THE HISTORIE OF REFORMATION OF RELIGION IN SCOTLAND, 1732

This rare Third Edition of John Knox's (1514-1572) famous and important work is an updated version, published at Edinburgh by Robert Fleming and Company in 1732, of the original First Edition issued in 1644, and Second Edition of 1645, by David Buchanan (c.1595-1652) at Edinburgh; David Buchanan was a Scottish writer and historian who was admitted to St Leonard's College at St Andrews in 1610; it is recorded that he later resided in Paris where in 1636 and thereafter he published certain works before returning to Scotland sometime after 1638; it was in 1644 that he issued an edition of John Knox's Historie of the Reformation of Religion within the Realm of Scotland to which he prefixed a Life of the Author and his own Preface; this edition contains a fascinating introductory piece titled "The Publishers to the Readers" in which is described the contents as well as a self promotion of the extent to which this edition "excels all prior editions of the book hitherto published", and finally a note as to the cost at a "Penny per Sheet"; the frontispiece image of Joannes Cnoxus, Scotus is by Scottish engraver R(ichard) Cooper (the Elder) (1701-1764) who was born in Yorkshire but moved to Edinburgh in 1725 and became a leading engraver of maps and portraits

Following the above, the sequence of the contents are:

(i) Mr. Buchanan's long Preface as written for his 1644 Issue
(ii) The Life of the Author per Buchanan
(iii) The Preface as written by John Knox
(iv) The Historie……etc., as written by Knox in 5 volumes between 1559 and 1566, and published at Edinburgh in 1567
(v) The Copie of A Lettre delivered To the Ladie Marie, Regent of Scotland, (Mary, Queen of Scots) written by Knox in 1556 and augmented by him in 1558
(vi) The APPELATION of John Knoxe to the Nobilities and Estates of Scotland, and To his beloved Brethren in the Commonality of SCOTLAND written by him on 14 July 1558
(vii) An ADMONITION To England and Scotland to call them to repentance, written in 1558 by Antoni Gilby. (1510-1585), English clergyman and radical Puritan in exile at Geneva
(viii) The FIRST BLAST of the TRUMPET against the Monstrous Regiment of Women with Preface
(ix) Also included is the text of a letter written by Knox to the people of Edinburgh on 17 July 1571
(x) Glossary or explanation of old Scots words in this edition
(xi) Index to the Volume.

The content pages are in very good condition throughout with a slight degree of age toning, and some page transfer and minimal foxing in the latter pages, and with what are believed to be the original brown boards with ridged spine and gold lettering (in need of repair, front board loose) and gilt edged pages