MSS. AT BUCKIE.

The opportunity having been offered to me, through the kindness of the Catholic Archbishop in Glasgow, of inspecting the collection of early letters and other documents formerly in the custody of the late Dr. Kyle, Bishop of the Northern District of Scotland, I proceeded for that purpose to Buckie, on the coast of the Moray Firth, where the collection is at this present time deposited. It is understood, however, that ere long it will be removed to a depository which will be at once more central and easier of access to the historical inquirer.

It has for many years been well known that the late Bishop Kyle, during the course of a long life, had succeeded in bringing together into one collection a considerable portion of such early documents as had escaped the accidents to which such papers were especially exposed in Scotland. Many of the historical documents formerly in the Scottish College in Paris had come into his possession, and many others had reached him from various quarters. From these sources he had supplied Prince Labanoff with many precious documents for his Collection of the Letters of Queen Mary of Scotland. In every respect, therefore, of the Bishop appeared to be well deserving of papers early attention upon the part of the present Historical Commission.

the

The privilege for inspecting the collection in detail was not afforded me (indeed it would have demanded more time than I should have been justified in bestowing upon it), but during a brief survey, for which I am indebted to the Rev. J. Clapperton, the Catholic Priest at Buckie, I am enabled to state, from my own observation, that it contains the following articles, among various others which may have escaped my notice :

A Cartulary of the Cathedral Church of Glasgow, 4to, vell., 13th cent.

Various documents, letters, &c. connected with the temporalities of the Church of Glasgow, during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Several charters and rolls connected with the history of the north of Scotland.

Seventy-two original letters of Queen Mary of Scotland, addressed for the most part to James Beaton, Archbishop of Glasgow. Two of these are entirely in the Queen's hand, but the rest are in cipher; Bishop Kyle, however, constructed keys by which he deciphered these letters, copies of which he forwarded to Prince Labanoff.*

An immense collection of letters and papers connected with the ecclesiastical history of Scotland (chiefly of the Northern District), from about 1597 to a comparatively modern period. Bishop Kyle computed the number of these at about 30,000, but I was informed that this falls far short of the real extent of the collection.

Correspondence with the ecclesiastical authorities at Rome upon the affairs of Queen Mary of Scotland.

A large collection of letters, papers, accounts, &c. upon the foundation and history of the Scottish College at Valladolid.

A similar collection for the Scottish College at Ratisbon.

A similar collection for the Scottish College at Rome. Papers connected with the English Colleges at Douay, Rheims, and Pont-a-Musson.

Collections for the history of the Catholic Religion in Scotland from the reign of Queen Mary.

Collections for the biography of such Catholic bishops and priests as laboured in Scotland.

In addition to the above there are in the Library at Buckie various volumes of materials recently collected either by Dr. Kyle himself, or under his directions, or from his dictation, preparatory (apparently) to a history of the Catholic Religion in Scotland since the period of the Reformation.

It is most desirable that this large and curious collection should be more carefully examined, and that copies of the more important documents which it contains should, if possible, be secured for the public benefit. The Archbishop in Glasgow states that he and his co-trustees will afford all due facilities to any person duly accredited by the Board. But until the papers are deposited in a more fitting place of custody, no such examination can be made.

I beg to offer my thanks to the Rev. J. Kyle and the Rev. J. Clapperton for the interest which they took in my inquiries during my visit to Presholm and Buckie; and most especially to the Archbishop in Glasgow and the Bishops

*Appended to this Report is a list of such letters and other documents as Prince Labanoff printed from Bishop Kyle's papers, 46 in number. It appears, therefore, that there still remain in the present collection 26 documents which were not sent to the Prince, or at least not used by him.

Fordun's Scottichronicon, fol. vell., written on 210 leaves of vellum in the 15th century.

Selections from Bower's continuation to Fordun, consisting of chapters 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24 26-36. This portion of the volume was written in A.D. 1509.

Appended is the Chronicon Metricum.

