber noteth the chapter, and the 
 seconde the verse. 
 
 F. 
 
 Olde wiues Fables, i tim. 4, 7. 
 
 euerie one oght to proue his Faith, 2 cor. 13, 5, 
 
 the shield of Faith, ephes. 6, 16. 
 
 Christ prayeth for Peters faith, luke 22, 32. 
 
 the definition of Faith, ebr. 11, i, 
 
 faith cometh by hearing, rom. 10, 17. 
 
 The apostles praye to haue their Faith increased, luke 
 
 17, 5- 
 learne to Feare God, deut, 14, 23. 
 
 the
 
 156 t^e (§aBB(in^i^ne Q0i6fe. 
 
 the Feare of God is true wisdome, iob 28, 28. 
 H the Feareful must absent them selues from warre, 
 deut. 20, 8. 
 
 the worthiest place at Feasts, matt. 23, 6. 
 
 feastes made at the shepeshearings, 2 sa. 13, 23. 
 51 God teacheth to Fight, 2 sa. 22, 35. 
 
 the Finger of God, for his power, exod. 8, 19. 
 
 the First borne in the land of egypt, exod. 1 1, 4. 
 
 the First frutes, exod. 22, 29. 
 
 the First frutes perteined to the hie priests, nomb. 5, 9. 
 
 fishes cleane and vncleane, leuit. n, 9. 
 H paul neuer vsed Flatterie, i thess. 2, 5. 
 H by the Folde is vnderstand the church, ioh. 9, 16. 
 
 our Forerunner, Christ, ebr. 6, 20. 
 
 Christ deliuered by the determinat counsel & Fore- 
 knowledge of God, act. 3, 23. 
 
 euerlasting Fyre prepared for the deuil, mat. 25, 31. 
 
 A perfite siippvtation of the yeares and tymes from 
 Adam unto Christ, proiied by the Scriptures, 
 after the collection of diuers autors. 
 
 This contains the reckoning of " The summe of 
 the yeres of the first age," in different paragraphs — 
 
 " From Adam to Noe. 
 From Noe to Abraham's departure to Chaldee. 
 From Abraham's departure to the Exodus. 
 From the Exodus to the first building of the Temple. 
 From the first building of the Temple to its re- 
 building." 
 
 The
 
 The following is the concluding paragraph of the 
 " Suppvtation : " 
 
 " From the reedifying of the citie vnto the comming of 
 Christ are 483 yeres, after this suppvtation or nombring. 
 It is mentioned in the 9 of Daniel that Jerusalem shulde 
 be buylt vp againe, and that from that tyme vnto the 
 comming of Christ are 67 weekes, & euerie weeke is 
 reckoned for seuen yeres. So 67 weekes amount to 
 483 yeres. For from the 32 yere of Darius vnto the 
 42 yere of Augustus, in the whiche yere our Saviour 
 Christ was borne, are iust and complet so many yeres, 
 wherevpon we recken, that from Adam vnto Christ are 
 3974 yeres, six moneths and ten dayes, and from the 
 byrth of Christ unto this present yere, is 1576. 
 
 " Then the whole summe and nomber of yeres from 
 the begynning of the whole vnto this present yere of our 
 Lord God 1576 are iust 5550, 6 moneths, and the said 
 odde ten dayes." 
 
 The End, 
 
 Joshua, chap. i. vers. 8. 
 
 Let not this boke of the Lawe departe out of thy mouth, but meditate 
 
 therein daye and night, that thou mayest obserue and do 
 
 according to all that is writen therein : so shalt 
 
 thou make thy way prosperous, and then 
 
 shalt thou haue good 
 
 successe. 
 
 The volume concludes v^ith a table shovi^ing 
 " The order of the yeres from Paul's conuersion 
 shewing the time of his peregrination, and of his 
 Epistles writen to the Churches." 
 
 Chapter
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Successors of Bassandyne. 
 
 MONG the sixteenth-century Scottish 
 printers contemporary with and follow- 
 ing Bassandyne and Arbuthnot, besides 
 Thomas Vautrollier, the refugee Huguenot, who is 
 credited with having printed the first edition of 
 Knox's " History of the Reformation," were John 
 Ros (1574), Henrie Charteris (about 1582), Robert 
 Waldegrave, and Robert Smith. The last named 
 received a license from the King to print the 
 following works, the titles of which show the 
 books which were then probably the most popu- 
 lar in Scotland : " The Double and Single Cate- 
 chisme ; " " The Four Parts of Grammar, accord- 
 ing to Sebastian ; " " Select Epistles of Cicero ; " 
 " The Plain Donat ; " the Psalms of Buchanan ; 
 "The Ballat Bulk;" "The Fables of iEsop," &c. 
 Among the books for which Smith received license 
 was the following, and as it appears to have been 
 very popular and often printed, the full title is 
 
 given :
 
 €^e ^ucceeeote of ^asean^i^ne, 159 
 
 given : " Hier beginnis the sevin Seages, Trans- 
 latit out of Prois in Scottis Meiter, be lohne 
 Rolland in Dalkeith, With ane moralitie eftir euerie 
 doctouris Tale, and Siklyke eftir the emprice Tale ; 
 Togidder with ane louing and lawd to euery 
 Doctour eftir his awin Tale : and ane Exclamation 
 and outcrying vpon the Empreour is Wyfe, eftir 
 hir fals contrusit tale. Edinburgh, Printit be 
 Robert Smyth, dwelland at the\Nether Bow. Cum 
 prhtilegio regalia 
 
 There was also George Young, who, in Sep- 
 tember 1585, obtained full right to print whatsoever 
 books had been included in the gift to Arbuthnot, 
 including " all sic workes and volumes as sal be 
 thocht meet and expedient to his Majesties estaitis 
 and lordis of his privie council to be set furth in 
 the Latine, Inglis, or vulgar Scottis toungis tend- 
 ing to the glorie of God and common weill of this 
 realme." In 1588 a work by King James, "Ane 
 fruitfull Meditation on Rev. xx.," &c., and in 1589 
 another, "Ane Exposition of i Chron. xv. 25," 
 &c., were both printed by Henrie Charteris, cum 
 privilegio regali. Of these, and many other pro- 
 ductions of the early Scottish printers, notwith- 
 standing the largeness of the impressions, some 
 have entirely disappeared. 
 
 However strange it may now appear, when we 
 
 consider
 
 i6o ^^e Q0a06anbgne Q0t6fe. 
 
 consider that printers thus grew more plentiful, 
 and that the demand for Bibles among the reli- 
 gious population of Scotland must have certainly 
 increased, it is a fact that no edition of the Scrip- 
 tures was issued in this country from the time of 
 Bassandyne's Bible till 1610, the year before the 
 publication of King James's Authorised Version. 
 There are records, however, of editions of the 
 Psalms and Catechisms for the Church of Scotland 
 being frequently printed on the Continent, and 
 imported into this country, as these were not used 
 anywhere else ; and also that one edition at least 
 of the Scriptures was printed in 1 601 at Dort for 
 Scottish use. This latter work appears to have 
 been done at the expense of Andro Hart and the 
 heirs of Henrie Charteris, two Edinburgh printers, 
 and the quality of the paper and the workmanship 
 of the books printed abroad were generally such 
 as to secure for them a preference at this time, 
 although the Scottish press was then considered 
 very respectable. In May 1590, for instance, 
 John Gibson, the bookbinder to his Majesty, was 
 empowered to print several books, such as the 
 works of Sir David Lyndsay, the Dunbar Rudi- 
 ments, the Seven Sages, and the Colloquies of 
 Corderius. These he may have had printed in 
 Edinburgh, but having in July 1599 received a 
 
 license
 
 t^^e ^ucceesors of (§a6(ianti^ne, 16 1 
 
 license to print the Psalm Book, it is evident that 
 he had this done abroad, as in the preamble to 
 his license it is stated that "John Gibson has, 
 on his awin grit chargeis, and be his privat mean 
 and devyse, causit imprent within Middleburgh in 
 Flanders, ane new psalme bulk in littil volume, 
 conteining baith the psalmes in verse, as likewise 
 the same in prose upon the margin, in ane forme 
 never practisit nor devisit in any heirtofor, and 
 tending gritly to the furtherance of the trew 
 religion." 
 
 Andro Hart, to whom reference is made above, 
 seems to have carried on the business of a bookseller 
 on the north side of the Cross in the High Street 
 of Edinburgh for a number of years, and his name 
 appears on so many interesting title-pages, that he 
 is really a notable man of his time. He and John 
 Norton, an Englishman, also a bookseller, sent a 
 petition to the Privy Council in February 1589-90, 
 setting forth " what hurt the lieges of this realme 
 susteinit through the scarcity of buiks and volumes 
 of all sorts," and the high prices taken for these 
 when brought from England. They, " upon an 
 earnest zeal to the propagation and incress of vertue 
 and letters within this realme, had, two years ago, 
 enterprisit the hame-bringing of volumes and buiks 
 furth of Almane and Germanie, fra the whilk parts 
 
 the 
 
 L
 
 i62 ^^e Q$a60an^ene (J3i6fe. 
 
 the maist part of the best volumes in England are 
 brought, and in this trade have sae behavit them- 
 selves that this town is furnist with better buiks 
 and volumes nor it was at ony time heretofore, and 
 the said volumes sauld by them in this country are 
 als guid cheap as they are to be sauld in London 
 or ony other part of England, to the great ease 
 and commodity of all estates within this realme." 
 
 Many popular books must have been at this 
 time imported from abroad, as it is said that in 
 l6iO there were in circulation about thirty foreign 
 editions of Buchanan's Psalms, nine or ten editions 
 of the works of Sir David Lyndsay, some of these 
 latter having been printed in France and some in 
 England. The complaint of Hart and Norton now 
 was that " John Gourla}^, the customer " (that is, 
 the farmer of customs), had laid hands upon the 
 books which Hart and Norton were importing, 
 and demanded that they should pay a duty. The 
 petitioners referred to a like complaint formerly 
 made by Thomas Vautrollier, printer, when " he 
 obteinit ane decreet dischargeing the provost and 
 bailies of this burgh and their customer fra all 
 asking of ony customs for ony books sauld or to 
 be sauld by him," and Hart and Norton only 
 sought to be treated in like manner. The Lords 
 unhesitatingly granted the prayer of the two book- 
 sellers.
 
 Z^e ^ucce60or6 of Q^aecan^i^ne. 163 
 
 sellers. In the course of a few years Hart appears 
 to have severed his connection with Norton ; and 
 in 1597 Hart found it necessary again to petition 
 the Lords of Exchequer against the customer's exac- 
 tions, and the Lords repeated that they " declaris 
 and ordanis that thair salbe na maner of custome 
 or customes askit sutit or tane fra the said com- 
 plenar for ony bukis or volumis alreddie brocht in 
 or to be brocht in be him within this realme in 
 ony tyme cuming. And therfoir ordanis the said 
 John gourlay customar foirsaid and all vtheris 
 customaris of Edinburgh present or that salhappin 
 to be for the tyme as alsua all vtheris customaris 
 of quhatsumevir burrowis and portis of this realme 
 To decist and ceis fra all asking craving or suting 
 of ony custome fra the said andro hart complenar 
 foirsaid for ony bukis or volumis brocht in or to 
 be brocht in or sauld be him within this realme in 
 ony tyme cuming," &c. 
 
 Andro Hart printed another Bible in 16 10, 
 which was so much esteemed for its general cor- 
 rectness, that many subsequent editions bore upon 
 their titles *' conform to the edition printed by 
 Andro Hart " — a very handsome one, printed at 
 Amsterdam by Thomas Stafford, an Englishman, 
 claiming this distinction ; and similarly another so 
 late as 1644. Hart's Bible, like that of Bassan- 
 
 dyne,
 
 1 64 €^e ^asBanbisne 0$t6fe. 
 
 dyne, was also in folio, and, though well adapted 
 for general use, could hardly be obtainable by 
 people in humble circumstances. This Bible has 
 been described as an edition of the Geneva ver- 
 sion ; still it was not a reprint of Bassandyne's, 
 or of that printed at Geneva in i6io. The Old 
 Testament is indeed the same in both text and 
 notes, but the New Testament is not from the 
 Geneva, but from one published by Laurence 
 Tomson in 1576, which, though not var3'ing much 
 in the text, has very different annotations in the 
 margin. In this way it turns out that many of 
 the verses which have marginal notes in Bassan- 
 dyne's have none in Hart's, and, on the other 
 hand, copious notes are often given by Hart where 
 Bassandyne has none. The following is the full 
 title of Hart's New Testament : " The New Testa- 
 ment of our Lord Jesus Christ, translated out of 
 Greeke, by Theod. Beza. Whereunto are adjoyned 
 briefe Summaries of Doctrine upon the Evangelists 
 and Acts of the Apostles, together with the Methode 
 of the Epistles of the Apostles, by the said Theod. 
 Beza. And also short Expositions on the Phrases 
 and Hard Places, taken out of the large Annota- 
 tions of the foresaid Author, and Joach. Camerarius, 
 by P. Los Valerius. Englished by L. Tomson. 
 Together with the Annotations of Fr. Junius, upon 
 
 Revelation
 
 ^^e ^ucce00or0 of ^aeBan^i^ne, 165 
 
 Revelation of St. John." There follows at the 
 end two tables : the first, " Of the Interpretation 
 of Proper Names, which are chiefly found in the 
 Old Testament ; " the second table is, " Of the 
 principal things that are contained in the Bible, 
 after the order of the alphabet." 
 
