The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 70

_acknawlege_ and esteem the benefits received, _when_.

444, l. 9. (_Margin_,) Whether this hath come to pa.s.se or not, let the world judge.

445, l. 8. (_Margin_,) Note this diligently.

447, l. 13. "_He be his owin commandment_," &c. _Between these words and "sik as craif,"_ &c., 418, l. 13, _a whole page is omitted_.--_Thus the pa.s.sage in Buchanan's edition is quite unintelligible_, viz., He by his own word confounds all such as crave further approbation of G.o.d's will, &c.

449, l. 3. (_Margin_,) When the Prince does serve G.o.d sincerely in private and publike, and hath a care that the people do the same, then a.s.suredly they are faithfull to him: but if he faile in these, or in either of them, he findes disobedience in his people, because he is not carefull to obey G.o.d, and to see him obeyed. Deut. 13, 13. 2 Paral. 26.-24. (_Margin_,) Let this be applyed to the late affairs of Scotland.

451, l. 15. _ye will_ not _say_.

452, l. 24. _deith_--punishment.--33.

_thairintill_--therefore.

453, l. 22. _either misknaw_--must either know.--29.

_tyrant_--misled King.

454, l. 1. _scripped_--stouped.

455, l. 10. _voit_--wrote. (_To each of the two names in the margin of pages 455 and 456, is added_) his vote.

457, (_The Latin original of the_ Conclusio, _omitted_.)--13. _deposed_--bridled.--_also_ 458, l. 12.

458, l. 23. (_Buchanan agrees with second foot-note._)--10.

(_Margin_,) Note diligently.--_also_ 459, l. 3.

460, l. 19. _be knawin_--he knew.

461, l. 17. (_In the second foot-note Buchanan agrees with MS. L, 4. Marginal vote omitted._)

A few particulars respecting DAVID BUCHANAN, the Editor of Knox's History, may be subjoined to the preceding collations. The author of the Genealogical Account of the Buchanans, in 1723, states that he was the second son of William [John] Buchanan of Arnpryor, an ancient family in the parish of Kippen, Stirlings.h.i.+re. John Buchanan, eldest son of the late John Buchanan of Arnpryor, had a charter of the lands of Arnpryor, 3d May 1598; and having sold the estate of Arnpryor to Sir John Buchanan of Buchanan, he settled in Ireland. He was killed by the Irish rebels in 1641. "There was a younger brother, Captain William, a gentleman of very much courage, and of the greatest art and dexterity in managing a sword of any of his time;" and two instances of his prowess are related in that work, (p. 61.)

David Buchanan, whom the above author describes us "a gentleman of great learning, who flourished in the latter part of the reign of James the Sixth," was born towards the close of the sixteenth century, probably about the year 1592. He appears to have prosecuted his studies during part of the usual course in St. Leonard's College, St.

Andrews, where he matriculated or became an Intrant in the spring of 1610. It has not been ascertained at what University he took his degree of Master of Arts; or, indeed, any particulars of his mode of life for a period of upwards of twenty years. According to his own words, he must have spent many years on the Continent, and is not improbable he may have filled a Professor's chair in one of the Protestant Colleges in France. In 1636, he published a learned work under this t.i.tle: "Historia Animae Humanae, Auctore Davide Buchanano, Scoto. (No place of printing,) M.DC.x.x.xVI." Small 8vo. This was followed by a similar treatise in French, ent.i.tled "Histoire de la Conscience, M.DC.x.x.xVIII." 12mo.

From a pa.s.sage in Milton already referred to, (vol. i. p. xlii,) it would seem as if the publication of Buchanan's edition of Knox's History of the Reformation had been delayed by the Censor of the Press in 1644. The preceding collations, (for which, and also for those in the next Article of this Appendix, I am indebted to the unwearied care and accuracy of my venerable friend, MR. MEEK,) serve to show the actual liberties Buchanan has taken with the text. Frequent instances of palpable blunders will be observed, as if the Editor himself had not corrected the proof-sheets. In the marginal notes he has added various allusions to his own times; and the interpolations he has introduced into the text are remarkable, chiefly on account of the anachronisms; and as these have been laid hold of, in some measure, to discredit the authenticity of the original work, it has thus been rendered necessary to take so much pains in collating his editions with the genuine text. In regard to pa.s.sages omitted, or expressions modified and softened, it is highly probable that this may have proceeded from the Licenser of the Press in London, rather than Buchanan himself; and whether similar or even greater liberties may have been taken with Book Fifth, we have unfortunately no means of ascertaining.

In the following year Buchanan published at London a little volume, which, with another tract printed in 1646, involved him in some trouble. Baillie, who was personally acquainted with him, in a letter to Spang, who was then Minister of Campvere in Zealand, in June 1645, speaks of "your cousigne, Mr. David Buchanan, as a most honest and worthy man." In a subsequent letter, dated 24th April 1646, he says, it was thought necessary that the Papers given into Parliament by the Scottish Commissioners should be printed; and "among others, Mr. DAVID BUCHANAN, _a most sincere and zealous gentleman, who has done both in write and print, here_ (in London) _and over-sea, many singular services to this Parliament, to his Nation, and to the whole Cause_; ... hazarded to print them with a Preface of his own, and an introduction, both very harmless and consonant to the three following papers which we had given in to both Houses." Baillie further adds, that within two or three days, 3000 or 4000 copies were sold; and that this having excited the indignation of "our small friends," both Houses of Parliament agreed in ordering the books to be burnt by the hands of the hangman, and in denouncing the publisher, Mr. Buchanan, as an incendiary. (Baillie's Letters and Journals, vol. ii. p. 367.) The two publications thus referred to were,--

"Truth its Manifest; or a short and true Relation of divers main Pa.s.sages of things, (in some whereof the _Scots_ are particularly concerned,) from the very first beginning of these unhappy Troubles to this day. Published by Authority. London, printed in the year 1645."