On the fly-leaf at the beginning is a memorandum, "De quinque filiis regis Edwardi de Windsor," in a hand of the 16th century.

"Ex

On the first leaf is the following inscription: "libris Collegii Scotorum Parisiis, ex dono illustrissimi et "nobilissimi D. D. Jacobi Comitis de Drummond, A.D. " 1694."

A more detailed account of this MS. will ere long appear from the pen of William F. Skene, Esq., who is preparing an essay upon the various copies of Fordun which have come under his observation.

Rental book of Archbishop Beaton, of the possessions belonging to the see of Glasgow, from 4 Sept. 1509 to 1569. A folio book on paper, in the original binding, with strap and buckle.

A MS. in folio, upon vellum, consisting of 77 pp. in the original stamped and inlaid binding, containing a History of the Scottish College at Paris, written by Thomas Winterhope and dedicated to Patric Hepburn, Bishop of Moray and Commendator of the Abbey of Scone. The Charters which are here set out are authenticated by a notarial attestation. It further contains several addresses, letters, &c. to Mary Queen of Scotland, and is remarkable as containing one of the earliest and most authentic portraits of that Sovereign, executed in Indian ink, with the inscrip

tion :

REPORT On the MANUSCRIPTS in the LIBRARY of the UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH.

These manuscripts are not numerous, and few of them are of great importance. They are placed in an apartment, distinct from the body of the Library, where books of rarity and special value are kept.

1. Forduni Scotichronicon, folio. A fine manuscript on vellum, mainly relied on by Goodall in printing his edition of Fordun in 1775.

It was given to the Library by Mr. William Colville, Principal of the University in 1670, and is conjectured by Goodall to be "The Book of Scone," or the copy of Fordun which belonged to the Monastery of Scone. 2. Martyrologium Secundum usum Ecclesiæ Aber

denensis; small folio on vellum. A MS. of the 15th century. It was given to the Library by Mr. Laurence Charteris, Theological Professor, in 1677. Selections from it have been printed. 3. Breviarum S. Katerinæ, with a Kalendar. A MS. on vellum, 8vo. of the 15th century.

4. Liber Sanctæ Mariæ de Kynlos, continens Sermones in Evangelia Dominicalia, on vellum, 8vo. A MS. of the 14th century.

5. A Transcript of the Lauderdale Correspondence, from the originals in the British Museum, 7 vols.

6. History of the Affairs of Scotland, chiefly Ecclesiastical; 1659-1673.

7. A Volume in 12mo., entitled Catalogus Summ. Pontif., printed at Paris in 1518, followed by manuscript notes "Catalogus Episcop. S. Andree" and "De Cronicis Scotorum brevia," coming down to the 16th century.

8. A Volume containing a collection of official and other documents and correspondence relating to the murder of Archbsihop Sharp.

9. Original Records of the Presbytery of Edinburgh; 1586-1589.

10. Transactions of the Committee of Estates in Scotland; 1640-41.

11. Protest by the nobles of Bohemia and Moravia. addressed to the Council of Constance, on 2nd September 1415, in reference to the burning of John Huss and Jerome of Prague.

The document is written on a sheet of parchment, authenticated by 100 signatures and as many seals. It was bequeathed to the University in 1657, by Dr. William Guild, sometime Principal of King's College, Aberdeen, an office from which he was deposed by five colonels of General Monk's army in 1651, but it is uncertain how it was acquired by Dr. Guild.

REPORT ON THE RECORDS OF THE BURGH OF ABERDEEN.

Among the earliest and most important of the Scottish Burghs was that of Aberdeen. The first extant Charter in its favour is one of William the Lion, but in it the King confirms to the burgesses of Aberdeen, and all his burgesses dwelling on the north part of the Munth, their free " anse," to be held where they choose, as freely as their ancestors had their "anse" in the time of his grandfather, David 1, witnessing to the corporate rights of the town, and of other kindred bodies, at that early period, beyond which the most ancient of our burghs cannot advance their claims.

