by Gertrude Burford Rawlings
New York D.Appleton and Company 1901
Scotland was one of the last of the countries of Europe to appreciate the advantages of typography so
far as to possess herself of a printing press. She was also, as we have pointed out in a previous chapter,
the only one, save England, and possibly HoIland, to have the art of printing brought to her by one of
her own sons and not by a foreigner.
The first Scottish printer was Aodrew Myllar, an Edinburgh bookseIler, who imported books from England
and from France, and who, in the latter country, learned how to print. Two books are extant which were
printed for him on the continent, probably at Rouen by Laurence Hostingue, and these are worth
noticing. The first may speak for itself, through its colophon, of which the following is a translation :-"
The Book of certain' Words Equivocal,' in alphabetical order, along with an interpretation in the English
tongue, has been happily finished. Which Androw Myllar, a Scotsman, has been solicitous should be
printed, with admirable art and corrected with diligent care, both in orthographic style, according to the
ability available, and cleared from obscurity. In the year of the Christian Redemption, One thousand five
hundred and fifth." The second book is an Expositio Seqentiarum, or Book of Sequences, of the
Salisbury use, printed in 1506.
and fortified by a royal privilege these two set up the first
Scottish printingpress, with plant and types and workmen
brought by Myllar from France. Chepman furnished the capital
and Myllar the knowledge. Their press was situated at the foot
of Blackfriars Wynd in the Southgate in Edinburgh. The
privilege sets forth that Myllar and Chepman have "at our
instance and request, for our plesour, the honour and proffit of
our Realme and Liegis, takin on thame to furnis and bring hame
ane prent, with all stuff belangand tharto, and expert men to
use the sammyn for imprenting within our Realme the bukis of
our Lawis, actis of parliament, cronicles, mess bukis," etc.
It is believed that the favour and encouragement shown to
Myllar and Chepman by the King was the result of the influence
of William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen, who had prepared
a Breviary, Breviarum Aberdonense, which he wished to be
used by his countrymen to the exclusion of the Salisbury
Missal, and that the real purpose of the promotion of the first
printing-press in Scotland was the printing of this work. For
the privilege goes on to say: "And alis it is divisit and thocht
expedient be us and our consall, that in tyme cuming mess
bukis, efter our awin scottis use, and with legendis of Scottis
sanctis, as is now gaderit and ekit be ane Reverend fader in
Realme alssone as the sammyn may be imprentit and providet, and that na maner of sic bukis of
Salusbery use be brocht to be sauld within our Realme in tym cuming." Anyone infringing this decree was
to be punished and the books forfeited.
But the earliest work of the Southgate press consisted of literature of a lighter sort, and, when dated at
all, is dated 1508, while the Breviary did not make its appearance till later. These early productions, which
survive only in fragments, included The Porteous of Noblenes, The Knightly Tale of Golagros and Gawane,
Sir Eglamoure of Artoys, The Maying or Disport of Chaucer, and several others. The Maying or Disport of
Chaucer is the most perfect specimen remaining, and its exact date can be ascertained from its colophon,
which reads as follows :
