Manuscript of 'Ane Abbregement of Roland Furious translait out of Ariost togither with sum rapsodies of the author's youthfull braine. And last, ane schersing out of trew felicitie composit in Scotis meitir’ by John Stewart of Baldynneis, written in his own hand.

Item

Identifier: Adv.MS.19.2.6

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The text is enclosed in red double straight lines: proper names and titles are also in red ink.

Dates

Creation: Circa 1586.

Extent

1 Volumes (165 folios (several blank).)

Language of Materials

Scots

Additional Description

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

The binding, which was probably executed by John Gibson of Edinburgh, the Royal Bookbinder, is of 16th-century morocco gold-tooled and stamped on both sides with the initials IR and crown within a wheel pattern (see ‘A History of Scottish Bookbinding’, pages 55-56 and plate 17).

Custodial History

There is an inscription on the flyleaf (folio 1) in an early 18th-century hand, `King James ye first Brought this Booke with him out of Scotland` and a bookplate of John, Earl of Roxburghe, 1703 (folio 1 verso). The manuscript was bought at the Duke of Roxburghe`s Sale, 1812, number 3325.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilm available: Mf.Sec.MSS.698 (manuscript may not have been filmed in full).

Bibliography

The poems were published for the Scottish Text Society (Edinburgh, 1913), edited by Thomas Crockett. See also ‘Notes on the poems of John Stewart of Baldynneis’, ‘Review of English Studies’, xxiv (1948), pages 12-18, and ‘John Stewart of Baldynneis’, ‘Scottish Historical Review’, xxix (1950), pages 52-63.

Mitchell, W S. ‘History of Scottish Bookbinding’ (Edinburgh, 1955).