While the situation of Aberdeen, near the navigable mouth of the river Dee, must have pointed it out to the early inhabitants as a desirable place of settlement, there can be little doubt that at a period far earlier than that of our burghal institutions, a religious settlement had been made near the mouth of the neighbour ing river Don, from which the infant town of Aberdeen drew much of its importance. This was the monastic house founded by St. Machar, one of the followers of St. Columba, at old Aberdeen, a site on which in later times the cathedral of the diocese was erected, on the transference of the see from Mortlach by David 1.

According with the early importance of the Burgh of Aberdeen are its Records, which are older and more complete than those of any other Scottish Burgh.

It possesses two Charters of privilege from William the Lion, one from Alexander 2, two from Alexander 3, many from King Robert Bruce, several from his son, King David 2, and others from the succeeding Kings of Scotland.

Many of these are valuable for their illustrations of the privileges of burghs, and the mutual relations of trading communities with each other. A letter of David 2, "contra Flamyngos," given in his Council at Dundee in the year 1347, narrates that the merchants of Scotland, with their goods, had been expelled from Flanders, and debarred from all intercourse with the Flemings, on account of which he likewise banishes from the kingdom of Scotland the merchants of Flanders and all Flemings of whatever condition, except sailors.

There are notices in the Council Registers of the merchandise of the burgesses with the Low Countries, to which they sent wool, skins, and salmon. Indeed their intercourse with Flanders was so frequent, that one of the inns of Flushing was marked out by a letter of James 2 (engrossed in the Register) as that to which his subjects ought to resort on their visits to that country.

The number of early Flemish settlers in the Scottish towns was very considerable, and 10 years after the date of King David's letter, just referred to, that monarch confirmed a charter of certain lands in Aberdeenshire una cum lege Flaminga que dicitur Fleming "lauche; 39 while the address of some early charters is, among others, "Francis et Anglis, Flamingis, et

"Scotis."

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The Council Registers begin in 1398, and down to 1838, extend to 83 volumes, mostly in continuous order. A fragment of an earlier record of the Council is dated in 1319.

These Registers are full of curious details on all the circumstances connected with the growth of the burgh, its relations towards their feudal neighbours in the county, and their hatred and jealousy of any resort by burgesses to them for "lordship" and protection; its schools, sports, pageants, minstrels; its religious con

Blythe Aberdene, thou beriall of all townis, "The lamp of bewtie, bountie, and blythnes.' The presents also bestowed by the town on sovereigns, ecclesiastics, and literary men (among the last of whom was Hector Boece), are recorded in great detail.

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The hospitality of the burgh to strangers was unbounded. In 1601 its bounty was bestowed on "the Kingis servandis presentlie in this burght, quha playes comedies and stage playes, be reason they ar recommendit be his Majesties speciall letter, and "hes played sum of thair comedies in this burght; and "Laurence Fletcher, comediane to his Majestie," was admitted a burgess. Supposing (as has been done by Mr. Charles Knight, in his "Life of Shakspere,") that this is the same Laurence Fletcher who is associated with Shakespeare in the patent granted to them and others by James 1, in 1603, there is nothing unreasonable in believing that our great dramatist was one of the company who "played comedies and staige playes" to the burgesses of Aberdeen two years before.

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In 1617 a visit to the burgh was expected from King James, but he did not come farther north than Kinnaird, in Angus. Several of his train, however, supplied his place, and for the reception of these the King wrote to the magistrates, exhorting them to prepare suitable lodgings, "with goode bedding, weel washine, weel smellit naprie; "to have viveris for men and horse; to have the streets kept clean, so that no "filth nor middings be seine upon the same; and "that thair be no beggaris seene upoun thair streetis, nor about the portis."

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Among the royal visitors thus announced was Archibald Armstrong, "his Majesties plesant," who was admitted a burgess, and was presented with a "Por"tugall ducat."

A short time before this there was a great outburst of witchcraft in the district, apparently raised by a Royal Commission appointed to examine into the subject; and in one year 27 women were burnt in Aberdeen for this crime, whose trials are preserved in the archives of the town.