 It is curious that Hart published this book in 
 the face of Robert Charteris, then printer to his 
 Majesty, who had, in June i6o6, received a special 
 license for twenty-five years to print the Bible 
 in the vulgar tongue ; but the fact is, that, like 
 Lekprevik, his predecessor in the office, he never 
 published any edition of the Scriptures. Below 
 the title of Hart's Bible is an engraving represent- 
 ing the passing of the Red Sea, which is encom- 
 passed with the words, " Great are the troubles of 
 the righteous ; but the Lord delivered them out of 
 them all " — Psalm xxxiv. Under this again is the 
 text : " ' The Lord shall fight for you ; therefore 
 hold you your peace.' At Edinburgh, printed by 
 Andro Hart, and are to be sold at his buith, at the 
 north side of the gate, a little beneath the cross. 
 Anno Dom. i6io." The Diocesan Synod of St. 
 Andrews, in April i6ii, recommended all ministers 
 of the Church to urge upon their parishioners to 
 " buy ane of the Bybles laitlie printed be Andro 
 Hart," and the brother failing to follow out this 
 
 instruction
 
 1 66 ^3e Q^aseanb^ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 instruction was to pay at the next Synod a fine of 
 ten shillings sterling. It is interesting to note that 
 Andro Hart in 1614 published Barbour's "Bruce," 
 and, about the same time, a small volume entitled 
 " Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio, &c. 
 Auctore et Inventore loanne Napero, Barone Mer- 
 chistone, Scoto." This was a remarkable event, 
 considering the many traits of bigotry and ignorance 
 that distinguished the time, for in Napier's volume 
 was presented a mode of calculation which has been 
 of service ever since in the solution of all the great 
 problems involving numbers which have presented 
 themselves to the scientific studies of the race. 
 
 Hart also printed a volume in Black letter 
 entitled " Ane Compendious Booke of Godlie and 
 spirituall Sangs, collectit out of sundrie partes of 
 the Scripture, With sundrie other Ballates, changed 
 out of prophane sanges," which is believed to have 
 been partly written by Wedderburn, the author 
 of " The Complaynte of Scotland." Although the 
 authorities tried several times to repress their 
 circulation, yet these ballads were not only great 
 favourites, but they had," in their day, also consider- 
 able influence on the life of the common people. 
 One of these " blasphematiounis rimes " was the 
 following direct hit at the Romish clergy, in which 
 the spelling is modernised : 
 
 "With
 
 €^e ^uueBBotB of Q$a0ganbgne. 167 
 
 ** With hunts up, with hunts up, 
 It is now perfect day ; 
 Jesus our King is gone a-hunting, 
 Who likes to speed, they may. 
 
 An cursed fox lay hid in rocks 
 
 This long and many a day, 
 Devouring sheep, while he might creep, 
 
 None might him shape away. 
 
 It did him good to lap the blood 
 
 Of young and tender lambs ; 
 None could him miss, for all was his. 
 
 The young ones with their dams. 
 
 The hunter is Christ, that hunts in haste ; 
 
 The hounds are Peter and Paul ; 
 The Pope is the fox ; Rome is the rocks, 
 
 That rubs us on the gall. 
 
 That cruel beast, he never ceased 
 
 By his usurped power. 
 Under dispense, to get our pence, 
 
 Our souls to devour. 
 
 Who could devise such merchandise, 
 
 As he had there to sell, 
 Unless it were proud Lucifer, 
 
 The great master of Hell ? 
 
 He had to sell the Tantonie bell ; 
 
 And pardons therein was, 
 Remission of sins in old sheep skins. 
 
 Our souls to bring from grace. 
 
 With
 
 x68 t^e t3aetianti^ne (§iMe. 
 
 With bulls of lead, white wax, and red, 
 
 And other whiles with green, 
 Closed in a box, this used the fox ; 
 
 Such paultry was never seen," 
 
 Another remarkable book, published June 13, 
 1616, was a work called " God and the King," 
 " shewing that his sacred majesty being imme- 
 diately under God within his dominions, doth 
 rightfully and lawfully claim whatsoever is required 
 by the aith of allegiance," and was proclaimed as 
 a book of instruction for youth in schools and 
 universities, " whereby, in their tender years, the 
 truth of that doctrine may be bred and settled in 
 them, and they thereby may be the better armed 
 and prepared to withstand any persuasion that in 
 their riper years may be offered and usit towards 
 them for corrupting of them in their duty and 
 allegiance." Hart died in 162 1, at an advanced 
 age. 
 
 Following Hart, the progress of the printer's 
 art may be briefly noticed till the time of Mrs. 
 Anderson, one of the most remarkable of Bible 
 printers, and among the names now will be found 
 those of Thomas Finlayson and Robert Young. 
 
 Finlayson seems to have possessed the usual 
 aptitude of the printers of those early times for 
 getting into trouble with the authorities, as is 
 
 shown
 
 €^e ^ucceeBors of QSaeean^gne. 169 
 
 shown in the following incident. In 1607, Sir 
 John Skene of Curriehill, a Lord of Session, 
 completed his " Regiam Majestatem " and " Quo- 
 niam Attachiamenta," treatises concerning the an- 
 cient laws of Scotland, and presented them to the 
 Privy Council, who recommended the work to 
 James VI. in a letter dated 15 th March that year. 
 The volume was afterwards presented to Parlia- 
 ment and ordered to be printed, for which purpose 
 the learned author employed Thomas Finlayson. 
 The expense of printing, and the remuneration to 
 Sir John Skene, was evidently to be defrayed by 
 contributions from the various burghs, as in April 
 1609 we find the magistrates of Glasgow called 
 upon to make payment of ;^I00 for this purpose. 
 In September 1607, the author had some dispute 
 with his printer about the work, of importance 
 enough to come under the attention of the Privy 
 Council. It was alleged that Finlayson, after pcr- 
 fyting the volume, " upon some frivole consait and 
 apprehension of his own, without ony warrant of 
 law or pretence of reason," maliciously refused to 
 deliver the book to Sir John Skene, " but shifts 
 and delays him fra time to time, with foolish and 
 impertinent excuses, to Sir John's heavy hurt and 
 prejudice." The Lords ordered Finlayson to de- 
 liver the book to its author within eight days, on 
 
 pain
 
 €^e Q^aeeanbgne Q$i6fe. 
 
 pain of being denounced rebel ; and " wheras 
 there is some little difference and question betwixt 
 the said parties anent their comptis," a committee 
 was appointed " to sort the same and put them to 
 ana rest." 
 
 Robert Young had the honour of being printer 
 to Charles I., and in 1633 he turned out the first 
 edition of any part of the Scriptures, according 
 to King James's Authorised Version, which was 
 published in Scotland. This was only, however, 
 the New Testament portion, and he issued two 
 impressions, both of small size ; and the number 
 of copies of the second one is said to have been 
 very limited, some of these having plates. This 
 is believed to be the edition referred to in a re- 
 markable letter contained in the Wodrow Collec- 
 tion of Manuscripts, and printed by Lord Hailes 
 in his " Memorials and Letters." " That you may 
 taste a little of our condition," says the writer, " I 
 have sent you two of our own Scots Bibles, the 
 New Testament only, wherein they have placed 
 such abominable pictures, that horrible impiety 
 stares through them. These come forth by public 
 authority. Do you show them to such as you 
 think meet." It is asserted in one of the charges 
 against Archbishop Laud that he had brought 
 these Popish pictures from foreign parts, and that 
 
 with
 
 ^^e ^ucce60or0 of QSasean^gne. 171 
 
 with his " good liking " they were bound up in 
 English Bibles, which were called the Archbishop 
 of Canterbury's Bibles. The number of plates in 
 the original book is said to be seventy-four, most 
 of them finely executed. The Edinburgh edition 
 of 1633, in which in some instances they have 
 been inserted, is printed in double columns, and 
 bears a great resemblance to some London editions 
 of the same period. 
 
 Young in 1637 produced a Book of Common 
 Prayer or Scottish Service Book in folio, which 
 was considered to be far superior to those executed 
 in England at that time. Watson (" History of 
 Printing," 171 3) says of this Prayer Book, the 
 merit of which apparently proved the printer's ruin 
 in Scotland, " I have, with great Pleasure, view'd 
 and compar'd that Book with the English one in 
 the same Volume, printed about the same Time by 
 the King's Printers in England : And indeed Mr. 
 Young's Book so far exceeded the other, that there 
 could be no Comparison between them. You'll see 
 by That printed here, the Master furnish'd with a 
 very large Fount, Four Sheets being inset together ; 
 a vast Variety of curiously cut Head-Pieces, Finis's, 
 Blooming-Letters, Fac-totums, Flowers, &c. You'll 
 see the Compositor's Part done with the greatest 
 Regularity and Niceness in the Kalendar ; and 
 
 throughout
 
 €^c (3$a66an^gne QBifife. 
 
 throughout the rest of the Book. The Press-Man's 
 Part done to a Wonder in the Red and Black, and 
 the whole printed in so beautiful and equal a 
 Colour, that there is not any Appearance of Varia- 
 tion. But this Good and Great Master was ruin'd 
 by the Covenanters for doing this Piece of Work, 
 and forc'd to fly the kingdom." It appears from 
 the letters of Archbishop Laud that Young must 
 after this have resided in London, whence he 
 transmitted types and instructions to his work- 
 people in Edinburgh. Charles L's " Large De- 
 claration concerning the Tumults in Scotland " 
 was printed in London by Young, his Majesty's 
 then printer for Scotland, in 1639, at which time 
 many tracts and pamphlets professing to be printed 
 in Edinburgh bear the same name and desig- 
 nation. 
 
 The tumults referred to in Charles L's " Large 
 Declaration " were the results of the attempts begun 
 by James VI. to introduce the Episcopal service 
 into Scotland, because it was thought dangerous to 
 the English Church that a form of worship resem- 
 bling that of the Puritans should exist in any part 
 of the King's dominions. The same object was 
 further carried on with greater zeal by Charles L ; 
 and although the people were generally adverse to 
 it, he had succeeded, after a visit which he paid 
 
 to
 
 ^0e ^ucceeeoxB of i§(i6Ban^i^ne. 173 
 
 to Scotland in 1633, in settling thirteen bishops* 
 over the Church, by whom he hoped to govern the 
 Scottish clergy as he did those of England, But 
 when he attempted in 1637 to introduce the new 
 Book of Common Prayer into the Scottish churches, 
 the spirit of the people could no longer be kept 
 within bounds. On the liturgy being opened in 
 the principal church in Edinburgh, the congregation 
 rose in a violent tumult, and threw their clasped 
 Bibles, and the very stools they sat on, at the 
 minister's head ; and it was not till the people were 
 expelled by force that the worship was permitted 
 to proceed. It was found necessary by the Scot- 
 tish state officers to withdraw the obnoxious liturgy 
 till they should consult the King, who, not dreading 
 any mischief, gave orders that it should be used as 
 he had formerly directed, and that the civil force 
 should be used in protecting the clergymen. 
 
 In connection with all this, we learn further 
 that " Mr. Andrew Ramsay and Mr. Henry Rol- 
 lock, ministers in Edinburgh, were accused for not 
 
 buying 
 
 * These bishops were known as the Tulchan Bishops : 
 a tulchan being a calf's skin stuffed to induce the cow to 
 give milk, and the bishops being regarded by the Scottish 
 people as an invention of the lairds to get the rents out of 
 the Church lands, to which otherwise they had a difficulty 
 in establishing a right.
 
