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The Buik Of The Croniclis Of Scotland
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
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As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public.
682 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1527
About the author
Hector Boece
45 books9 followersHector Boece (also spelled Boyce or Boise; 1465 – 1536), known in Latin as Hector Boecius or Boethius, was a Scottish philosopher and historian, and the first Principal of King's College in Aberdeen.
He was educated at the University of St. Andrews. Later he studied at the University of Paris where he met Erasmus, with whom he became close friends while they were both students at the Collège de Montaigu, to whose reforming Master, Jan Standonck, Boece later became Secretary. By 1497 he had become a professor of philosophy at Collège de Montaigu.
In 1500, he was induced to leave Paris for Aberdeen by a generously financed offer to become the first principal of the newly established University of Aberdeen, created at the behest of James IV by William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen under the authority of a Papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VI.
From then onwards, he worked closely with Elphinstone, to set up the new university and by 1505, regular lectures were taking place at King's College. The university structure was modelled on those of Paris and of Orléans. As intended, Boece was installed as the first principal of the university and gave lectures on medicine and on divinity.
Boece wrote and published two books, one of biography and one of history. In 1522 he published the Vitae Episcoporum Murthlacensium et Aberdonensium (Lives of the Bishops of Murthlack and Aberdeen) and in 1527 the Historia Gentis Scotorum (History of the Scottish People) to the accession of James III of Scotland. The former was the basis of a poem in Scots by Alexander Gardyne.
At the end of 1534, Boece became Rector of Fyvie. He died in Aberdeen two years later at the age of 71.
He was educated at the University of St. Andrews. Later he studied at the University of Paris where he met Erasmus, with whom he became close friends while they were both students at the Collège de Montaigu, to whose reforming Master, Jan Standonck, Boece later became Secretary. By 1497 he had become a professor of philosophy at Collège de Montaigu.
In 1500, he was induced to leave Paris for Aberdeen by a generously financed offer to become the first principal of the newly established University of Aberdeen, created at the behest of James IV by William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen under the authority of a Papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VI.
From then onwards, he worked closely with Elphinstone, to set up the new university and by 1505, regular lectures were taking place at King's College. The university structure was modelled on those of Paris and of Orléans. As intended, Boece was installed as the first principal of the university and gave lectures on medicine and on divinity.
Boece wrote and published two books, one of biography and one of history. In 1522 he published the Vitae Episcoporum Murthlacensium et Aberdonensium (Lives of the Bishops of Murthlack and Aberdeen) and in 1527 the Historia Gentis Scotorum (History of the Scottish People) to the accession of James III of Scotland. The former was the basis of a poem in Scots by Alexander Gardyne.
At the end of 1534, Boece became Rector of Fyvie. He died in Aberdeen two years later at the age of 71.
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March 4, 2026
This has proved a tricky book to rate. I have gone with four stars almost entirely due to Boece's significance to the historiography of Scotland. It would be a one star if I had been looking for facts or insightful analysis. As Professor Donaldson once wrote, this work is “marked by extreme credulity and much invention.” Nevertheless one cannot help but be transfixed by Boece. The Chronicles were originally compiled in 1527, in Latin, and then at the behest of King James V they were translated into Scots by John Bellenden.
It is this Scots translation that I refer to here, faithfully and beautifully reproduced by the Scottish Text Society in 1938 and now made available digitally by the National Library of Scotland. But be aware, this is 16th century Scots so you will need to be familiar with yoghs, thorns and the spellings characteristic of the period.
But the effort of reading is well worth it to feel a direct connection to such an early chronicler of the country's history. And an added connection to the wider world of literature is provided when one considers that much of the (misleading) impressions we have of Macbeth are due to Shakespeare's main source for that play being Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland. And Holinshed relied on Boece for much of the Scottish section – particularly the more fantastical elements.
It is this Scots translation that I refer to here, faithfully and beautifully reproduced by the Scottish Text Society in 1938 and now made available digitally by the National Library of Scotland. But be aware, this is 16th century Scots so you will need to be familiar with yoghs, thorns and the spellings characteristic of the period.
But the effort of reading is well worth it to feel a direct connection to such an early chronicler of the country's history. And an added connection to the wider world of literature is provided when one considers that much of the (misleading) impressions we have of Macbeth are due to Shakespeare's main source for that play being Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland. And Holinshed relied on Boece for much of the Scottish section – particularly the more fantastical elements.
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