The Records also contain numerous Statutes and ordinances for the government of the burgh, and the arrangements of its trade. Many relate to visitations of the plague, and the precautions to be adopted against them.

The accounts of the Guildry begin in 1453, and those of the treasurer of the burgh in 1569. The former (with some blanks in the first volume) are contained in 10 volumes down to 1812. The latter series, down to the same year, extends to 11 volumes.

The proceedings of the Baillie Court from 1572 to 1691 are comprised in nine volumes.

The Registers of the Justice Court recording the "acts of the magistrats of the Burgh of Aberdene and "Justices of Peace within the samen, libertie and fre"dome thereof, relaiting especiallie to the punishing "of uncleane persones, drunkards, cursers, and swearers, and breakers of the Sabbath," 1690-1744, occupy four volumes.

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The Guild Court Book contains proceedings of the Dean of Guild Court, Lists of Burgesses, &c., from Michaelmas 1637 to 23rd Dec. 1697.

Another volume is entitled Register of Convictions for the crimes of" forstalling, regraiting, and slander," from 18th October 1648 to 1st September 1688.

A Register of Propinquities, containing judicial proceedings of the magistrates in regard to the relationship of parties, from 1637 to 1797, occupies four volumes. These briefs of propinquity were generally resorted to by natives of the town and county of Aberdeen, who had gone abroad and afterwards wished to establish their connexion with the stock from which they had sprung.

From these it appears that many of them had settled in Poland, others in Sweden and Prussia; some were at foreign universities, or serving under the Emperor. The Register of Deeds begins in 1569, and down to 1847 occupies 27 volumes.

The Register of Sasines begins in 1484, and down to 1852 occupies 147 volumes. On the spare leaves of some of the earlier volumes are written short poems in Scotch.

The Register of Births, Marriages, and Burials con"tains, inter alia,

1st. Marriages from 17th June 1568 to 16th Feb. 1579-80.

2nd. Lists of Elders and Deacons of the Church as yearly chosen by the congregations, for the years 1580, 1581-82, 1583, 1584, 1585, 1586, 1587, 1588, and 1590.

3rd. Baptisms of legitimate children, from 15th Sept. 1573 to 3rd Sept. 1579.

4th. Baptisms of illegitimate children, from 1st Oct. 1573 to 28th Feb. 1579-80.

5th. Burials from 2nd Nov. 1573 to 12th Aug. 1579. The Register down to 1622 occupies six volumes, and altogether down to 30th Dec. 1854, 29 volumes. At that date they were transferred to the Registrar-General of Scotland, and are placed in the Register House, Edinburgh, in terms of the Registration of Births, &c. (Scotland) Act, 1854.

In some of the volumes are recorded notices of passing events, which have been printed for the Spalding Club under the title of "Chronicle of Aberdeen, "1491-95."

Under the head of "Miscellanea" may be classed, "Incarceration Book, 1626-29;" "Papers relating to "the Rebellion of 1746," three volumes; and also the following, in an oak chest in the Armoury :1st. Bundle of accounts for losses sustained by the town for quartering troops during the time of the Covenant.

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2nd. Lists of Temple lands in the shire.
3rd. Two bundles of papers anent the rebellions of
1715 and 1745, relating principally to the latter,
and consisting mostly of judicial examinations of
captive rebels, orders for forage, and the like.
4th. A bundle of ecclesiastical papers, consisting of
prosecutions of nonjuring clergymen and Roman
Catholic priests.

5th. A bundle of papers anent calls to ministers,
principally of the 17th century.

There is also a Record of the Mortifications or Endowments under the charge of the magistrates for purposes of charity, learning, the maintenance of public monuments, and bursaries in Marischal College.

The Register of the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas contains the deeds of foundation and lists of obits dating from 1340, and Statutes for the ordering of the church in 1441-1491 and 1519, sanctioned by the Bishop.

The letters and missives addressed to the magistrates, with occasional drafts of their replies, are arranged in two sets of volumes.

