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HOS GLORIA

REDDIT

HONORE

William Drummond of Hauthornden

born 1585. dyed 1649

WORKS

O F

William Drummond,

O F

HAWTHORNDEN.

Confifting of

Those which were formerly Printed,

AND

Those which were defign'd for the Prefs.

Now Published from the

Author's Original Copies.

EDINBURGH:
Printed by James Watson, in Craig's-Clofs, 1711.

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THE

PREFACE

T

HE Author of this Work is fo well known over all this Ifland, and fo highly admir'd and efteem'd by all good and learned Men, for his excellent Writings, both in Profe and Verfe, for his Loyalty and Learning, for his Integrity and Honefty, that we hall fay no more of him in this Preface, but only, in as few Words as poffible, give an Account of this new Edition of his Works. It confifts of thofe formerly Printed, and of thofe never before Printed. The Hiftory of the Five James's Kings of Scotland was first printed at London in Folio, Anno 1655. fome Five or Six Tears after the Author's Death; but it is very uncorrect and faulty, both as to the Names of Perfons and Places: It was reprinted at London, Anno 1680, in 8vo. but with lefs Care for the Errors of the former Edition are copied, and feveral new ones fuperadded. The much Honoured Sir William Drummond of Hawthornden, the Author's Son, favoured us with an excellent Manufcript, by the Help of which we have corrected a great many Errors, and fupplied a great many Defects, as may be eafily feen by any one, who will give himself the Pains to compare this with the former Editions. There is nothing alter'd in the Stile, which is very good and elegant, according to the Time be wrote in; and peculiar to himself. We procured alfo fome few Notes of the learned Antiquary Mr. Thomas Crawford, which have been of Ufe and Ad vantage to us in this Work.

We have rejected the former Preface written by Mr. Hall of Grays-Inn, for too many good ReaJons, to be feen in the New Introduction, wrote by one whofe juft and ingenious Reasonings gave Oc cafion to fearch the publick Records, and every thing is found most agreeable to what he afferted, which is a Confirmation of the whole beyond all imaginable Controverfy, to the Satisfaction of all boneft and curious Perfons. This exact way of Reasoning is mightily wanting in our Hiftorians, and much to be imitated by thofe, whowould do any thing to purpose in our Affairs.

The Cypress Grove formerly printed with the Hiftory is extremly uncorrect and faulty, but from another Edition printed Anno 1630,bound in with the Flowers of Sion,we have had occafion to add agreat many Words, Sentences, Lines and whole Paragraphs, without which the Sense was abfolutely broken and incomplete: So the very helping the Errors of the former Editions, tho' there were no new thing added, cannot but be acceptable, and of great ufe to the Reader.

The Memorials of State contain a very genteel Reasoning, tho' one of them is founded on a Miftake of Robert III's. Baftardy. But this was a common Error maintain'd by most part of Hiftorians both before and in our Author's Time, tho' now fufficiently cleared, and the contrary demonftra tively proved by learned Men in Scotland, England and France, but more particularly and fully in this new Introduction.

His Familiar Epiftles were formerly printed with his Hiftory: Upon good Information we have fupplied the Names which were wanting of fome of the Perfons, to whom he addrefs'd his Letters. There are alfo feveral Errors of the Prefs corrected, which may be feen by the Reader. There are added a great many Letters never before Printed, wrote to him by Perfons of Quality, and by the learned Men, and famous Poets his Cotemporaries. It is not to be doubted, but that through the length and injury of Time, there are a great many of the original Letters loft, which may be easily known, fince his Letters are generally Answers to others, and theirs Returns to his, of which we can give no exact and authentick Detail.

We have published several Discourses of our Author's, never before printed, as his Irene, Prophecy, Load-Star, Confiderations to the Parliament 1639, Magical Mirror, Queries of State, Objections against the Scots by the Parliament of England anfwer'd, and the EKIAMAXIA; to which is added a new Preface, giving an Account of the Occafion of writing it, and rendring the whole more plain and intelligible. Thefe Papers, (tho they have lain a long While in Oblivion, we hope, will Still be useful and feafonable: They were written in the Time of the late Troubles, and are very keen against Rebellion, and plainly and evidently demonftrate the bad Confequences of it. Our Author was a true TORY, and feriously concern'd about the HEREDITARY RIGHT and MONARCHY: He knew very well by his own Experience & the Hiftory of past Times,that there never was Peace or Profperity in the Nation, when that was not inviolably obferv'd. There is alfo printed The chief Heads of a Converfation betwixt our Author, and the famous Poet Ben. Fobnfon; His Bibliotheca Edinburgena; The Idea The Challenge of the Knights Errant; His Speech for the Town of Edinburgh to the King; His Speech which he defign'd to have fpoken at the Circular Tables, before which he was fummoned, and A fhort Difcourfe of Imprefa's, and

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