 174 €^e (J$ae0anbi?ne (^t6fe. 
 
 buying and using the Common Prayer Books at 
 the King's command. They answer, it was con- 
 trary to the orders of their Kirk and their own 
 consciences, and so would not use them. Followed 
 another Council day, where there were convened 
 about one hundred ministers, well backed with 
 their nobles and gentlemen, who refused using the 
 service books, as contrary to the constitution of 
 the Kirk and worship of God, whereupon they 
 offered public disputation, and so departed. Upon 
 the first Sunday of October 1637, the provincial 
 synod sat down in Murray : the Bishop of Murray 
 desired the ministry to buy and use the service 
 book, conform to the King's command, as all the 
 bishops had done ; so some bought, some took to 
 be advised, and some refused. The bishops had 
 caused imprint thir books, and payed for the 
 samen, and should have gotten frae each minister 
 four pounds for the piece." King Charles thus 
 found it quite impossible to force observance to his 
 commands in the face of a united people, repre- 
 sented by nobles, ministers, gentry, and burghers, 
 who endeavoured to awe the King into an abandon- 
 ment of the liturgy ; and he used every means in 
 his power to avoid such humiliation, which he 
 believed would give immense force to the innovators 
 in England. But the Scottish people, when they 
 
 found
 
 €de ^ucce06or0 of ^ciBBan^tm. 175 
 
 found him hesitating, bound themselves (March 
 1638) under a bond called the National Covenant, 
 which was signed by a large proportion of the 
 adult population, to resist their sovereign in every 
 attempt he might make to bring in upon them the 
 errors of Popery, for such they held to be the 
 forms of worship and ecclesiastical government 
 which Charles had lately imposed upon their 
 Church. 
 
 In November the same year we read of Raban, 
 a well-known printer in Aberdeen, issuing " diverse 
 copies of a proclamation of the King against dis- 
 obedient subjects, relating to a dispute between 
 him and the General Assembly," and it must have 
 been to this proclamation, or to the Declaration 
 printed by Young in London, that the Covenanters 
 wrote out an answer, called " The Remonstrance 
 of the Nobility, Barons, Burgesses, Ministers, and 
 Commons, within the kingdom of Scotland. Im- 
 printed at Edinburgh by James Bryson, 1639. 
 By the whilk they set down an answer to ilk 
 particular reason contained in the King's proclama- 
 tion, and that they had done no wrong in their 
 haill procedure, and that any proclamation made in 
 England, or sent down here to be proclaimed in 
 Scotland, declaring them, and the most part of the 
 body of the kingdom, to be rebels and traitors, was 
 
 in
 
 176 
 
 €^e ^aztiCinti^ne (J5i6fe. 
 
 in itself null and unlawful, as done by the King 
 upon information of wicked and seditious persons, 
 seeking their own ends, without advice of council 
 or parliament, who had special power in declaring 
 matters of treason, and therefore had good reason 
 to stay the publication of such illegal proclama- 
 tions." 
 
 Specimen of Initial Letters in Bassandync Bible. 
 
 Chapter
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Evan Tyler — The Andersons. 
 
 VAN TYLER, the next printer who 
 held the royal office in order of time, 
 had been appointed jointly with Young 
 in 1641, and he published in 1642 a neat Pocket 
 Bible in two parts, and also in 1643 an octavo 
 New Testament in Black letter. The largest size 
 Tyler is known to have ever printed was an octavo 
 in 1649, whilst he also furnished editions of the 
 Scotch Psalms to be bound up with Bibles printed 
 by Charles Bill in London, after the certified 
 approval of these Psalms for public worship by the 
 General Assembly in May 1650.* After the death 
 of Young, Tyler became sole possessor of the royal 
 appointment, but during the Civil Wars, according 
 to Watson's " History of Printing," he basely 
 
 deserted 
 
 * A facsimile of a title-page of Evan Tyler's Scotch 
 Psalms is given on page 179, from a copy of a "Bill" 
 Pocket Bible. 
 
 M
 
 178 t^e ^aBBan^2^e (J$i6fc. 
 
 deserted his master's interest, and was in his turn 
 obliged to fly when Charles II. was in Scotland in 
 1650, a sentence of forfeiture having been passed 
 on him at Scone. On Cromwell gaining ascendancy 
 in the North, however, Tyler assigned his patent 
 to some London stationers, who sent down 
 Christopher Higgins, with some other English 
 printers. These carried on a business at Leith, 
 which consisted chiefly in reprinting a newspaper 
 called "A Diurnal of Some Passages of Affairs," 
 first printed in London ; they also issued some 
 small books, said by Watson to have been very 
 badly done. After the death of Higgins, the 
 London stationers appointed a Scottish printer 
 named Patrick Ramsay to oversee their printing- 
 office, but eventually the establishment was broken 
 up and sold to several booksellers in Edinburgh, 
 who very soon divided and set up distinct houses. 
 
 The statement of Watson's History that Tyler 
 was declared rebel by Charles II. in 1650 seems at 
 variance with the fact that he printed at Edinburgh 
 " A Declaration of the King's Majesty to his Sub- 
 jects of the Kingdomcs of Scotland, England, and 
 Ireland," said to be "given at our Court at Dun- 
 fermline the 1 6th day of August 1650, and in the 
 second year of our Reign." It bears to have been 
 "printed by Evan Tyler, Printer to the King's 
 
 Most
 
 PSALMS 
 
 OF 
 
 DAVID 
 
 In M EETE R. 
 
 Newly Tranflated, and Diligently 
 
 Compared with the Original Text, 
 
 and former Tranflations : More plain, 
 
 fmooth and agreeable to the Text, 
 
 than any heretofore. 
 
 Allowed by the Authority of the General 
 
 Affembly of the Kirk oi Scotland ; and ap- 
 pointed to be fung in Congregations 
 and Families. 
 
 -^ "^f? ^ff^ '^ -yj^ 
 •^I^ -^^ -^Tj^ "^ 
 
 WW 
 
 EDINBURGH 
 
 Printed by Evan Tyler , Printer to the King's 
 moft Excellent Majefly, 1698.
 
 SBan tt^et. i8i 
 
 Most Excellent Majesty, 1650." Spottiswood (Mis- 
 cellany, vol. i.) also disputes Watson's accuracy on 
 this point ; and says : " During the Commonwealth, 
 it was but natural to suppose that the existing 
 powers would not employ a person who had per- 
 mitted the Proclamations and official documents of 
 Charles II. to issue from his press, and in the 
 interval between the flight of Charles and his 
 restoration, Tyler could not expect to receive any 
 countenance from Cromwell ; but after the Stuarts 
 were restored to the throne of their ancestors, his 
 truckling to the Parliament was overlooked, pro- 
 bably on account of his non-adherence to the Pro- 
 tector, and he was restored to the office of King's 
 printer. How long he continued to hold that office 
 has not been ascertained, but Proclamations by the 
 Privy Council that issued from his press have been 
 found, dated in 1664." 
 
 During the troubles, Robert and James Bryson 
 made application for the appointment of royal 
 printers, but were unsuccessful in their attempt, for 
 evidently Evan Tyler printed both the Acts of Par- 
 liament and of the General Assembly for many 
 years, thus showing that the services of the alleged 
 renegade were considered by the dominant party 
 more worthy of reward than those of the consistent 
 Covenanters. However, as some small recompense, 
 
 several
 
 i82 ^^e Q$a06anbgne (J$i6fe. 
 
 several books were given to the Brysons to print 
 by the General Assembly. Among other works 
 printed by Robert Bryson were two of the poetical 
 lucubrations of William Lithgow the traveller. One 
 of these was entitled : " The Gushing Tears of 
 Godly Sorrow, containing the Causes, Condition, 
 and Remedies of Sinne, depending mainly upon 
 Contrition and Confession ; and they Seconded 
 with Sacred and Comfortable Passages under the 
 Mourning Cannopic of Teares and Repentance." 
 This small quarto was printed in 1640, "at the 
 expense of the author," and dedicated to the Earl 
 of Montrose, and affords a very favourable speci- 
 men of Bryson's typographical abilities. 
 
 In May 1650, the "new Psalm-books [the Psalms 
 referred to above] were read and ordained to be 
 sung through all the kingdom." This was the 
 translation of the Psalms which is still used by 
 the Church of Scotland and other Presbyterian 
 congregations. It was based on a homely version 
 produced originally in 1643 by Francis Rous, a 
 member of the Long Parliament, who ultimately 
 became Provost of Eton, and died in 1658. What 
 was rather curious, Rous was at this time joined 
 to the sectaries, against whom the Scottish Church 
 entertained so bitter a feeling. It must be admitted 
 that his version underwent great improvements in 
 
 the
 
 t^e (^nOctBone, 183 
 
 the hands of the committees of the General Assembly 
 appointed for its revision. As now finally sent 
 forth, it was in many respects most felicitous. The 
 general strain and metre is that of the old homely 
 ballad. It is occasionally harsh and obscure, has 
 a few Scottish idioms, and sometimes requires an 
 obsolete pronunciation to make out the prosody ; 
 yet, with all these obvious faults, it perhaps comes 
 nearer to the simple beauty of the original than 
 any other metrical translation. 
 
 After Tyler, about 1650, came Archibald Hyslop, 
 a bookseller, who set up a printing-office with 
 William Carron, an excellent workman. They 
 brought new materials from Holland, and printed 
 an edition of Thomas-a-Kempis, as well as other 
 books. While the art seemed at this time about 
 to revive, it received an almost mortal blow through 
 the conferring of a monopoly of printing on Andro 
 Anderson, by the administration of Charles II. — 
 " an administration whose attention seems to have 
 been divided between exalting the royal preroga- 
 tive and gratifying their own rapacity, but seldom 
 applied to a consideration of the welfare of the 
 people." 
 
 Andro Anderson was the son of George Ander- 
 son, who, in 1638, introduced the art of printing 
 into Glasgow, having been invited from Edinburgh 
 
 by
 
 1 84 t^e Q0a66anb)?ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 by the magistrates for tliat purpose, and it appears 
 from the Council Records of the former city that 
 he was allowed ;^iOO for the liquidation of his 
 expenses in transportation of his gear to that 
 burgh, and in full of his bj'gone salaries from 
 Whitsunday 1638 till Martinmas 1639. His son 
 Andro succeeded him in Glasgow, but removed to 
 Edinburgh about 1660, receiving sixty merks " to 
 help to transport his guids and flitting to Edin- 
 burgh again," where he obtained the appointment 
 of printer to the city and college. Andro Anderson 
 printed a New Testament in Black letter for the 
 use of children and schools ; but this work had so 
 many errors in it that the Privy Council in 167 1 
 ordered all the copies to be called in and the 
 blunders amended, and before it could be re-issued 
 Anderson had to prefix a new title-page announc- 
 ing the correction of the errors. Notwithstanding 
 this grievous fault, " for payment of a composition 
 in exchequer and other weighty reasons," Anderson 
 soon after received a gift under the Great Seal, 
 appointing him his Majesty's " sole, absolute, and 
 only printer," and giving him the supervising of 
 the presses and printing-houses in the kingdom, — 
 a privilege so exclusive that no one dared print 
 any book, from a Bible to a ballad, without license 
 from Anderson. After his death in 1676, Agnes 
 
 Campbell,
 
 Campbell, widow of Andro Anderson, carried on 
 the printing business under the same privileges, 
 in company with some others who had apparently 
 been in partnership with Anderson himself; but the 
 company soon disagreed, as they thought them- 
 selves injured by the acting partners, and they all, 
 with the exception of one George Swinton, sold 
 their shares in the printing-house and patent to 
 the widow, who thus became possessed of the 
 monopoly of printing over all Scotland. Mrs. 
 Anderson now began to prosecute the printers 
 throughout the country for issuing books without 
 her permission, and several were imprisoned and 
 their places of business shut up. Swinton's share 
 having been bought up by Robert Sanders, he 
 assumed the title of one of the King's printers, and 
 printed some books in an excellent manner, but he 
 also was prosecuted. At length, John Reid, one 
 of those against whom Mrs. Anderson had taken 
 proceedings, petitioned the Duke of York in i68o 
 against the exclusiveness of her privilege, setting 
 forth that she had endeavoured to keep him out of 
 the trade, Mrs. Anderson maintaining that she had 
 the sole right, and that " one press is sufficiently 
 able to serve all Scotland, our printing being but 
 inconsiderable." The matter being moved in the 
 Privy Council, the Duke declared it could only be 
 
 the
 
 i86 t^c i§a66ani)i^ne (jSifife. 
 
 the King's pleasure that his printer should enjoy 
 those privileges which his royal predecessors had 
 been in use to grant to their printers, such as 
 printing of Bibles, Acts of Parliament, &c. ; upon 
 which the Privy Council allowed the printers to 
 carry on their ordinary work, Mrs. Anderson's 
 monopoly being limited to such works as had been 
 specified in the gift to her husband's predecessor, 
 Evan Tyler. Baffled by the printers, Mrs. Ander- 
 son now fell foul of the booksellers, and seized a 
 quantity of Bibles brought by them from London ; 
 but they complained of this to the Council, and 
 having printed the errata of one of her Bibles to 
 justify their importing the books, after close debate 
 the Council ordered the books to be returned. 
 