12mo, pp. xviii., 142.

"Some Papers of the Commissioners of Scotland, given in lately to the Houses of Parliament, concerning the Propositions of Peace. London, printed for Robert Bostock, &c., April 11, 1646." 4to, pp. 26.

The following extracts from the Journals of the House of Commons confirm Baillie's statements:--

On the 10th April 1646, the House of Commons "Ordered, &c., That the Report concerning a Book, ent.i.tuled, 'Truth's Manifest,' be made on Monday morning," &c. (Journals, vol. iv. p. 505.)

"Die Lunae, 13^o Aprilis 1646. Mr. Lisle reports the state of the business concerning the printed book, int.i.tuled, 'Truth's Manifest;'

read many pa.s.sages out of it; and said, The Author of it was one Mr.

Buchanan; who delivered one of the said books to the Committee, and did avow it to be his writing.

"Resolved, &c., That Mr. David Buchanan be forthwith sent for, as a Delinquent, by the Serjeant at Arms attending on this House; and brought to the Bar to-morrow morning.

"Resolved, &c., That the book int.i.tuled, 'Truth's Manifest,' does contain in it many matters false and scandalous; and they do _Order_, That the said book be forthwith burnt by the hands of the common hangman." (ib. p. 507.)

On the same day, the House also declared, that the book ent.i.tuled, "Some Papers of the Commissioners of Scotland, given in lately to the Houses of Parliament, concerning the Propositions of Pence, doth contain in it matters scandalous and false," &c., and was Ordered to be burnt, &c. (ib. p. 507.) But this declaration was so far modified on the 20th April, in restricting the sentence simply to the Editor's Epistle and Tract, "The State of the Question concerning the Propositions of Peace," (which are prefixed by the Editor, on three leaves, after the t.i.tle page.) (ib. p. 517.)

During the latter period of his life, Buchanan was engaged with Gordon of Straloch in ill.u.s.trating the topography and antiquities of his native country, in connexion with the great Atlas of Scotland, which was published in Holland, by Bleau, in 1654. His papers afterwards fell into the hands of Sir Robert Sibbald, by whom some of them were printed. Two MS. works, "De Scriptoribus Scotis," the one dated 1627, and attributed to Buchanan, were printed for the Members of the Bannatyne Club, with a learned Preface by the Editor, Dr. Irving, in 1837.

From his Confirmed Testament, it appears that "Mr. David Buchanan,"

who died at Edinburgh before the end of August 1652, on the 19th of that month, had nominated "his loving brother, Mr. William Buchanan,"

his only executor. Whether "Captain William," above mentioned as David's brother, should be identified with this "Mr. William Buchanan," may be left to conjecture.

No. II.

ON SPOTTISWOOD'S EDITION OF THE FIRST BOOK OF DISCIPLINE.

IT is well known that Queen Mary, both in France and after her return to this country, refused to ratify the Proceedings of the PARLIAMENT which met at Edinburgh in August 1560; and its Acts, were not included in the authorized collection of the public statutes. In order to obviate this legal want of the royal sanction, it was judged expedient that the CONFESSION OF FAITH, and some special Acts, should be renewed in the first Parliament of James the Sixth, during the regency of the Earl of Murray, in December 1567. It was proposed to have inserted in this Appendix a list of the Members and some pa.s.sages relating to the proceedings of that Parliament, along with an account of the early editions of the Confession of Faith, 1560; and some notes respecting the First Book of Discipline. Want of s.p.a.ce has rendered it necessary to omit these notices; but another opportunity may be afforded of introducing them in a subsequent volume.

It is also well known that the selfish rapacity of some of the n.o.bility who had supported the Reformed doctrines, and had obtained possession of Church-lands and property, prevented the Policy of the Kirk from being established according to the plan drawn up by Knox and his brethren. But the FIRST BOOK OF DISCIPLINE must always be regarded as an important work to ill.u.s.trate the form of Church government and discipline submitted for approval by our early Reformers; and it is now presented to the Reader in a much more perfect and authentic form than it has ever appeared.

The following notes, selected from a careful collation of the Book of Discipline, with the copy inserted by Spottiswood in his History of the Church, will prove how very little reliance can be placed on the Archbishop's a.s.sertion of his having given it "word by word." As the omissions and emendations referred to might have been inside by the Editor in 1655, (see page 181, note 5,) the new edition, printing for the Spottiswoode Society, (edited by Bishop Russell, and collated with the author's original MS.,) has been employed.

Page 183-184, Spottiswood omits the whole of the Preface, and introduces the Book of Discipline with the short paragraph already quoted at page 181, note 5. There is a slight variation in the new edit. (p. 331,) reading, "I _have_ thought meet, word by word, to insert the same," &c.

187, There are several omissions in this page; for instance, in line 7, the words "devysed by men;" various words in lines 15 to 22; and nearly the whole of lines 24 to 26.

188, lines 21, 22, altered; and lines 24 to 29 abridged.

189, l. 10, omits "cursed" as applied to "Papistrie."

190, l. 12, reads, "in open audience of his flock, he may preach and deliver his knowledge in the Articles," &c.

192, l. 4 to 6, "and so ... of the Kirk," omitted.

193, l. 4 to 19, varied and abridged; and lines 25, 26, read, "The Ministers were publicly admitted."

195, l. 14, altered; and lines 21 to 27, "And gif," &c., omitted. The next head, "For Readeris," is partially abridged.

198, l. 1, the words, "at the discretion of the congregation," omitted.