The first, extending from 1552 to 1852, occupies 25 volumes. The other and supplementary series, from 1615 to 1846, occupies six volumes.

Among these are letters from King James 6, from George first Marquis of Huntly, Alexander first Earl of Dunfermline, General David Leslie, General Monck, and John Earl of Middleton.

Two are from Provost Alexander Jaffray, who was one of the Parliamentary Commissioners sent to treat with Charles 2. In one of them, dated from the Hague in May 1648, he gives some account of their proceedings, and the little success which had accompanied them. Jaffray was again dispatched on the same mission, and in his Diary he records the following remarkable declaration :-"We did sinfully both entangle the nation and "ourselves, and that poor young prince, making him sign and swear a covenant which we knew he hated in "his heart, where I must confess to my apprehension our sin was more than his. I had so clear convictions "of this, that I spoke of it to the King myself, desiring "him not to subscribe the covenant if in his conscience "he was not satisfied."

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A letter from James, second Marquis of Montrose, thanks the magistrates for taking down the hand of his father, which, after his execution, had been placed on the Tolbooth, and was sticking there when Charles 2 visited the burgh in 1650.

From the Council Registers it appears that in 1660 the hand of the Marquis was taken down, and carried with great pomp, amid a procession of the townsmen, to the Townhouse, where it remained till the receipt of the Marquis's letter, when it was sent to Edinburgh, and interred with the other members of his body, with a splendid ceremonial, in the cathedral church of St. Giles.

sed by hi he cause

From the previous statement, the general character

of the Records of the Burgh of Aberdeen as historical materials will have been seen.

Considerable use has been made of them by the Spalding Club in several of its works. The Charters of the burgh are printed in one of their volumes, and extracts from the Council Register down to 1625 occupy other two, while selections from the Letters, the Guildry and Treasury Accounts, and the Propinquity Books, have also been printed by the Club.

The interest of the Council Registers after 1625 continues to be great. Aberdeen, at the commencement of the struggle of the civil war, was a stronghold of loyalty, and under the shelter of her universities had been formed a school of learned men known as the "Aberdeen Doctors." Many notices of them and of the poet Wedderburne, who was Master of the Grammar School, occur, and a few of the celebrated painter Jamesone, who was one of the citizens. As an important centre of operations, the town was much involved in the strife, having been twice occupied by Montrose while he supported the Covenant, which he thrust on the unwilling citizens, and a third time sacked by him to punish the inhabitants for adhering to the cause which on two former occasions he had forced them to adopt. 90 90

Of this period the Registers contain many illustrations, as well as of the risings of 1715 and 1745.

I may here refer to the suggestion which I have made in the Report on the Historical Materials in Scotland, on the subject of calendaring isolated papers and letters of historical interest which have been printed for the Clubs, as the decision of the Commission on the general point will anticipate any suggestion which I might offer as to calendaring the letters just referred to.

In the same Report I have stated that a calendar of the early charters of privilege and incorporation of the Scottish burghs seemed a desirable thing to undertake, and if the Commissioners should be of the same opinion, the Charters of the Burgh of Aberdeen would be of special importance.

Apart from these, it will probably be held that the selections from the Records printed for the Spalding Club are sufficiently accessible to the historical student. and supersede the necessity of calendaring which otherwise would have been suggested.

It is probable, however, that something may be gleaned from the bundles of papers relating to the rebellions of 1715 and 1745, and the bundle of ecclesiastical papers, and I suggest that they should be examined.

I am not sure if such Records as the Chartulary of the Church of St. Nicholas will be deemed of sufficient general interest for the purposes of the Commission as to warrant any opinion from me about the use to be made of it. I have, however, included the volume in a list of similar records, yet unprinted, in my general Report on the Historical Materials in Scotland, and in any event I think it would be very desirable to have a transcript made of the several sets of constitutions for the government of this collegiate church. They do not run to a great length, and supply information not easily attainable elsewhere.

The archives of the burgh were thrown open to the inspection of the Commission with the utmost readiness and courtesy by the Lord Provost and Council of Aberdeen.