 In 1682, Sir Thomas Murray of Glendoick, 
 having digested the statutes more carefully than 
 had been done formerly, obtained liberty from 
 Charles II. to employ in printing them those whom 
 he might find most capable of executing so im- 
 portant a work. Sir Thomas having for this pur- 
 pose contracted with David Lindsay, merchant in 
 Edinburgh, and John Cairns, printer, a patent was 
 made out, giving them the sole privilege of printing 
 the Acts of Parliament for nineteen years. To 
 execute the work, two tradesmen, named Joshua 
 Van Solingen and Jan Colmar, as well as new 
 
 printing
 
 ^0e (^n^ereons. 187 
 
 printing materials, were brought from Holland. 
 Cairns dying, the Dutchmen acquired the property 
 of the printing-house and published the Acts of 
 Parliament in folio. As Mrs. Anderson, notwith- 
 standing the check she had received from the 
 Privy Council, harassed the Dutchmen in the exer- 
 cise of their business, Lindsay obtained a patent 
 from Charles II. for himself and his partners for 
 printing any book which was not the peculiar 
 privilege of the King's printer, and this patent 
 shows that Anderson's monopoly had proved dis- 
 honourable to the King and disastrous to the 
 country. The Dutchmen's business eventually fell 
 into disorder, and they sold the printing-house to 
 James Watson, merchant in Aberdeen, who had, in 
 lieu of repayment of money lent by him to Charles 
 II. when in exile, procured the gift of an exclusive 
 privilege of printing almanacs in Scotland, and of 
 the office of printer to his Majesty's household, 
 with a salary of ;^ioo a year ; and for his son, a 
 reversionary grant of the office of King's printer on 
 the expiry of Anderson's patent. By the father's 
 death, however, which happened some time after, it 
 was neglected to get the patent to pass the seals. 
 
 " Nothing," says Watson's Plistory, " came from 
 the Royal Press (as Mrs. Anderson vainly termed 
 it), but the most illegible and incorrect Bibles and 
 
 books
 
 €^e QBa60an^l?ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 books that ever were printed in any one place in 
 the world. She regarded not the honour of the 
 nation, and never minded the dut}' lay upon her as 
 the sovereign's servant. Prentices, instead of the 
 best workmen, were generally employed in printing 
 the sacred word of God. And, in fine, nothing 
 was studied but gaining of money by printing 
 Bibles at any rate, which she knew none other 
 durst do, and that nobody could want them." 
 Many of the errata in Mrs. Anderson's Bibles were 
 quite ungrammatical, and seriously affected the 
 sense, as rigJiteousness iov unrighteousness; he killed, 
 for he is killed; for iliat have sinned, for for that all 
 have sinned; enticed in every thing, for enriched in 
 every thing; zve for ye; either for neither; world 
 for word; loveth pleasure, for liveth in pleasure; 
 perfect for priest ; thou hast slain, for thou wast slain ; 
 his testimony, for their testimony ; of the flesh, for of 
 the will of the flesh ; ye were not the servants of sin, 
 for ye were the servants of stn ; be not better against 
 them, for be not bitter against them. Few pages 
 can be opened in some of her Bibles without notic- 
 ing such careless misspellings as Tins for Titus, 
 Timoty for Timothy ; and tJie saints which are at 
 Ephesus, reads in one case the salts which are at 
 Epesus. Again, in a quarto Bible, we have the 
 following examples of carelessness in the metrical 
 
 Psalms ;
 
 Z^c ^n^evBone. 189 
 
 Psalms ; as in Psalm xxv. 3, where the word be, 
 which should conclude the first line of the verse, 
 is carried down to the third — thus : 
 
 " Yea, let thou none ashamed 
 that do on thee attend : 
 Ashamed let them be, O Lord, be 
 who without cause offend."' 
 
 In Psalm xliii. 5 we find 
 
 " He of my count'nance is the head" 
 
 instead of 
 
 " He of my count'nance is the health." 
 
 In Psalm xix. 3 the words to which are omitted at 
 the end of the first line, thus : 
 
 " There is no speech nor tongue 
 their voice doth not extend." 
 
 In another Bible there are five columns in which 
 the Italic a occurs 700 times for the Roman " a," 
 exhausted in her fount of type ; as in this verse, 
 Gen. xxi. 14 : 
 
 ".<4nd Abraham rose up e^rly in the morning, and 
 took bread and a bottle of water, and gave // unto 
 Hagffr (putting // on her shoulder) and the child and 
 
 sent
 
 19° €^e (§aB6anti^ne Q0i6fe. 
 
 sent her avfay : and she depi/rted tznd wandered in the 
 wilderness of Bcer-sheb^." 
 
 Another edition in i2mo, published in 1705, is 
 printed in such a manner as might puzzle any 
 reader not previously acquainted with the sacred 
 text, and must have been incomprehensible to 
 learners. Thus, what could be made of the sen- 
 tence: Whyshoulditbethoug tathingincredi blew'you, 
 y* God should raise the dead ? " The page from 
 which these words are taken contains other errors. 
 In the same year in which this Bible was published, 
 Mrs. Anderson seems to have given offence by the 
 price she charged for some of her books, and the 
 Privy Council on November 20 found it necessary 
 to interfere with her in this way also : " The Lords 
 of Her Majesties Privie Counscll doe heirby ap- 
 poynt and ordaine the Actis past in the last Session 
 of Queen Ann's Parliament to be sold at one pund 
 ten Shillings Scots, and discharges Mrs. Anderson, 
 her Majesties Printer, to exact any more for the 
 samen." 
 
 On February 26, 1685, the curious book, 
 " Satan's Invisible World Discovered, by George 
 Sinclair, professor of philosophy at the College of 
 Glasgow," was endowed by the Lords of the Privy 
 Council with a copyright of eleven years, all per- 
 sons whatsoever being prohibited " from printing, 
 
 reprinting.
 
 reprinting, or importing into this kingdom, any 
 copies of the said book," during that space of time. 
 This little volume, which was often reprinted 
 during the eighteenth century, contains, in the 
 language of its own title-page, a " Choice Collection 
 of Modern Relations, proving evidently against the 
 Saducecs and Atheists of this present age, that 
 there arc Devils, Spirits, Witches, and Apparitions, 
 from authentic records and attestations of witnesses 
 of undoubted verity." The Council also in June 
 and September 1686 issued edicts against the selling 
 of books reflecting on Popery, and sent their officer 
 round the various booksellers to warn them. The 
 following is a copy of one of these edicts : " Act 
 prohibiteing the printing or reprinting of any New 
 Books or Pamphletts, without License from the 
 Lord High Chancellour, Sept. 7, 1686 : The Lords 
 of his Majesties Privy Councill Doe hereby Pro- 
 hibite and Discharge all personis whatsomever 
 from granting any license for printing or reprinting 
 any new Books or Pamphletts, untill the same be 
 first seen and perused by the Lord High Chancellor, 
 as they will be answerable ; And Ordaines Intima- 
 tions hereof to be made by one of the Macers ot 
 Councill to the Printers and Stationers in and 
 about Edinburgh, that they may not pretend igno- 
 rance. Perth, Cancell." 
 
 Amongst
 
 19^ €^e ^asBanti^ne QBi6fe. 
 
 Amongst others, the officer brought the edict 
 to a bookseller named James Glen, who quietly 
 observed that " there was one book in his shop 
 which condemned Popery very directly, namely, the 
 Bible, — might he sell that ? " Some time after, 
 when the Government were rigorously enforcing 
 the laws against unlicensed printing, to prevent the 
 issue of controversial pamphlets, James Glen was 
 imprisoned by an order from the Chancellor, Lord 
 Perth, for publishing a pamphlet called " The Root 
 of Romish Ceremonies," designed " to prove Popery 
 to be only paganism revived." This was con- 
 sidered a strong step for the Government to take 
 at the time, when a Popish printer was at work 
 at Holyrood ; but perhaps Lord Perth — who had 
 become a Catholic, " some say to please his wife, 
 some to please the King, no one to please him- 
 self" — felt sore at the sharp answer Glen had 
 given to the Council's officer on the former occasion, 
 and thus was the more inchned to deal rigorously 
 with him. Similar decrees, both permissive and 
 restrictive, were afterwards at different times issued 
 by the authorities to Robert Blaw and James 
 Watson ; and several are in existence referring 
 to early newspapers, " Prognostications " or " Al- 
 manacks," and even to " Buriall Letters," respec- 
 tively to Charles Chalmers in 1695, to James 
 
 Donaldson
 
 t-^e (/Xn^eveone. 193 
 
 Donaldson and to George Mosman in 1699, and 
 to various other printers and booksellers in 1703 
 and 1704, in which latter years there were several 
 petitions to the Council regarding the restrictions 
 on the art of printing. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 N
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Watson, Symson, and Ruddiman. 
 
 MONG the early printers who now follow, 
 few names are of historical note, ex- 
 cept those perhaps of James Watson, 
 Andrew Symson, and Thomas Ruddiman. When 
 the elder Watson came from Aberdeen, he set up his 
 printing business somewhere in the Grassmarket, 
 near Heriot's Hospital, but was evidently not suc- 
 cessful, as we learn that in 1685-86 his landlady 
 poinded his goods for rent due by him, and he took 
 sanctuary within the precincts of Holyrood Abbey, 
 taking his printing establishment with him. In 
 all probability, it was at the time of the printer's 
 indebtedness to his landlady that he made appli- 
 cation for the repayment of his loan to Charles 
 II. ; but, as usual, the cash not being forthcoming, 
 his improvident Majesty gave Watson the grant 
 already referred to of printer to the Royal Family, 
 with a privilege of printing Almanacks, or Prog- 
 nostications, as they were then called. On the 
 
 death
 
 3ame0 OJJateon. 195 
 
 death of the elder Watson in 1687, his son James 
 being then too young to succeed him, the office 
 thus created was given by James VII. to Peter 
 Bruce, or, as Watson calls him, " Bruschii," an 
 engineer by trade and a German by birth. But 
 Bruce did not make much by being so favoured, 
 for though he got possession of the printing- 
 house at Holyrood, and did some work there, he 
 not long after was ruined by the rioters at the 
 Revolution. 
 
 James Watson, bred a printer " from his infancy," 
 as he himself says, and associated with his father 
 at the Holyrood House press, set up in 1695, 
 was, like the other printers of Edinburgh, very 
 soon involved in trouble with Mrs. Anderson. A 
 more serious difficulty awaited him, however, for 
 he gave offence to the authorities by printing a 
 pamphlet called " Scotland's Grievance respecting 
 Darien," and he was apprehended and put in prison. 
 Here he did not remain long, for on the 19th June 
 1700, a rumour having reached Edinburgh that the 
 Spaniards had attacked the Scots colony at Darien 
 and been signally defeated, these glad tidings raised 
 such a tumult of rejoicing that a large mob as- 
 sembled, kindled bonfires, and forced the citizens 
 to illuminate their houses, breaking the windows 
 of those who declined to similarly manifest their 
 
 pleasure.
 
 196 Z^e Q$a66an^gne Q^ifife. 
 
 pleasure. The mob also forced its way into the 
 house of Sir James Stewart, the King's Advocate, 
 and compelled him to sign a warrant for liberating 
 Watson, and also Paterson — the latter, no doubt, 
 the projector of the Daricn Scheme, While one 
 portion of the mob was thus engaged, another body 
 of rioters, more earnest and more zealous, without 
 waiting for legal warrants, assaulted the prison, 
 forced an entrance, and liberated Watson, Paterson, 
 and other prisoners. Watson after this for a time 
 prudently abstained from making any public appear- 
 ance, till the general excitement had greatly abated ; 
 and Mrs. Anderson took the opportunity of Watson's 
 partial retirement to again set the law in motion 
 against him for infringing her monopoly, alleging also 
 that he was a fugitive from justice, and had been 
 educated a Papist, but for the purpose of carrying 
 on his business professed to be a Protestant. She 
 was so far successful on this occasion that she 
 procured a warrant in 1701 to shut up Watson's 
 workshop ; but an appeal being made, Watson says, 
 " On a full consideration of the case and debate 
 before their Lordships, she was so well exposed 
 that she made no attempt afterwards of that kind." 
 Watson's first printing-house was in Warriston 
 Close, but at this time it was in Craig's Close, 
 opposite the Cross, where he had removed in 1697, 
 
 and
 
 3cime6 T2?at0on. 197 
 
 and here he continued to print while he lived, the 
 place being long known after his death as the 
 King's Printing-House. He also opened a book- 
 seller's shop in 1709, opposite the Luckenbooths, 
 near to St. Giles's Church. 
 
