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.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 3 _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.
THE 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.
TO 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.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 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.