Snippet: 1 of 1 (1577, Volume 2, p. 283) EEBO page image 283 TO THE RIGHT Honorable the Lorde Robert Dudley, Earle of Leyceſter, Baron
of Denbigh, Knight of the moſt noble order of the Garter, Maister of
the Queenes Maieſties Horſe, and one of hir highneſſe priuy
Counſell.
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_IT may ſeeme (right honorable) a gret pre|ſumptiõ in me, to haue
taken in hand the col|lection of this Scot|tiſh hiſtory, and other of diuers
regiõs, con|ſidering ſo many ſuf|ficient men as liue in theſe dayes, far more
able to performe the ſame. But where at the motion of a ſpecial frend, I
vndertooke to deale therin,Reginald VVolfe. more vpõ
truſt of his promi|ſed ayde than of mine owne abilitie, it pleaſed God to cal
him to his mercy before the worke could be fully brought to end: but yet to
anſwere the expectatiõ of his frends, and truſt, which he had cõmitted to
thẽ and me in this behalf, I haue done my good will to accõpliſh part of
that, which in his life time was intended, al|though not to my wiſhed deſire,
by reaſon of ſuch wantes as had bene ſupplied if he had liued to haue ſeene it
publiſhed himſelf. It resteth (right noble Earle) that it may pleaſe your Honor
to accept my doinges in good parte, to whom I offer this parcell of my
trauayles in this Hiſtorie of Scotlande, in regarde of the ho|nour due to your
noble Father, for his incomparable valure well knowen and approued, aſwel
within that realme as els where in ſeruice of two Kings of moſt famous memory,
Henry the .viij. and Edward the ſixte, ſounding ſo greatly
to his renowme as EEBO page image 284 the ſame can not paſſe in ſilence, whileſt any
remembraunce of thoſe two moſt pereleſſe Princes ſhall remain in written
Hiſto|ries. I therfore moſt humbly beſeeche your honour to beare with my
boldeneſſe in preſenting you with ſo meane a gifte, procee|ding from one,
although vnknowen to your Lordſhippe, yet not without experience of your
bountifull goodneſſe extended to|wardes thoſe, to whome I recken myſelf, moſt
beholden: as what is he within this realme almoſt of any degree, which findeth
not himſelfe bounden to your Honour, either in his owne cauſes or his frendes?
for ſuche is your inclination to pleaſure all men, as the ſame may ſeeme a
peculiar vertue planted in your noble harte, mouing you ſo much to delite
therin, as no time is thought by your Honour better ſpent, than that whiche you
employ in doing good to others. But leaſt I ſhoulde enter into ſo large a
diſcourſe as might be framed of this and other your excellent vertues (a matter
far exceding my ſimple knowlege) I wil ceaſe to ſpeake further thereof, ſith
the ſame is ſpread ouer al, aſwel this as other regions: for no where doe want
greate numbers of ſuch as haue aboundantly taſted of your exceeding courteſies.
In making you owner therfore of this abſtract of the Scottiſh hiſto|ries, I
moſt humbly beſeech your honour if any thing be amiſſe, to impute the ſame to
the imperfectiõ and defect of better in|ſtructions, and with your benigne
& fauourable interpretation to haue me therein excuſed. Suche as it is
I addreſſe it to your good Lordſhip with ſo dutiful a mind as may be imagined,
be|ſeeching God to preſerue your honor in long life, with plentiful increaſe of
wiſedome, vertue & al wiſhful proſperitie.
Your honours moſt humble to commaunde RAPHAEL HOLINSHED.
Snippet: 1 of 1 (1577, Volume 2, p. 284) EEBO page image 284THE DESCRIPTION OF Scotlande, written at the firſt by Hector Boethus in
Latin, and afterwarde tranſlated into the Scottish ſpeech by Iohn Bellendon
Archdeacon of Murrey, and now finally into Engliſh, for the benefite of ſuch as
are ſtudious in the Hi|ſtories, by W.H.
The Contents of the Chapters conteyned in this Booke.
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1 - 1 OF the boundes of Albion, with the ſundrie commodities thereof, and of
the great infirmities that fall vnto the people there for their
intemperancie: and finally of the religion vſed there in olde tyme.
- 2 The deſcription of the Eaſt, VVeſt, and middle borders of Scotlande,
with the moſt notable townes and floudes thereof.
- 3 The deſcription of Galloway, Kile, Carricke, and Cunningham, with the
notable townes, lakes, and riuers in the ſame.
- 4 The ſituation of Renfrew, Cliddeſdale, Lennox Lowmund, Argile,
Louchquaber, Lorne, and Kentire, with all the notable things conteyned in
the ſame.
- 5 Of Ros, Stranauerne, and Murray lande, with ſuch Lakes and Riuers as
are to be touched there.
- 6 Of Boene, Anze, Buquhane, Mar, Mernes, Fiffe, and Angus, with the
Lakes, Flouddes, Abbeyes, Townes, and other notable commodities there to be
ſeene and founde.
