222J Hector Boece       1465?-1536        (1465?-1536)

Hector Boetius in Latine, and afterward translated into the Scotish speech by John Bellenden Archdeacon of Marrey, and now finallie into English by R.H. Wherevpon is inferred the historie of Scotland, conteining the beginning, increase, proceeding, continuance, acts, and gouernement of the Scottish nation, form the originall thereof unto the yeare 1571, gathered and written in English by Raphaell Hollindshead: and continued from 1571, to 1585, by otheres.

London, Finished in Ianuarie 1587, and the 29 of the Queenes Maiesties reigne, with the full continuation of the former yeares, at the expenses of Iohn Harison, George Bishop, Rafe Newberie, Henrie Denham, and Thomas VVoodcocke. At London printed [by Henry Denham] in Aldersgate street at the signe of the Starre 1585.                                $4,000

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Large Folio 14 x 11 inches. A-C8 (-C1), D-U6, Aa-Nn6, Oo4, Pp6, Qq-Rr5, Ss4, Tt6, ¶8

IMG_0095.jpgBound in its original blind ruled full calfskin, this copy has been rebacked with label, internally the pages are in good condition with decorative head and tailpieces and woodcut initials.

The description of Scotland, written at the first by Hector Boetius in Latine. A section from Holinshed’s chronicle. Within this series, “The historie of Scotland” has separate title page dated 1585“Boece or Boyce [Lat. Boethius] one of the early Scottish historians,. He finished his studies and graduated at the University of Paris, where he subsequently became professor of philosophy. His “History of Scotland” (in Latin, 1526) ranks among the best historical works of that period. (Thomas, Vol. 1, p. 496) Prior to this no history of Scotland had been printed except the compendium of Major. They were related in a style which the admirers of Boece compared to Livy, and like Livy he sacrifices accuracy to a flowing narrative adapted to the public for whom it was written In 1577, it was done into English for Holinshed’s chronicles by William Harrison, ‘This is the cause wherefore I have chosen rather only with the loss of three or four dayes to translate Hector out of the Scottish (a tongue veri like unto ours) than with more expense of time to devise a newe or follow the latin copy.

 

STC (2nd ed.), 13569

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“By modern standards, Boece’s approach to history was rather credulo us

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He tended to uncritically blend historical fact with myth and folklore, and he also t

ended to write with an eye to ensuring he stayed in good favour with James V. This meant he tended to set the Stewart dynasty in a very flattering light, and play down the merits of their enemies. One famous result was his historically unfair treatment of King Macbeth, and it was Boece’s version of history which was later enshrined in the plot of William Shakespeare’s play about Macbeth. By the very dodgy standards of early Scottish histories, however, Boece’s was not only comparatively accurate, it was also written in an unusually accessible style and achieved considerable popularity, especially after its translation from the original Latin into French and Scots.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

quoted from :Copyright Undiscovered Scotland © 2000-2018  https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usbiography/b/hectorboece.html

 

see also : https://www.academia.edu/980754/The_Scotorum_Historia_of_Hector_Boece_A_study.IMG_0093