The AUTHOR's Dedication. To the Right Honourable, My very good LORD and CHIEF 7 JOHN Earl of PERTH my OME may think, that the Writing of this Hiftory proceeded from Ambition or the Defire of Fame; Others, that De fign was to Compliment the High and Mighty Prince Charles, as affecting some Place or Penfion. I have always been carelefs and negligent about Fame and Reputation. According to my Duty, I have writ Papers of another Kind, Vindicating his Majesty's juft Government, and Taxing his difloyal Subjects with Rebellion, and over, throwing the State. But my greatest Reafon for Writing this is, That I found in the Hiftories of Scotland, James the First, a Man eminent in all Virtues, a Man Born of the fame Country with my self, a Prince, and the Son of a Drummond, Lineally defcended of your Lordship's Ancient Family, of which fo many great Perfonages have Sprung. The Founder of your Family, who first bore the Name, came from Hungary to Scotland as Admiral with S. Margaret, Queen to King Malcolm Canmore, above Six Hundred Years ago, when Sirnames were first known in this Kingdom. In King Robert Bruce's Days, Walter de Drummond, Son to Malcolm Beg Drummond, your Lordfhip's Predeceffor, mas, according to Stow's Annals, Clerk-Regifter, or Secre tary to the King, and one of the Commiffioners for making a Peace or Ceffation of Arms at Newcastle, in the Year of God 1323, betwixt King Robert Bruce and Edward II. King of England. In King David Bruce's Time the Drum f Drummonds were very Famous, as being implacable Enemies to the Monteiths, (who bad bafely betray'd that great Heroe Sir William Wallace) whom they Fought feveral Times, and killed many of them; as we may fee by an Agreement made between them,by the King's Special Command, at the fight of his Two Fufticiaries Sir Hugh Eglinton and Sir Robert Erskine of Alloway. An Original Copy of this Agreement is to be seen in your Lordship's CharterCheft, written on fine Parchment, and in ornate Latin; it is Dated on the Banks of the River Forth over-againft Stirling, Sunday the 17th of May 1360. Sir Malcolm Drummond, Brother to Queen Annabella Drummond, Married Douglass Heiress of Mar, and was made Earl of Mar, but Died without Succeffion. He was an Excellent and Valiant Man, and in great Reputation with King David Bruce, Robert II. and Robert III. For his good Services. at the Battel of Otterburn, in taking Prisoner Sir Ralph Fercy, Brother to Henry Percy, called Hotfpur, Earl of Northumberland,be got a Tearly Penfion of Five Hundred Pounds out of the Customs of Inverness during Life When King James I. was Captive in England, we find a Paffport granted by the King of England to one Dungallus Drummond, who had been at London attending his Royal Mafter, to return Home. Among the Nobility and Gentry who were delegated from Scotland, and had Passports from England to meet at Durhain and convoy King James I. home after his long Captivity, was Sir John Drummond of Stobhall, a very confiderable Man in thofe Days. He was Married to Heleanor Sinclair Earl of Orkney's Daughter, mbife. Mother was Lawful Daughter to Robert II. Sir John, by his Sifter Queen Annabella Drummond; was Uncle to King James, and his Lady was Coufingerman to him; fo he was more than one way nearly related to the Royal Family. John Drummond, youngest Son to Sir John Drummond of Stobhall, and Nephew to Sir Malcolm above-mentioned, went Abroad in the Year 1419, and fettled in the Islands of Madera, and was called John Escortio Drummond from whom is defcended a Numerous Offspring very Rich and Potent, as feveral Letters to your Lordship, and to your Lordship's Predecessors, do abundantly testify. Your Lordship's Great-grand-father, John, First Lord Drummond, was a Wife and Brave Man; he was Fuftice-General of Scotland for Years: In the Reigns of King James III, and King James IV. be made a very confiderable Figure, and was very remarkable both for Arms and Arts, tho' he fell into great Misfortunes by too closely adhering to his Friends and Relations the Douglaffes, as all our Hiftorians inform us. Tour Lordship's Brother, James, First Earl of Perth, was well Educated in France, and when James VI. came to the Crown of Great-Britain, he was sent Ambassador with Charles Earl of Nottingham High Admiral of England, to Philip III. many King King of Spain, for taking that King's Oath upon the Ratification of the Articles. of Peace concluded betwixt the Two Crowns, and for mediating a Peace betwixt Spain and the Low-Countries: Which Embaffy be performed with Succefs and Applause. From fuch early Appearances, we had juft Reasons to expect great Things would follow: But foon after bis Return he died, being not much above 20 Tears of Age. And I may say about your Lordship, without Flattery, which I abominate, that even in these morft of Times, you are eminently conSpicuous for Piety and Prudence, for Loyalty towards the King, for real AffeElion towards your Country, for Kindness towards your Friends, and for the Care you take in preserving your Family, and managing your Affairs fo juftly and frugally. I have only mentioned fome few of your Lordship's Predeceffors; for if I fhould tell all the great and illuftrious Perfonages of your Name, and the Alliances your Family bath with other great Houfes in this Nation, it would fwell this beyond the true