REPORT ON THE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS IN THE
ADVOCATES' LIBRARY, EDINBURGH,

The manuscripts in the Advocates' Library are of a very extensive and miscellaneous character, the most prominent part consisting of Collections formed in the 17th century by Sir James Balfour and Sir Robert Sibbald. They have been acquired at various periods, both by purchase and through donations, and are readily accessible by means of a Catalogue in manuscript, which occupies nine folio volumes, and on which I have mainly relied in framing this Report.

There is a separate inventory of the extensive Collections of the Rev. Robert Wodrow, in a large folio volume of 400 pages.

·

The largest volume of the Catalogue is entitled "Historical," and its contents are thus arranged :1. MSS. chiefly relating to the Civil History of Scotland p. 1

p. 266 p. 306 (35, 6, 10 35, 5, 6 35, 4, 5 235, 3, 10

The

The first section commences with two transcripts of the Chronicle of Melrose, and two of "Extracta e variis Chronicis Scotia." Then come four copies of Fordun's Chronicle. first (35, 6, 7) is a manuscript, in folio, of the end of the 15th century, and is believed to have belonged originally to the Charter House at Perth, having afterwards come into the possession of the family of Sinclair of Roslin.

The second (35, 6, 8), the "Liber Niger Pasleti,' is a small folio, in a hand of the same century, and is an abridgment of Fordun and Bower. It also belonged to the family of Roslin.

The third (35, 5, 2), a quarto volume, entitled "For"duni Scotichronicon," is also in a hand of the 15th century, and is believed to agree with the volume in the Bodleian known as Bishop Elphinstone's History.

The fourth (35, 1, 7) is a large folio volume of paper, written in double columns in a hand in the beginning of the 16th century. It is the copy of Fordun which belonged to the Abbey of Cupar in Angus, and appears to have come into the possession of the same family of Sinclair of Roslin.

Bishop Lesley's Account of his Proceedings as Queen Mary's Ambassador. (35, 4, 1.)

Thirty-three volumes of miscellaneous Collections by Sir James Balfour. Annals, Lists of Officers of State, Notes of Charters, and the like.

Many volumes of a like kind collected by Sir Robert Sibbald.

Robert Mylne's Collections; chiefly of the time of Charles 1.

Father Hays' Ecclesiastical Collections.

A large collection of papers relating to the Darien Settlement.

A collection of original Charters, evidences, and antiquities, collected by Thomas, first Earl of Haddington, in 2 vols. The first is of 584 pages; the second consists of several fasciculi bound together, of which the last and largest extends to 146 pages.

Another volume of Collections by him.

Many transcripts of Chartularies of Religious Houses and Bishops' Sees, made by Macfarlane of Macfarlane before the middle of last century.

§ 2. Scottish Church History.

Comprised under this head are various Historical and Controversial Collections.

Spottiswoode's History of the Church of Scotland.
Row's

Do. Do.

Do. Do.

Do.

Do.

Calderwood's Earl of Rothes' "True Narration of Proceedings "concerning the Kirk of Scotland."

Diary of Mr. James Melville.

Proceedings of Church Courts, Memoirs of Ministers, and the like.

§3. Scottish Topography.

Dean Monro's Western Isles.

Sir James Balfour's Notes of the Shire of Fife. Geographical Collections, with a particular description of shires, parishes, boroughs, &c. of Scotland, transcribed from various sources in the early part of last century, for the Laird of Macfarlane.

A volume of topographical Notices of Scotland collected by Sir R. Sibbald.

Sir James Balfour's Collections on the Shires. Extracts from the Records of Perth by the Rev. James Scott..

§ 4. English History.

Higdeni Polychronicon (33, 4, 12), vell. folio, 221 leaves. A good copy in a hand of the end of the 14th century, with coloured initial letters and rubrics.

A good manuscript of Henry of Huntingdon (33, 5, 2), small folio, vellum, but imperfect, in a hand of the 14th century.