- 7 Of Louthian, Striuelin, Menteith, Calidon wood, Bowgewall, Gareoth,
with the notable Cities, Caſtels and Flouds thereof.
- 8 Of the greate plentie of Hares, Hartes, and other wilde beaſtes in
Scotland, alſo of the ſtraunge nature of ſundrie Scottiſh dogges, and of the
nature of Salmon.
- 9 Of the ſundrie kindes of Muskels and Cockles in Scotlande, and Perles
gotten in the ſame. Of vncouth and ſtrange fiſhe there to be ſeene, and of
the nature of the herbe Citiſus commonly cal|led Hadder.
- 10 Of the Iles of Scotlande, and ſuch notable things as are to be found
in them.
- 11 Of the nature of their Claike Geeſe, and diuerſe maner of their
procreation, and of the Iſle of Thule.
- 12 The deſcription of Orkenay, and Shetlande, with ſundrie other ſmall
Iſles, and of the maners and conditions of the people dwelling in the
ſame.
- 13 Of the maners of the Scottes in theſe dayes, and their compariſon,
with the behauiour of the olde, and ſuch as liued long ſince within this
Ilande.
- 14 The deſcription of an auncient Pict, and ſuch as dwelled beyond the
wall of Hadrian.
- 15 Of Biſhoprikes, Vniuerſities, and Counties in Scotland.
Snippet: 1 of 1 (1577, Volume 2, p. 285) EEBO page image 285TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL Maiſter Thomas Secford Eſquier and Maiſter of the
Requeſtes, William Hariſon vvisheth all knovvledge of God, with dayly increaſe
of his giftes at this preſent, and in the worlde to come life
euerlaſting.
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3 _HAuing by your ſingular
curteſie receyued great helpe in my deſcription of the riuers and ſtreames of
Britain, and by conference of my trauaile vvith the platformes of thoſe fevv
ſhires of England vvhich are by your infi|nite charges alreadie finiſhed (as
the reſt ſhall be in time by Gods helpe, for the ineſtimable benefite of ſuche
as inhabite this Ilande) not a little pulliſhed thoſe rough courſes of diuerſe
vvaters not exactly before time de|ſcribed by Leland our Countreyman, or any
auncient vvriter, I coulde not deuiſe anye thing more agreable vvith mine
abilitie & your good nature (vvhich great|ly fauoureth anye thing that
is done for a commoditie vnto many) than to ſhevv ſome token of my
thankefulneſſe for theſe your manifold kindneſſes, by the dedication of my
ſimple tranſlation of the deſcription of Scotland at this tyme vnto your
vvorſhip. In deede the trauaile taken herein is not great, by|cauſe I tie not
my tranſlation vnto his letter, neither the treatiſe of it ſelfe ſuch, as
ta|keth vp any huge rovvme in the volume of this Chronicle. But ſuch as it is,
& vvhat ſoeuer it is, I yeeld it vvholy vnto you, as a teſtimonie of my
good vvill, vvhich de|teſteth vtterly to receyue any benefit though it be neuer
ſo ſmal, and not to be thank|full for it. Certes my vocation is ſuch, as
calleth me to a farre other kind of ſtudie, ſo that I exerciſe theſe things
onely for recreation ſake: and to ſay the truth, it is muche vnſitting for him
that profeſſeth Diuinitie, to applie his time any other vviſe vnto
contemplation of ciuill Hiſtories. And this is the cauſe vvherfore I haue
choſen ra|ther, onely vvith the loſſe of three or foure dayes to tranſlate
Hector out of the Scot|tiſh (a tongue verie like vnto ours) than vvith more
expence of time to diuiſe a nevve, or follovv the Latin copie, vvhich is farre
more large and copious. Hovv excellently if you conſider the arte, Boethus hath
penned it and the reſt of his Hiſtorie in the La|tin, the skilfull are not
ignorant: but hovv profitably and compendiouſly Iohn Bel|lendon Archdeacon of
Murrey his interpretour hath turned him from the Latin into the Scottiſh
tongue, there are verie fevve Engliſh men that knovv, bycauſe vve want the
bookes. VVherefore ſith the learned reade him in his ovvne ſtile, and his
Coun|treymen in their naturall language, vvhy ſhould not vve borovv his
deſcription and read the ſame in Engliſh likevviſe, ſith the knovvledge thereof
may redounde to the great benefit of ſo many as heare or read the ſame. Accept
therefore (right vvorſhip|full) this my ſimple offer, and although I aſſure my
ſelfe, your naturall inclination to be ſuch, as that it vvill take nothing in
ill part that is vvell meant tovvard you, hovve rudely ſoeuer it bee handled in
the doing, yet I vvill not let to craue pardon for my preſumption, in that I
dare be ſo bold as to offer ſuch a trifle vnto you, whom more vveightie
affayres doe dayly call from things of ſo ſmall impor|taunce. Almightie God
keepe your vvorſhip from time to time in his feare, and bleſſe you and my good
Ladie your vvife, vvith ſuch increaſe of his benefites, as may moſt redounde to
his glorie, and your ovvne ad|uauntage.