 Attention has already been directed (p. 178) to 
 the "Diurnal" reprinted by Higgins in 1652 at 
 Leith ; this was superseded by the " Mercurius 
 Politicus," also at Leith, in 1653, and transferred to 
 Edinburgh in November 1654, where it was published 
 till 1660. Some numbers of " Mercurius Publicus " 
 were republished in Scotland also in 1660, being 
 succeeded by the " Kingdom's Intelligencer " in 
 1 66 1, which continued till 1674. The first news- 
 paper written as well as printed in Scotland, those 
 previously named being all reprints of English origin, 
 was the " Mercvrivs Caledonivs : Comprising the 
 Affairs now in Agitation in Scotland. With a Sur- 
 vey of Forraign Intelligence." This small quarto, 
 of varying extent, from 8 to 12, 14, or 16 pages, 
 was begun in January 1660, and published weekly 
 by " a society of Stationers," and edited by Thomas 
 St. Serfe, or Tom Sydserfe, but only reached its 
 twelfth number. No further effort seems to have 
 been made to establish a native newspaper for 
 nearly twenty years, when in December 1680 
 appeared the " Edinburgh Gazette," which also 
 
 was
 
 was very short-lived ; but its title was revived 
 in March 1699 by the first number of another 
 " Gazette," a foho of two pages, edited by James 
 Donaldson, and printed by James Watson in Craig's 
 Close. The Privy Council Register throws some 
 light on the history of this journal, and on the 
 scanty measure of liberty then accorded to the 
 press in the North. 
 
 "Acts in favors of James Donaldson for 
 printing the gazette. 
 
 [March 10, 1699.] 
 
 " Anent the petition given in to the Lords of his Majes- 
 ties Privy Councill be James Donaldson merchant in 
 Edinburgh, Shewing, That the petitioner doeth humbly 
 conceive the publishing of ane Gazett in this place 
 containeing ane abridgment of fforaigne newes togither 
 with the occurrances at home may be both useful! and 
 satisfieing to the leidges, and actually hath published one 
 or two to see how it may be liked, and so farr as he 
 could understand the project was approven of by very 
 many. And therefore Humbly supplicating the saids 
 Lords to the effect after mentioned ; The Lords of his 
 Majesties Privy Councill haveing considered this petition 
 given in to them by the above James Donaldsone, They 
 doe hereby Grant full warrand and authority to the 
 petitioner for publishing the above Gazette, and Dis- 
 charges any other persones whatsoever to pen or publish 
 
 the
 
 3ameg TTafeon. 199 
 
 the like, under the penaltie of forfaulting all the coppies 
 to the petitioner, and farder payment to him of the 
 soume of ane hundred pounds Scots money, by and 
 attour the forsaid confiscatioun and forfaulture, and 
 Recommends to the Lord high Chancellor to nominat 
 and appoint a particular persone to be Supervisor of the 
 said Gazetts before they be exposed to publict view, 
 printed, or sold." 
 
 Captain Donaldson, the projector of this paper — 
 " writer of the Gazette " he called himself — began 
 life as a merchant in Edinburgh. In 1689 he 
 levied a company of foot at his ov^rn charge, and 
 served in the Earl of Angus's regiment, until, on 
 the termination of the Revglution wars, the strength 
 of the regiment was reduced from twenty to thirteen 
 companies. Donaldson was then turned adrift on 
 the world — his business gone, his fortune spent — 
 and it was in this strait that he conceived the idea 
 of starting the Gazette, combining with his editorial 
 labours the dolorous printing of funeral cards after 
 a new fashion, "with the decencie and ornament 
 of a border of skeletons, mortheads, and other 
 emblems of mortality." The enterprise did not 
 wholly answer his expectation, but he made shift 
 to live thereby, till his fortunes were once more 
 overcast by the appearance of the first number 
 of "The Edinburgh Courant " in February 1705, 
 
 printed
 
 €^e ^aeeatx^i^ne (§iMe. 
 
 printed also by James Watson, the printing of the 
 " Gazette " having been transferred to John Reid. 
 This first number is made up of extracts from the 
 Paris and Amsterdam Gazettes and a " London- 
 written " letter ; the only local news being the 
 following brief paragraphs : 
 
 "On Saturday last, Captain Green, Captain of the 
 Ship Worchester, and the rest of his Crew who are 
 Prisoners here, and are to be try'd as Pyrats, before the 
 Judge-Admiral, has each of them got a Copy of their 
 Inditement to answer against the 5th. of March next ; 
 and the Lords of her Majesty's Privy-Council, has 
 appointed five of their number to be Assessors to the 
 Judge-Admiral. 
 
 " This day Robert Pringle one of the Tellers of the 
 Bank, who lately went off with about 425 lib. sterling of 
 the Bank's Money, is to be Try'd for Life before the 
 Lords of Justiciary, upon a Lybel rais'd at the instance 
 of the Treasurer of the Bank, and the said Pringle's 
 Cautioners, with concourse of Her Majesty's Advocat. 
 
 "Leith, Feb. 16. This day came in to our Port the 
 Mary Galley, David Preshu Commander, laden with 
 Wine and Brandy." 
 
 There are also three advertisements, and two 
 official notices regarding the paper itself. The 
 advertisements refer to a sale of land, a post-office 
 notice, and the third to some " Famous Loozengees 
 for curing the Cold, stopping and pains in the 
 
 Breast,
 
 ^iarncB OJ^ateon. 
 
 Breast, the Kinkhost," &c. " Price 8 sh. the 
 Box." 
 
 Donaldson had interpreted the grant of the 
 Privy Council given him in March 1699 as con- 
 ferring a monopoly of the Edinburgh press ; but 
 the Lords of Council understood it differently, and 
 did not hesitate to sanction the publication of the 
 new journal as follows : 
 
 "Act in favours of Adam Boig for printing the 
 Edinburgh Currant. 
 
 [Feb. 13. 1705.] 
 
 "Anent the petition given in and presented to the 
 Lord high Chancellor and remanent Lords of Privie 
 Councill By Adam Boig, Humbly Shewing, That wheras 
 their petitioner intends to sett forth a paper by the name 
 of Edinburgh Currant which will come out thrice weekly, 
 viz. Monday, Wednesday, and Fryday, containing most 
 of the remarkable forreign newes from their prints, and 
 also the home newes from the ports within this King- 
 dome, when Ships comes and goes, and from whence, 
 which its hoped will prove a great advantage to mer- 
 chants and others within this Nation, (it being now 
 altogether neglected) ; And Seeing their petitioner has 
 no inclination to give offence therby to the Govern- 
 ment, and that he cannot safely doe the same without he 
 be empowered therto by their Lordships, And therfore 
 craving to the effect after mentioned as the said petition 
 
 bears ;
 
 ^^e ^asBan^i^ne QStfife. 
 
 bears ; The Lords of her Majesties Privie Councill having 
 considered the above petition given in to them by Adam 
 Boig, and the samen being read in their presence, The 
 saids Lords doe heirby allow and grant warrand to the 
 petitioner to sett furth and print ane paper entituled 
 Edinburgh Currant, containing the remarkable forreign 
 newes from their prints and letters, as also the home 
 newes from the ports within this Kingdome, when Ships 
 comes and goes, and from whence ; he alwayes being 
 answerable for the samen, and for the newes therin 
 specified and sett doun." 
 
 Captain Donaldson strove hard against the new 
 paper, complaining principally about its undersell- 
 ing him ; but it quickly made its way into favour, 
 and soon began to push the " Gazette " from the 
 field. Though strong in public support, the career 
 of the new paper was not without its crosses, and 
 before it was five months old it got into trouble 
 with the authorities about what seems now an inno- 
 cent enough advertisement from Evander M'lver, 
 manager of the " Scots Manufactory Paper-Mills." 
 The Privy Council not only stopped the publica- 
 tion of the " Courant, " but also of the " Gazette," 
 though Donaldson states the advertisement did not 
 appear there. The restriction of the " Gazette " 
 lasted only a few weeks, that of the " Courant " 
 extended to five months, and was removed only 
 
 by
 
 %ame6 Watson. 203 
 
 by the editor subscribing a declaration, " That I 
 shall publish nothing in my Courant concerning 
 the Government till first the same be revised by 
 the Clerks of Her Majesty's Privy Council." Boig 
 died on the 27th June 17 10 — the last number 
 which he edited being No. 685 ; and on the margin 
 of a copy of this issue, preserved in the Advo- 
 cates' Library, is written the words, " This day the 
 Courantier dyed." 
 
 With Boig's death the Privy Council privilege 
 took end, and though the paper continued to appear 
 for a short time, it no longer bore to be " Published 
 by Authority." At this time James Watson was 
 engaged in printing the " Scots Courant," edited 
 by James Muirhead, first begun in September 1705, 
 and which Watson continued to issue till 1718. 
 Boig's privilege was extended to another journal 
 with the original name, edited by Daniel Defoe ; 
 but the editor having returned to London, the 
 paper came under different management, requiring 
 a consequent change of title to guard against any 
 legal .^infringement, and it became known as the 
 " Edinburgh Evening Courant " — a name it long 
 continued to bear. The editor, James M'Ewen, 
 obtained the exclusive privilege of the title, on the 
 condition that " he be obliged before publication 
 to give ane copy of his print to the Magistrates." 
 
 M'Ewen's
 
 204 t'^e Q^aesanbgne (J0t6fe. 
 
 M'Ewen's paper appears to have been really a 
 revival, in slightly altered form, of the original 
 " Courant." It was published three times a week, 
 and consisted of six pages. This paper finally 
 relinquished publication in February 1886. 
 
 Besides the early newspapers already mentioned, 
 there was the " Edinburgh Gazette," a new series 
 in 4to, begun in 1706; the "Edinburgh Gazette," 
 a third series in folio, begun in 1707 ; the " Scots 
 Postman, or the New Edinburgh Gazette," estab- 
 lished in 1708 ; the " Scots Postman," another 
 series, begun in August 1709; the "Edinburgh 
 Flying Post," commenced in October 1708; the 
 " Northern Tatler," in April 1710 ; the " Examiner," 
 in September 1710 ; the "Evening Post; or the 
 New Edinburgh Gazette," in 1710 ; the " Edin- 
 burgh Gazette; or Scots Postman," in March 1715 ; 
 the " Caledonian Mercury " having its re-birth, after 
 an interval of sixty years, in April 1720, &c. 
 Watson no doubt was connected with several of 
 these papers, as well as the first " Gazette " and 
 first " Courant," and one periodical with which he 
 was connected in 1699 may be noted here. This 
 was a monthly literary journal or magazine in the 
 form of a small quarto of 56 pages, entitled " The 
 History of the Works of the Learned ; or, an 
 Impartial Account of Books lately Printed in all 
 
 parts
 
 ^amea ^aison. 
 
 parts of Europe. With a particular Relation of the 
 State of Learning in each country." The periodical 
 contains reviews of recent books, with notices of 
 others about to be printed. This, though only 
 a reprint of a London publication, probably may 
 have been the precursor of the " Scots Magazine," 
 a periodical of like nature, begun in 1739. 
 
 In August 171 1, on the approach of the expiry 
 of Mrs. Anderson's patent, Watson, along with 
 Robert Freebairn, another Edinburgh printer, and 
 John Baskett, Queen's Printer for England, made 
 an endeavour to secure the appointment of Royal 
 Printers for Scotland, each of the three partners 
 to have an equal share. This effort was success- 
 ful, and the patent was made out in Freebairn's 
 name for forty-one years, and passed the seals 
 in October 171 1. The malevolent spirit of Mrs. 
 Anderson was again brought into play by this, and 
 working on the avarice of Freebairn, she endea- 
 voured to exclude Watson from his third share in 
 the patent, and herself become a partner in the 
 company. A lawsuit arose in consequence, which, 
 after considerable delay, was decided by the Court 
 of Session in June 171 5 in Watson's favour. It 
 was at this time, while the lawsuit was pending, 
 that Watson brought out his " History of Printing," 
 to which reference has already been made, a small 
 
 sixpenny
 
 2o6 <t^c Q$(i66an^gne Q$i6fe. 
 
 sixpenny pamphlet of 64 pages, which contains very 
 little history, but much scolding of Mrs. Anderson, 
 as well as specimens of the various kinds of type 
 Watson then possessed. At the end of the little 
 book there occurs the following curious poem on 
 the art of printing : 
 
 A CONTEMPLATION 
 
 UPON THE Mystery of Man's Regeneration, in 
 Allusion to the Mystery of Printing. 
 