The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingford (33, 5, 3), small folio, vellum, in a hand of the 15th century.

Part of the Chronicles of Henry of Huntingdon (33, 5, 4), quarto, vellum, of the 14th century, formerly belonging to Sir James Balfour, and at an early period to John, Bishop of Exeter.

"Chronological Table (Scale Mundi). Chronicle of "the Popes and Kings of England" (33, 3, 1), folio, vellum, 193 leaves. It contains "Compilatio de gestis "Britonum et Anglorum," the Chronicle being brought down to the reign of Henry 6. From some obits entered in it, it would appear that the volume belonged to a family of Shyrebrokes, and it bears on the first leaf the mark of Ralph Thoresby, of Leeds.

The Jewel Book of Queen Anne, wife of James 6, (31, 1, 10), a very curious inventory, folio.

A Panegyric (33, 2, 24) in honour of, and addressed to, King Henry 8, by Gualterus Ogilvy, folio, 20 leaves. A manuscript in a contemporary hand, formerly in the possession of Sir James Balfour.

A volume of original letters (33, 2, 14). This volume consists of 32 original letters written by Richard Scudamore, in London, to his master Sir Philip Hobye, Knight, while Ambassador from England to the Emperor in the reign of King Edward 6. They are undated, but from a reference in one of them (No. 29), they seem to have been written about five years after the 37th of King Henry 8, or about 1550. After details of private business, these letters generally conclude with "Newys or "Occurents of the day, and contain some curious particulars.

Another similar volume (33, 2, 15) contains 42 origi. nal pieces of Correspondence of Sir Edward Hobye, Knight (1602-39), almost entirely concerning his monopoly of dealing in wool in certain counties of England.

A folio volume (33, 4, 11) in the Celtic language and character. At the end is a date, 1695. [This seems to be a copy of Jeoffrey Keatings' General History of Ireland.j

Joinville's Life of St. Louis (15, 1, 16), folio, vellum ; a fair manuscript of the 15th century, with illuminated initials and coloured rubrics.

"Les Annales d'Angleterre" (15, 1, 8), fol. pp. 984. A Chronicle of England, in French, from Brutus to the reign of Elizabeth, anno 1565, soon after which date it may have been written.

"The Castillian project against England, with ad"vertisements for preventing thereof, with a view of "Great Britain and Spain, with directions for a Coun"cil of War for raising of 25,000 foot and 5,000 horse" (33, 3, 3), folio; addressed apparently to Charles 1. Upon the boards are the Royal Arms of Great Britain.

This and the next volume (33, 3, 4) were in the Collection of Sir James Balfour. The last, by a French scribe, contains treaties between France and other countries, and instructions to Ambassadors of France, from the reign of Charles 9 down to 1615, about which time the volume seems to have been written.

A quarto volume in German, of 382 leaves, consists of-(1.) The diary of a person who accompanied an embassy from the Crown Prince of Saxony from Weimar, by Jena, Eisenberg, &c., to Dresden and back. (2.) Diary of a journey to Altenburg, to the baptism of a child of the Crown Prince of Saxony. (3.) A residence at the Court of Vienna, where there occur descriptions of Government, the arrivals, receptions, and audiences of various Ambassadors and distinguished persons, accounts of the Imperial army, &c., with all the transactions of the Court from 1659 to 1660. The whole diary extends from March 1654 to April 1664.

SCOTTISH STATE PAPERS.

The Balcarres Papers in nine folio volumes. This important Collection of original State Papers and letters was presented to the Library by Colin, Earl of Balcarres, in 1712.

29, 2, 1. The first and largest, as well as by far the 29, 2, 9.5 most valuable part of the Collection has been formed by John Lindesay, of Menmuir, Secretary of State under James 6, Master of the Metals and Minerals, 1592 [of whom see Lord Lindsay's Lives of the Lindsays, vol. ii. p. 334, et seq.]

The first volume of the Balcarres Papers contains:(1.) Articles relating to the marriage of James 5 with Mary of Guise.