Bounds of a Dedication. But the greatest Honour of all is (and no Subject can have any greater) is, That the High and Mighty Prince Charles King of Great-Britain, and the most Part of the Crown'd Heads in Europe, are defcended of your Honourable and Ancient Family. It may seem ftrange to many, that I, who the most part of my Life, have been writing about Small Things in Verse, should adventure to write about fo many great and weighty Affairs in Profe: But what could not the Love I carry to your Lordships Family make me attempt to do, and the Virtues of fo High and Great a Prince as King James I. defcended of your Lordship's House. If we believe fome School-Men, That the Souls of the Departed bave some dark Knowledge of the Actions done upon Earth, which concern their Good or Evil; What Solace then will this bring to James I. that after Two Hundred Years, he bath had one of his Mother's Name, and Race, that bath renewed bis Fame and Actions in the World? That your Lordship may live long to be the Ornament of your Name and Nation, to be a Protector of your Friends, and a Patron of Learning and Learned Men, is the fincere Defire of, My Lord, Your Lordfbips moft Humble, moft Obedient, and moft Faithful Servant and Kinfman, f 2 THE L T The Introduction. HE Hiftory of the First Five JAMES's Kings of Scotland, ingeniously written by our Famous Author, has already had Two Editions; One, Anno 1655; and a Second, Anno 1681: And both Editions have had prefixed to them a Prefatory Introduction, by Mr. Hall of Grays-Inn. But then fuch a Prefatory Introduction it is, as we humbly conceive, does not want a Third Publication: And we hope, no impartial and judicious Reader will condemn us for neglecting it, when he has confidered how many and how grofs Errors it is crowded with. To The Errors in Point of Grammar and Stile (whether imputable to the Author or the Printers, we leave to others to enquire,) are both great and numerous. write and represent 'em all, we are afraid, might prove naufeous. We fhall therefore content our felves with a fmall Specimen, referring to the Pages of the Edition 1681, from which the other doth not differ. And, First, Page 2, and 3. we read thus. The direct Royal Line of Scotland, failing in Alexander III. Son of the Second of that Name, who when he, a few Years before, bad loft both his Wife, and all his hopeful and numerous Iffue, nothing remaining of it, faving a Girl to his Daughter brought to Hungoman King of Norway; the Nobility hereupon meet at Scoon, and put the Kingdom into the Hands of Six Perfons. Now, we know very well, That Alexander III's Daughter was Married to the King of Norway; That he had by her a Daughter; That this Daughter out-lived her Grand-father the King of Scots, 4 Years; and That, all that while, fhe was, of Right, Queen of Scotland, tho' Death prevented her fetting Foot within the Kingdom. All this, I fay, we know, is True; But who can collect it from Mr. Hall's Account? Again, Page 14. He Difcourfes thus: [Bruce in the mean time (i. e. upon the Dethroning and Murder of King Edward II. of England) compofing himself to the Cares of Peace, by Act of Parliament, fettles the Inheritance of the Kingdom upon his Son ( tho' a Child) and in cafe of his Deceafe, to Robert Stewart his Grand-child by his Daughter; and for preventing any Pretences of Baliol, (being then Old and Miferable in France) a full Release of all his Claim; but the active young Edward filling them with the Terror of a New Bruce, repaired the Defects of his Age and Travels, by fubstituting Thomas Randolph his Vice roy, whom with James Dowglas he fent with a Flying Army of Horfe into England, &c.] Let those who can make Senfe of this. Page 17. He tells a fine Story about one Lawrence Twine; how, being a Fugitive Englishman, be planted himself in Scotland; That he was Excommunicated for his lewd Life; That he flew the Bishop of Final; and then flying into France, he induced Edward Baliol to claim the Scottish Throne, &c. From whom had he this Tale, as he has told it? Who was his Author for Final's being a Scottish Bishoprick? Page 22. Giving an Account of the laft Acts of King David Bruce's Government, he tells us, [ All was now quiet but the Highlanders, whom he appeas'd by their mutual Difcords, when Fate, in the 47 Tear of his Age, and 39 of his Reign, came to Eternal Rest in the Castle of Edinburgh, in the Year 1370.] Buchanan, (whom, I doubt not, Hall had before him when he wrote this) has given us the Story about the Highlanders, very perfpicuoufly, thus: [ Cater is ubique pacatis, Montani in armis perstabant; nec folum inter fe fada atque inhumanâ crudelitate faviebant, fed vicina etiam late populabantur: Hos Rex cum ad concordiam nulla ratione poffet adducere, per homines callidos difcordias augendas curavit, donec ferocioribus mutua cade confumptis, cæteri tractabiles & manfueti redderentur.] How lucky was Mr. Hall in turning all this fo very thortly, thus, [Whom he appeas'd by their mutual Difcords?] Yet this is not the fineft Rarity in the fuperfine Period: What do you think of Fate's coming to Eternal Rest in the Castle of Edinburgh, in the Year 1370? Page 32. He concludes the Life of Robert III. with another quaint Verfion of a Sentence of Buchanan's. Buchanan gives it thus: [ Calamitate filii ad patrem cœnantem perlatá |