 GREAT Blejl MAST ER-VRINTEK, Come 
 Into thy Compofing-Room : 
 Wipe away our foul Offences ; 
 Make, O make our Souls and Senfes, 
 The Upper and the Lower Cafes ; 
 And thy large Alphabet of Graces 
 The Letter, which being ever ft, 
 O hajie thou to Diftribute it : 
 For there is {I make Account) 
 No Imperfeftion in the Fount. 
 If any Letters Face be foul, 
 O walh it, ere it touch the Soul; 
 Contrition be the Brufh j the Lye, 
 Tears from a Penitential Eye. 
 Thy Graces fo Diftributed, 
 Think not thy IVork halffnifhed : 
 On fill, LORD, no Time defer. 
 Be truly a COMPOSITER. 
 
 Take
 
 ^amee ODJafgon. 207 
 
 Take thy Compofing-Stick in Hand, 
 Thy Holy JFord, thejirmefl Band ; 
 For fur e that JFijrk can never mifs, 
 That's truly Juftify'd in this. 
 
 The End of Grace's Diftribution, 
 Is not a meer Diffolution ; 
 But that from each Part being cited, 
 They may be again United : 
 Let Righteoufnefs and Peace then meet, 
 Mercy and Truth each other greet ; 
 Let thefe Letters make a Word, 
 Let thefe Words a Line afford. 
 Then of Lines a Page compofe, 
 IVhich being brought unto a Ciofe, 
 Be Thou the Diredion, LORD ; 
 Let Love be the f aft-binding Cord, 
 Set, LORD, O Set apace. 
 That we may grow from Grace to Grace ; 
 Till towWds the Chace we nearer draw. 
 The Two fir on g Tables of Thy Law, 
 Of which the Two frm Croffes be, 
 The Love of Man, next after Thee. 
 The Head- Sticks are Thy Majefiy ; 
 The Foot-Sticks, Chrifl's Humility, 
 The Supplications of the Saints, 
 The Side-Sticks, when our Faith e'er faints ; 
 Let the Quines be Thy fur e EleBion, 
 JVhich admits of no ReJeSiion ; 
 With which our Souls being join d about. 
 Not the leaf Grace can drop out. 
 Thy Mercies and Allurements all. 
 Thy Shooting-Stick and Mallet call. 
 
 But
 
 2o8 ^^e O$a06an^gne QSifife. 
 
 Bui when all this done we fee, 
 Whojliall the COKKECTOVi be? 
 O LORD, IFhat Thou Set'ft cannt he ill. 
 It needs then wo C O R R E C TO R'j Skill. 
 
 Now tho' thefe Graces all are Set, 
 Our Hearts are but White-Paper yet; 
 And by Adam's Firjl Trmifgreffion, 
 Fit only for the worfi Impreffion. 
 Thy Holy Spirit the PRESS-MAN make 
 From whom we may PerfeSiion take ; 
 And let Him no Time defer. 
 To Print on us Thy Charafter. 
 Let the Ink be Black as Jet j 
 What though ? It is comely yet. 
 As Courtains of King Solomon, 
 Or Kedars Tents to look upon. 
 Be Vi6iory the Prefs'^ Head, 
 That o'er Oppreffion it may tread. 
 Let Divine Contemplation be 
 The Skrews, to raife us up to Thee : 
 The Prefs'j Two Cheeks (unfubdud) 
 Strong Conjlancy and Fortitude : 
 Ourflavifh Flefli let be the Till, 
 Whereon lay what Tralh you will : 
 The Nut a7id Spindle, Gentlenefs, 
 To move the Work with Eqfinefs : 
 The Platten is AffliSIion, 
 Which makes good IFork, being hardfet on. 
 The Bar, the Spirit s Inftrument, 
 Tofanfiifie our Punijhment. 
 The Blankets, a Refemblance hath 
 Of Mercy in the midfi of Wrath. 
 
 The
 
 %amc6 'Waieon. 209 
 
 The Frifket, thy Preventing Grace, 
 Keeps usfrovr many afullij'd Face. 
 CHRIST JESUS is the Level Stone 
 That our Hearts muft he Wrought upon. 
 The Coffin, wherein it doth ly, 
 Is Reji to all Eternity. 
 The Cramp-irons, that it moves onjlill, 
 Are the good Motions of the JVill. 
 The Rounce, the Spirit's Infpiration, 
 Working an Holy Agitation. 
 The Girts, the Gift of Continence, 
 The Tether of tK Unbridled Senfe. 
 The "Winter, whereon all doth ly. 
 Is Patience in Adverfity. 
 The Footftep, Humhlenefs of Mind, 
 That in it f elf no Worth can find. 
 
 If there lefuch a Chance as this. 
 That any Letter batter'd is. 
 Being come unto thy View, 
 Take it out, put in a new. 
 Or if Satan, that foul Fiend, 
 Marr, with a Pretence to Mend, 
 And being at thy Goodnefs vext, 
 Makes Blafphemy of thy pure Text, 
 Find it out, LORD, and then 
 Print our Hearts new o'er agen. 
 
 LORD, unto this Work make hqjl, 
 'Tis a Work that long will lajl : 
 And when this White-Paper'^ done, 
 Work a Reiteration. 
 
 The above lines are evidently not original in 
 
 Watson's 
 o
 
 ^0e Q$a00anbgne Q$t6fe. 
 
 Watson's book, for they are also found amongst 
 the scraps collected by John Bagford early in the 
 eighteenth century for a History of Printing, and 
 which are now among the Harleian MSS. in the 
 British Museum. Bagford introduces his manuscript 
 with these remarks : "The following Poem, written 
 many years ago, and now quite out of print, I have 
 added to this paper, being very well assured it 
 will be very acceptable to all lovers of the noble 
 mystery of Printing." From its style, he says, it 
 appears to be of the time of Cromwell. 
 
 On the breaking out of the Rebellion of 171 5, 
 Freebairn joined the cause of James Stuart, and 
 set off for Perth, to act as printer to the Pretender. 
 This step led to his forfeiture, and Mrs. Anderson 
 and Baskett applied for and received a new patent ; 
 but singularly enough, notwithstanding his overt 
 act of rebellion, on taking proceedings against 
 the new patentees, Freebairn recovered his rights, 
 and King George continued to employ him and his 
 assignees as printers till 1752. Watson's rights, 
 which of course had been imperilled by his partner's 
 proceedings, were also re-confirmed by the same 
 judgment of the Court. 
 
 In Watson's hands the art of printing recovered 
 much of the credit it had recently lost through the 
 negligent methods pursued by Mrs. Anderson and 
 
 others,
 
 ^n^re5B ^gmeon. 
 
 others, and he is said to have brought over from 
 the Continent the best materials and the best work- 
 men he could procure ; but it was in the printing 
 of the Bible that he excelled. His small Bibles 
 of 1715, 171 6, 171 9, and especially his folio Bible 
 of 1722, occupy an honourable place for excellent 
 workmanship and accuracy. One book of Watson's 
 claims particular notice here — his well-known col- 
 lection of Scots Poems, " comprised of such Poems 
 as have been formerly Printed most Uncorrectly, 
 in all respects, but are now copied from the most 
 Correct Manuscripts that could be procured of 
 them." This work preserved many most interesting 
 specimens of our ancient vernacular poetry,* It is 
 gratifying to learn that, notwithstanding all his 
 difficulties and troubles, fortune seems to have 
 smiled upon him. He died on 24th September 
 1722, and was buried in Greyfriars Churchyard. 
 Watson's rights in the patent were assigned to 
 John Mosman and William Brown, but it is said 
 " they did not walk in his footsteps by seeking to 
 maintain the reputation he left them." 
 
 Andrew Symson, about 1700, was a most worthy 
 
 successor. 
 
 * Originally published by Watson in Three Parts, a 
 very fine reprint in one volume was issued by Messrs. Ogle 
 and Co. of Glasgow in 1869.
 
 t-^e Q0ag6an^i?ne Q$i6fe. 
 
 successor, whose printing-press was in a range of 
 buildings in Cowgate, between the foot of College 
 and Horse W3'nds. He was a man of learning, 
 having received a University education, and at one 
 time was Episcopal curate of Kirkinner in Galloway, 
 but was ousted from his charge at the Revolution. 
 While minister or curate of Kirkinner, he wrote 
 the "Large Description of Galloway," 1684. "He 
 was a man of rare Christian charity. Though his 
 congregation dwindled down to three persons, he 
 would give no information to the Government as to 
 the recusant Covenanters who formed the bulk of 
 his parishioners. In 1688, when the ecclesiastical 
 pendulum swung to the opposite extreme of the 
 arc, and Presbyterianism again became the estab- 
 lished religion of Scotland," he was "necessitate to 
 retire to a quiet lurking-place." 
 
 On his establishment as a printer in Edinburgh, 
 Symson combined the art of printing with the 
 writing of books, and published a lengthy poem of 
 his own, which is stated in the preface as " issued 
 from my printing-house at the foot of Horse Wynd, 
 in the Cowgate, February 16, 1705." It is entitled 
 " Tripatriarchion ; or the Lives of the Three Patri- 
 archs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, executed forth 
 of the sacred story, and digested into English 
 verse." Before Symson issued this work, he had 
 
 edited 
 
 \
 
 edited and published an edition of the " Laws and 
 Customs of Scotland," by the well-known Lord 
 Advocate, Sir George Mackenzie, which bears on 
 its title-page, " Printed by the heirs and successors 
 of Mr. Andrew Anderson, printer to the King's 
 most excellent Majesty, for Mr. Andrew Symson, 
 and are to be sold by him in the Cowgate, near 
 the foot of Horse Wynd, Anno Dom. 1699." An 
 elegantly bound copy of this work is in the Advo- 
 cates' Library. 
 
 Thomas Ruddiman, a distinguished grammarian, 
 scholar, and printer, was born in Banffshire in 
 October 1674, and received his education in the 
 parish school and at King's College, Aberdeen. In 
 June 1694 he took the degree of M.A., and in 
 February 1695 was appointed schoolmaster of 
 Laurencekirk in Kincardineshire, where he remained 
 three years and a half. About the end of 1699, 
 the celebrated Dr. Pitcairn invited him to Edinburgh 
 with the promise of his patronage. Ruddiman 
 accordingly repaired to the metropolis in 1700, and 
 on his arrival procured employment in the Advo- 
 cates' Library, where he was in May 1702 appointed 
 assistant librarian. He contrived to augment the 
 small income derived from this source by revising 
 and editing works for the booksellers, his first 
 publication of this kind being Sir Robert Sibbald's 
 
 " Introductio
 
 2 14 €^e ^asBanti^ne 0$t6fe. 
 
 " Introductio ad Historiam Rerum a Romanis 
 Gestarum in ea Boreali Britanniae parte quae ultra 
 Murum Picticum est." In 1707 Ruddiman com- 
 menced practising as book auctioneer, confining 
 himself principally to the sale of learned works and 
 school-books. In connection with this it may be 
 interesting to notice that the first sale of books by 
 auction which ever took place in Scotland was at 
 Edinburgh about the end of 1688. The announce- 
 ment was made by Andrew Anderson, and was in 
 the following very explicit terms : " A catalogue of 
 excellent and rare books, especially histories and 
 romances, for the most part in English, and the 
 variorums, are to be sold by way of auction, the 
 twelfth day of November 1688. The books are to 
 be seen from the first day of November to the day 
 of auction at Edinburgh, on the south side of the 
 High Street, a little above the Cross, being the 
 close immediately above the Fishmarket Close, in 
 the head of the said close, on the left hand, where 
 a placat will be on the gate, and the catalogues are 
 to be had there gratis. The time for the sale is only 
 in the afternoon, from two of the clock till four. 
 Edinburgh, printed in the year 1688. He who 
 pays not his money presently, is to give earnest, 
 to take them away and pay his money before the 
 next da}' of the auction begins ; or else to lose his 
 
 earnest.
 
 THOMAS KUDDIMAN.
 
 ^^oma0 (Ru^^iman. 217 
 
 earnest, and the books to be put to sale again. 
 What books shall happen to be unsold at the 
 auction, are to be had afterwards." 
 
 Ruddiman in 171 1 aided in preparing for publi- 
 cation a new edition of the works of Drummond of 
 Hawthornden, and assisted Abercroraby with the 
 first volume of his " Martial Achievements of the 
 Scots' Nation." In 1713, on the death of his 
 friend Dr. Pitcairn, in his character of auctioneer, 
 Ruddiman managed the sale of his library, which 
 was purchased by Peter the Great, Emperor of 
 Russia. In 1714 he published his "Rudiments 
 of the Latin Tongue," which at once superseded 
 every work of a similar nature, and continued long 
 to be the standard elementary class-book for the 
 Latin language in the schools of Scotland. His 
 valuable edition of the works of Buchanan, with 
 notes, in folio, appeared in 171 5, in which year he 
 also began printing, in partnership with his brother 
 Walter, who had been brought up to the business ; 
 the first production of their press being the second 
 volume of Abercromby's " Martial Achievements." 
 