(2.) Four letters of James 5 to his Queen, without dates.

(3.) The King of England's charge to the Scotch Lords, 1543.

(4.) Fourteen letters of Queen Mary to her mother, written from France.

(5.) A letter of Queen Mary to Throckmorton, from Lochleven.

(6.) Thirty-five letters of Henry, Dauphin and King of France (Hen. 2), to Mary of Guise, 1545–1554.

(7.) Fourteen letters from persons of the Royal family of France and the House of Savoy to Mary of Guise, Queen Dowager of Scotland.

With a few others of that period.

The second volume contains:-
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(1.) Forty-three letters of Anthoinette de Bourbon, Duchess of Guise, to her daughter, Mary of Guise, Queen of Scots; the first two during her marriage with the Duke of Longueville.

(2.) Twenty-seven letters of François d'Orleans, Duke de Longueville, to his mother, Mary of Guise, in his own hand.

(3.) Five letters from him to Queen Mary, his halfsister.

(4.) Three letters of Leonor d'Orleans, afterwards Duke de Longueville, to the Queen Dowager.

(5.) The latter half of the volume consists chiefly of letters of the Princes and Ladies of the House of Lorraine to the Queen Dowager of Scotland, many of them altogether autograph, or having notes added in the writer's own hand.

The third volume contains:

(1.) Four letters of Diane de Poictiers, Duchesse de Valentinois.

(2.) Four of the Cardinal de Chastillon.
(3.) Four of Madame de Parroys.

(4.) Thirty-six of the Constable de Montmorenci.
(5.) Fourteen of De Lorges.
(6.) Four of Bochetel.
(7.) Seven of Doysel.

(8.) Eighteen of De laubespine.
(9.) Eight of Pinguillon.
(10.) Nineteen of De la Brousse.
(11.) Fourteen of De Breze.
(12.) Two of M. de la Touche.

(13.) One of Jacques Bertrand.

(14.) One of the President Bertrand. (15.) Two of Astier.

(16.) One of Casanat.

(17.) Two of Ubaldini.

(18.) One of the Bishop of Cenada, Papal Ambassador in France.

(19.) Two of Antonio Condulmarii da Racanati. All to the Queen Dowager or to Mary Queen of Scots. The fourth volume contains

(1.) A considerable number of letters to the Queen Dowager (Mary of Guise) from persons and on subjects of an historical interest, in French.

(2.) A few letters, in French and Scotch, forming part of the Correspondence of David Panter, Bishop of Ross, while employed on the affairs of the Queen, in France.

The fifth volume contains a very valuable collection of accounts, discharges, obligations, and other vouchers regarding the expenses (chiefly domestic) of the Queen Dowager, in Scotland, France, and England.

The sixth volume contains letters between James 6 and various persons abroad and in Scotland, from about 1580 till his going to England, and numerous letters and instructions of State, and drafts of such, during that period, and down to 1618. A very important collection, both as regards the internal history of Scotland, and its foreign relations.

The seventh volume consists of a collection of documents relating to the foundation, visitations, statutes, property, and privileges of the Colleges and University of St. Andrew's, mostly about the end of the 16th century.

The eighth volume consists chiefly of letters and other documents relating to the affairs of the Church in Scotland, coming down to the period of the General Assembly at Glasgow, 1638.

The ninth volume contains:-(1.) Documents relating to the Mines and Metals of Scotland, and schemes for their working. (2.) Letters and documents relating to public affairs, chiefly such as Lord Balcarres had some concern in during the reign of Charles 1, the Usurpation, and the reign of Charles 1.

66

Staite Business.' 13 volumes folio.

Under this title is comprehended Sir James Balfour's collection of originals and copies of Royal Correspondence, especially letters to and from the Council, and State Papers regarding Scotland, during the reigns of James 6 and Charles 1.

Of the first nine volumes, a particular table of contents was prepared by the late Mr. Donald Gregory, and is copied into the Catalogue.

66

Negotiations with England" and "English Business. 4 volumes, folio. (33, 1, 7.)