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The Spottiswoode Miscellany
Original papers and tracts on the Civil and Ecclesiastical History of Scotland in two volumes (1844)


PREFACE

WHEN the First Volume of the Miscellany, commonly called Somers’ Tracts, issued from the Press in the year 1748, it was stated in the Preface, that “of the general utility of Collections of this kind nothing need be said, because nothing is more generally acknowledged,” and the truth of this remark is verified by the subsequent result. Independently of various Collections of the kind published for sale, not the least valuable portion of the Works printed for private distribution by the Bannatyne, Maitland, Abbotsford, and Spalding Clubs, is the mass of varied information embraced in their respective Miscellanies.

As each Article in the present Volume has prefixed to it such remarks as occurred to the Editor, it may be only necessary here to state generally, that it has been his endeavour to make the Volume as interesting as possible. With that view, he has been at great pains to select from the mass of papers to which access had been obtained, such portions as he hoped would be acceptable to the Members of the Society. It may be observed, that the previous portion was originally intended to have been formed into a separate volume, to be entitled the Spottiswoode Papers. Upon reflection, it was determined that these documents should be included in the Miscellany, as they were not sufficiently bulky to make a separate publication.

Since the observations relative to Printing were thrown off, the Editor has obtained further evidence of the inaccuracy of Watson’s statement, that Evan Tyler had been deprived of the office of King’s Printer. During the Commonwealth, it was but natural to suppose, that the existing powers would not employ a person who had permitted 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, probably on account of his non-adherence to the Protector, and he was restored to the office of King’s Printer. How long he continued to hold that office has not been ascertained, but the Editor has found Proclamations by the Privy Council that issued from his press, dated in 1664.

In a note to one of the Poems of Sir Henry Spottiswoode it was asserted, on the authority of the Acts of Parliament (Thomson’s Edition), that the Member for Forfar who protested against the sale of Charles I., was a person of the name of David Hunter; but if Ochterlony’s Account of the Shire of Forfar is to be credited, it would appear that the individual in question was Strang, the Provost of Forfar. It is a pity that there should be any dubiety as to one whose honest and manly bearing in this discreditable occasion, entitles him to the favourable opinion of posterity.

Edinburgh, December 1844.

Volume I  |  Volume II


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