 Ruddiman began to print the " Caledonian Mer- 
 cury" in 1724, afterwards acquiring the whole pro- 
 perty of that newspaper, which continued in his 
 family till 1772, when it was sold by the trustees 
 of his grandchildren. He became afterwards, con- 
 junctly
 
 2i8 t-^e Q$a00an^gne (J$t6fe. 
 
 junctly with James Davidson, printer to the Univer- 
 sity, and in 1730, on the death of John Spottis- 
 vvood, was appointed principal librarian to the 
 Advocates' Library. 
 
 During the summer of 1745, Ruddiman retired 
 from the disturbed scenes of Edinburgh to the 
 sequestered quiet of the country, and afterwards 
 issued several small treatises on disputed parts of 
 Scottish history. He also contributed assistance 
 to various works, and printed many of the classics, 
 which are still sought after and prized. In 175 1, 
 when at the age of seventy-seven, his eyesight began 
 to fail, but this did not prevent him from continuing 
 his correspondence with his friends or pursuing 
 his studies, and in the course of the same year 
 he brought out an edition of Livy, in four volumes 
 i2mo, which is said to be one of the most accurate 
 ever published. He resigned his post of librarian 
 on January 7, 1752, and was succeeded by David 
 Hume. Ruddiman died at Edinburgh, January 19, 
 1757, aged eighty-three, and was interred in the 
 Greyfriars Churchyard, where a monument was 
 erected in 1806 to his memory. 
 
 The story of the Bassandyne Bible and the 
 early typographers of Edinburgh ma}' end here. 
 Printers now become many, and the printing of 
 
 Bibles
 
 Bibles and their importation from England assumes 
 such proportions as to render the further history of 
 the subject only of ordinary interest, though the 
 early history of the art of printing in Scotland is 
 a fertile topic of social importance, requiring and 
 deserving fuller treatment than it has as yet 
 received.
 
 ( 221 ) 
 
 To avoid encumbering the foregoing pages too much 
 with footnotes, the principal authorities from which the 
 information has been derived are here stated : 
 
 Tymperley's Encyclopaedia of Typographical Anecdote. 
 
 Maitland Miscellany. 
 
 Maitland's Edinburgh. 
 
 Laing's Adversaria. 
 
 Leland's Collectanea. 
 
 Dibdin's Library Companion. 
 
 Nicol's Diary of Public Transactions (1650-1667). 
 
 Dibdin's Typographical Antiquities. 
 
 Mackenzie's History of Scotland. 
 
 Peterkin's Book of the Universall Kirk. 
 
 Calderwood's History of the Kirk of Scotland. 
 
 Beloe's Anecdotes of Literature. 
 
 Spottiswood's Miscellany, vol. i. 
 
 "Watson's Scots Poems. 
 
 Watson's History of Printing. 
 
 Hansard's Typographia. 
 
 Laing's History of Scotland. 
 
 Westcott's General View of History of English Bible. 
 
 Dr. Eadie's External and Critical History of English 
 
 Bible. 
 Dr. Eadie's Biblical Cyclopsedia. 
 Dr. Lee's Memorial for Bible Societies. 
 Anderson's Annals of English Bible. 
 Dickson's "Who was Scotland's First Printer?" 
 Chambers's Domestic Annals of Scotland.
 
 ( 222 ) 
 
 M'Crie's Life of John Knox. 
 Dunbar's Life and Poems. 
 Knox and his Times. 
 Records of the Church of Scotland. 
 Arnot's History of Edinburgh. 
 Anderson's Annals of Edinburgh. 
 Heron's History of Scotland. 
 Spalding's Troubles in Scotland. 
 Crawford's Scotland. 
 Tytler's History of Scotland. 
 Lockhart's History of Affairs in Scotland. 
 Abercromby's Scots Nation. 
 Memorials of Stuart Dynasty. 
 Pitcairn's Criminal Trials. 
 Aikman's Annals of the Persecution. 
 Pitscottie's Chronicles, &c. &c.
 
 INDEX.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Aberdeen Breviary, the, 73, 
 
 74. 76 
 Acts of Scottish Parliament, 17, 
 
 18, 27, 28, 34-36, 82-84, 89, 
 
 93. 95 
 
 Aldus, the printer, 40 
 
 Ales, Alexander, 26, 27 
 
 Anderson, Andro, 183 ; receives 
 monopoly of printing, 184 
 
 Anderson, Mrs., 184 ; strong 
 endeavours to repress all other 
 printers, 185; limitation of 
 the monopoly, 186 ; careless 
 work done by, 186-188; errata 
 in her Bibles, 188-190: conten- 
 tions against James Watson, 
 196, 205 
 
 " Ane Fruitfull Meditation," 159 
 
 Arbuthnot, Alexander, 104 ; 
 appeals to General Assembly 
 regarding printing of Bible, 
 104-112; licensed to print 
 Bible, 114; publication of 
 Bible by, 119; appointed 
 King's Printer, 119; curious 
 result of his appointment, 
 122 ; death of, 125 
 
 Arbuthnot, Principal, 125 
 
 Archbishop of Canterbury's 
 
 Bibles, 170, 171 
 Arran, Regent, 34-37 
 Auction of books, first, 214 
 Authorised Version, first edition 
 
 of, in Scotland, 170 
 "Avowisof Alexander," the, 124 
 
 Baskett, John, 205 
 
 Bassandyne Bible, the, proposal 
 to print, 104 ; General As- 
 sembly sanctions printing of, 
 108 ; Privy Council license 
 for, 114; publication of, 119; 
 enforced sale of, 121 ; general 
 title of, 126 ; type used in, 
 129; prefatory matter, 131, 
 132; the illustrations, 133; 
 the "arguments," 134; mar- 
 ginal notes, 138; passages 
 from, 141-155 ; appendices, 
 &c., 155-157 
 
 Bassandyne, Thomas, loi ; cen- 
 sured by General Assembly, 
 102 ; proposal to print Bible, 
 104-111; licensed to print 
 Bible, 114; death of, 1 16 
 
 Beaton,Cardinal, 24,25; attempts
 
 226 
 
 3nber. 
 
 to gain Regency, 34 ; con- 
 demns Wishart, 37 ; assassi- 
 nation of, 37 
 
 Bellenden's " History and Cro- 
 niklis," 84 
 
 Bible, clandestine importation 
 of the, 18, 19,26; opposition 
 to, 27 ; Bill to permit read- 
 ing of, 35; in MS., 39; the 
 Mazarin, 40 ; Tyndale's, 42- 
 48; burning the, 50-52 ; Cover- 
 dale's, 55-57 ; Matthews', 57, 
 58 ; the Great, 58 ; chained 
 in churches, 59-61 ; edict 
 against the, in England, 63, 
 64 ; the Genevan, 65-6S ; 
 first official license to print 
 the, 96 ; proposal to General 
 Assembly to print the, 104- 
 112; license for first Scottish, 
 114; publication of first 
 Scottish, 116-119; enforced 
 sale of, 121, 122 ; collation of 
 first Scottish or Bassandyne, 
 126-157; the "Whig," 133; 
 the "Breeches," 133; Hart's 
 editions of the, 163-165 ; first 
 edition of Authorised Version 
 in Scotland, 170 ; the Arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury's, 170, 
 171 ; Tyler's editions of the, 
 177 ; Anderson's faulty edi- 
 tions of the, 184-190; Wat- 
 son's editions of the, 2II 
 
 Bill, Charles, 177 
 
 Blaw, Robert, 192 
 
 Blunders in Anderson's Bibles, 
 184 
 
 Blunders in Geneva Bible, 133 
 Bodley, Sir Thomas, 66 
 Boig, Adam, 201-203 
 Bonner, Bishop, 59, 63 
 Book of Common Prayer, 171 
 " Book of Godlie and Spirituall 
 
 Sangs," 166 
 Books, first sale by auction of, 
 
 214 
 Books of religion, iS 
 Books, taxing imported, 161- 
 
 163 
 " Breeches" Bible, the, 133 
 Breviarium Aberdonense, the, 
 
 73. 74 
 "Bruce," Barbour's, 166 
 Bruce, Peter, 195 
 Bryson, James, 175, 181 
 Bryson, Robert, 18 1, 1 82 
 Buchanan's History, 125 
 Buckenham, Dr., 20 
 " Buik of Alexander the Great," 
 
 124 
 Burning the Bible, 50-52 
 Burton, Hill, 74 
 Byddell, John, 85 
 
 Cairns, John, 186 
 
 " Caledonian Mercury," the, 204, 
 
 217 
 Campbell, Alexander, 24 
 Carron, William, 183 
 " Catechisme," Hamilton'.^, 87, 
 
 88 
 " Certane Tractatis," Winzel's, 
 
 92 
 Chained Bible, the, 59-61 
 Chalmers, George, 88, 125
 
 Jn^ex. 
 
 227 
 
 Chambers, Dr. Robert, 78 
 
 Charles I., King, attempts to 
 introduce Episcopal service, 
 172-176 
 
 Charteris, Henrie, 93, 124, 158- 
 160 
 
 Charteris, Robert, 165 
 
 Chepman, Walter, 71; his de- 
 vice, 73, 74 ; his printing- 
 house, 78 ; bequests to the 
 Church, 79, 80 
 
 Chronicle, Halle's, 49-52 
 
 " Colloquies of Corderius," the, 
 160 
 
 Colmar, Jan, 186 
 
 "Complaynte and Testament," 
 Lyndsay's, 85 
 
 " Complaynte of Scotland," the, 
 86 
 
 "Confessione of the Fayth," 
 the, 94 
 
 Constantine, a heretic, 51, 52 
 
 Continental printing for Scot- 
 land, 160 
 
 Corruptions of the Church, 32, 
 
 33 
 
 Coverdale, Miles, 55 ; version of 
 the Bible, 56, 57 ; exiled, 
 
 65 
 Cranmer's Bible, 58 
 
 Dalgleish, George, 102 
 Darien Riot, the, 195, 196 
 Davidson, Thomas, 81 ; type 
 used by, 82 ; license to, 82, 
 83 ; works printed by, 83-85 
 " Declaration concerning the 
 Tumults in Scotland," 172 
 
 Dedication of Bassandyne Bible, 
 
 119 
 Dedications, Bilile, 66 
 Device, the, of Chqjman, 74 ; 
 
 of Androw Myllar, 77 ; of 
 
 John Scott, 87 
 " Dialog," Lyndsay's, 29 
 Discussion of opinions forbidden, 
 
 27 
 Donaldson, Captain James, 198 ; 
 
 licensed to print " Gazette," 
 
 198; previous career, 199; 
 
 petitions against "Courant," 
 
 202 ; his Gazette suspended, 
 
 202 
 "Donat," the, 97 
 Dunbar Rudiments, the, 140 
 Dunbar, William, 69, 75, 80 
 " Diurnal of some Passages of 
 
 Affairs," 178, 197 
 
 Early Scottish newspapers, 
 199-204 
 
 Edicts against books reflecting 
 on Popery, 191, 192 
 
 Edicts against the Bible, 17, 18, 
 63, 64 
 
 Edicts against unlicensed print- 
 ing, 98 
 
 " Edinburgh Courant," the, 199; 
 the first number, 200 ; Lords 
 of Council license, 201 ; sus- 
 pension of the paper, 202 ; 
 restriction removed, 203 ; 
 death of Boig, the " Couran- 
 tier," and consequent stoppage 
 of publication, 203 ; revival 
 under name of " Edinburgh
 
 228 
 
 3nber. 
 
 Evening Courant," 203 ; final 
 
 relinquishment of publication, 
 
 204 
 " Edinburgh Flying Post," 204 
 "Edinburgh Gazette," the, 197, 
 
 204 
 Edward VI., King, 60 
 Egenolph, Christian, 56 
 Erasmus, Greek Testament of, 
 
 41 
 Errol, Earl of, 34 
 " Evening Post," the, 204 
 " Examiner," the, 204 
 Expositio Sequentiarium, the, 
 
 78,79 
 
 " Fall of the Roman Kirk," 
 the, 102 
 
 Finlayson, Thomas, 168, 169 
 
 Forrest, Henry, 24 
 
 Freebairn, Robert, appointed 
 royal printer, 205 ; joins 
 Pretender in 1715, 210 
 
 Froude, Mr., on Tyndale, 46 
 
 Fryth, John, 53 
 
 " Gazette," the, 198 
 
 General Assembly, the, jealous 
 of the art of printing, 93; 
 censures Bassandyne, 102 ; 
 sanctions printing of Bible, 
 104-10S ; dedication by, of 
 first Scottish Bible, 119; in- 
 terference of, with the printers, 
 122 
 
 Geneva Bible, the, 65-6S 
 
 Geneva, exiles at, 65 
 
 Gibson, John, 160, 161 
 
 Glencairn, Earl of, 34 
 
 Glen, James, 192 
 
 " God and the King," 168 
 
 Gourlaw, Robert, 124 
 
 Gourlay, John, the " customer," 
 162, 163 
 
 Great Bible, the, 58 
 
 Greek Testament of Erasmus, 
 41 
 
 " Gude and Godlie Ballats," 120 
 
 " Gushing Tears of Godly Sor- 
 row," the, 182 
 
 Hackett, John, 18, 48 
 Hamilton, Archbishop, 87, 88 
 Hamilton, Patrick, birth and 
 education of, 21 ; flight to 
 Germany, 22 ; at Marburg, 
 23 ; martyrdom of, 24 ; ex- 
 citement caused by death of, 
 
 25 
 Hart, Andro, 160, 161 ; petition 
 against taxing import of books, 
 161-163 ; high estimation of 
 his work, 165 ; important 
 works printed by, 166-168 
 Henry VHI., King, 60 
 Ileres, Peter Groot, 112 
 Higgins, Christopher, 178, 197 
 History of Printing, Watson's, 
 
 171, 177, 205-210 
 " History of the Works of the 
 
 Learned," 204 
 Hostingue, Laurence, 78 
 Hyslop, Archibald, I S3 
 
 Ignorance of Roman Catholic 
 clergy, 28, 32
 
 3n^e;r. 
 
 229 
 
 Inscriptions on church walls, 
 63, 64 
 
 '* Interpretation," the, of Gar- 
 land, 78 
 
 James IV., King, 69-73, So 
 
 James V., King, 82, 83 
 
 James VI., King, 99, 112, 122, 
 
 123, 140, 159, 172 
 Joye, the Reformer, 52 
 
 Kerknett, Salomon, "com- 
 poser," 112, 116 
 
 Kilmaurs, Lord, 34 
 
 " Kingdom's Intelligencer," the, 
 197 
 
 " Kittie's Confession," Lynd- 
 say's, 32 
 
 Knox, John, 36, 38 
 
 Laing, Dr., 76, 79, 124 
 "Last Blnst," Winzet's, 91, 92 
 Laud, Archbishop, 172 
 " Laws and Customs of Scot- 
 land," Sir George Mackenzie's, 
 
 213 
 
 Lekprevik, Robert, 94 ; licensed 
 to print Acts of Parliament, 
 
 95 ; to print " Inglis Bibill," 
 
 96 ; removal to St. Andrews, 
 
 97 ; falls into disgrace, 100 
 License to print Bible, first, 96 
 Lindsay, David, 186, 187 
 Lithgow, William, 182 
 Liturgy, attempted introduction 
 
 of the, 173; consequent tu- 
 mults, 173-176 
 Living, John, 65 
 
 *' Logarithmorum," Napier's, 
 
 166 
 " Lustie Maye," 86 
 Lutheran doctrines in Scotland, 
 
 17 
 
 Luther, the Reformer, 45 
 Lyndsay, Sir David, 29-33, 69, 
 85, 90, 93 
 
 M'EWEN, James, 203 
 
 Mackenzie, Sir George, 213 
 
 Manuscript Bibles, 39 
 
 " Martial Achievements of Scots 
 Nation," the, 217 
 
 Martyrdom of Patrick Hamilton 
 and Forrest, 24 ; of George 
 Wishart, 37 ; of William Tyn- 
 dale, 54 ; of Rogers, 57, 58 
 
 Mary, Queen, of England, 63 
 
 Matthews' Bible, 57, 58 
 
 Maxwell, Lord, 34 ; introduces 
 Bill for free Bible, 35, 36 
 
 Mazarin Bible, the, 40 
 
 " Mercvrivs Caledonivs," the, 197 
 
 " Mercurius Politicus," the, 197 
 
 " Mercurius Publicus," the, 197 
 
 Metrical Ballads, the, 75, 76 
 
 Monopoly of printing, Ander- 
 son's, 184 
 
 More, Sir Thomas, 52 
 
 Morton, Regent, 97-100, n6 
 
 Mosman, George, 193 
 
 Muirhead, James, 203 
 
 Murray of Glendoick, Sir 
 Thomas, 186 
 
 Myllar, Androw, 70, 71 ; his 
 device, 77 ; at Rouen, 78 ; 
 his printing-house, 78-So
 
 230 
 
 3nber. 
 
 *' Mystery of Man's Regenera- 
 tion," the, 205-209 
 
 Napier's " Logarithmorum," 
 
 166 
 National Covenant, the, 175 
 " New Edinburgh Gazette," 
 
 the, 204 
 Newspapers, early Scottish, 
 
 199-204 
 New Testament, Tyndale's, 22, 
 
 55 ; the Greek, 40 ; the Gene- 
 van, 65 
 New Testamenters, the, 25, 
 
 28, 120 
 " Northern Tatler," the, 204 
 Norton, John, 161 ; petitions 
 
 against imported books being 
 
 taxed, 162, 163 
 
 " Office of Our Lady of Pity," 
 
 the, 81 
 Old Testament in Hebrew, the, 
 
 40 
 
 Takington, Augustus, 48-50 
 Paper-making in Scotland, 112, 
 
 113 
 
 Patent, Chepman and Myllar's, 
 
 71, 72 
 Paterson, projector of Darien 
 
 Scheme, 196 
 Perth, Lord Chancellor, 192 
 Pitcairn, Dr., 213, 217 
 " Porleous of Noblene-," the, 
 
 73. 75> 76 
 " Practice of Prelates," the, 53 
 Printing, discovery of the art of, 
 
 40 ; introduction into Edin- 
 burgh, 69 ; patent permitting 
 in Edinburgh, 71 ; Chepman 
 and Myllar, 71-73 ; the Aber- 
 deen Breviary, 73, 74 ; Metri- 
 cal Romances, 75, 76 ; Myllar 
 at Rouen, 78 ; Chepman's 
 bequests to the Church, 79, 
 80 ; John Stoiy, 81 ; Thomas 
 Davidson, 81-84 ; royal li- 
 cense for printing parliamen- 
 tary papers, 82, 83 ; Johne 
 Skot, 85 ; the " Complaynte 
 of Scotland," 86 ; Hamilton's 
 Catechisme, 87 ; edict against 
 printers, 89 ; aid of the art 
 in diffusing liberal opinions, 
 9J ; Robert Lekprevik, 94 ; 
 license to print " Inglis 
 Bibill," 96 ; edict against un- 
 licensed, 98 ; Bassandyne and 
 Arl)uthnot, 101-122 ; on the 
 Continent, 160 ; Andro Hart, 
 161-168; Thomas Finlayson, 
 168, 169 ; Robert Young, 
 168-172; Evan Tyler, 177- 
 181 ; Andro Anderson, 183 ; 
 Mrs. Anderson, 184 ; dete- 
 rioration of the art of, 187- 
 190; edicts against unlicensed, 
 191-193 ; James Watson, 194; 
 the early Scottish newspapers, 
 197-204; curious poem on 
 the art of, 206-209 ; revival 
 and progress of the art under 
 Watson, 210, 211 ; Andrew 
 Symson, 211-213 ; Thomas 
 Ruddiman, 213-218
 
 Jnbex. 
 
 231 
 
 Prognostications or Almanacks, 
 192, 194 
 
 Raban, printer in Aberdeen, 
 
 175 
 Ramsay, Andrew, 173 
 Ramsay, Patrick, 178 
 Reformation, causes promoting 
 
 the, 29-33 
 Reformers, the exiled, 65 
 " Regiam Majestatem," Skene's, 
 
 169 
 Reid, John, 1S5, 200 
 " Remonstrance," Dunbar's, 80 
 " Remonstrance," the Cove- 
 nanters', 175 
 Rogers, John, 57 
 Roilock, Henry, 173 
 Romish clergy, ignorance of, 
 
 28, 32 
 " Root of Romish Ceremonies," 
 
 the, 192 
 Ros, John, 1 58 
 Rous, Francis, 182 
 Ruddiman, Thomas, 2 1 3-2 1 8 
 "Rudiments of Latin Tongue," 
 
 217 
 Ruthven, Lord, 34 
 
 St. Andrews, importation of 
 Bibles into, 19 ; martyrdom 
 of Hamilton at, 24, 25 ; 
 assassination of Beaton at, 
 
 37 
 
 St. Giles's Church, Chepman's 
 chaplainries at, 79, 80 
 
 "Satan's Invisible World Dis- 
 covered," 190 
 
 Scotch Psalms, the, 177, 182 
 " Scotland's Grievance respect- 
 ing Darien," 195 
 Scots Manufactory Paper Mills, 
 
 the, 202 
 "Scots Poems," Watson's, 211 
 " Scots Postman," the, 204 
 Scott, William, 98, 99 
 Seaton, Alexander, 25 
 " Seven Sages," the, 159, 160 
 Skene's, Lord, "Regiam Majes- 
 tatem," 169 
 Skot, Johne, 85-93 
 Smith, Robert, 158 
 Solingen, Joshua van, 186 
 Spilman, John, 114 
 Stafford, Thomas, 163 
 Stewart, Sir James, 196 
 Story, John, 81 
 Swinton, George, 185 
 Sydserfe, Tom, 197 
 Symson, Andrew, 21 1-2 13 
 Synod, last Roman Catholic, 31 
 Synod of St. Andrews, 165 
 
 Tate, John, 113 
 
 Taxing imported books, 161- 
 
 163 
 Tonstal, Bishop, 21, 41, 42, 48- 
 
 50. 52, 59 
 " Tragedie," Lyndsay's, 90 
 " Tripatriarchion," Synison's, 
 
 212 
 Tulchan Bishops, 173 
 Tumults in Scotland concerning 
 
 Liturgy, 172-176 
 Turnbull, Walter, 98, 99 
 " Twopenny Faiih," the, 88, 89
 
 2,32 
 
 3ntcx. 
 
 Tyler, Evan, appointed royal 
 printer, 177 ; joins Crom- 
 well's party, 178 ; restored to 
 his office, 181 
 
 Tyndale, William, 26, 27 ; edu- 
 cation and character, 41 ; 
 exile, 42 ; translates New 
 Testament, 42 ; the Old 
 Testament, 45 ; style and 
 writing, 45, 46 ; peculiar 
 genius of, 46 ; his interview 
 with Pakington, 49, 50 ; his 
 " Practice of Prelates," 53 ; 
 martyrdom of, 54 
 
 Type, in Metrical Ballads, 75 ; 
 in Aberdeen Breviary, 76 ; 
 used by Hostingue, 78 ; used 
 by Story, 81 ; used by David- 
 son, 82 ; in Bassandyne Bible, 
 129 ; Greek and Hebrew, 
 129, 130 
 
 Vautrollier, Thomas, 123, 
 
 124, 158, 162 
 Vilvorde, martyrdom of Tyndale 
 
 at, 54 
 
 Waldegrave, Robert, 158 
 Watson, James, 194; imprisoned 
 
 for printing pamphlet con- 
 cerning Darien Scheme, 195 ; 
 released by riotous mob, 196 ; 
 Mrs. Anderson attempts to 
 close his printing-house, 196 
 his bookseller's shop, 197 
 prints the "Gazette," 198 
 the " Courant," 2CX3 ; prints 
 the "Scots Courant," and 
 other papers, 203, 204; applies 
 for appointment of royal 
 printer, 205 ; lawsuit against 
 Mrs. Anderson, 205, 206 ; his 
 History of Printing, 205-210 ; 
 revival of the art under, 210 ; 
 his editions of the Bible, 211 ; 
 death of, 211 
 Wedderburn, James, 86, 166 
 "Whig" Bible, the, 133 
 Williamson, John, 121 
 Winzet, Niniane, 91, 92 
 Wishart, George, martyrdom of, 
 37 
 
 Young, George, 159 
 
 Young, Robert, 168 ; printer to 
 
 Charles I., 170; meritorious 
 
 work done by, 171 
 York, Duke of, 185 
 
 THE END. 
 
 PRINTED BY BALLANTVNE, HANSON AND CO. 
 EDINBURGH AND LONDON.
 
 f^
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below 
 
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 MAY 1 6 195t 
 
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