VIII. Johnston's Historie of Scotland during the Minority of King Iames VI. translated by Thomas Middleton. London, 1646. Bibliographical and Critical Notices, IX. A True Accompt of the Baptism of Prince Henry Frederick, Son of King James VI. To the Binder.- Portrait of Father Innes to face page 305. VINDICATION OF ELIZABETH MORE, FROM THE IMPUTATION OF BEING A CONCUBINE; AND HER CHILDREN, FROM THE TACHE OF BASTARDY: CONFUTING THE CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE PUBLISHER OF THE CARTA BY RICHARD HAY, OF DRUMBOOTE, C. R. In the body of this Book, and the Appendix subjoined, there are several ancient EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY WILLIAM ADAMS, JUNIOR. SOLD BY THE BOOKSELLers of edinburgh, GLASGOW, MDCCXXIII. THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR HEW DALRYMPLE, OF NORTH BERWICK, BARonet, LORD PRESIDENT OF THE SESSION, &c. MY LORD, OUR ancient historians, who were not fully acquainted with King Robert II.'s affairs and concerns, have charged, with a great deal of confidence and boldness, Elizabeth More with having been his concubine; and her son, John Lord Kyle, one of the best Princes that ever sate on the throne, with having been unlawfully begotten. Mr. Innes and some late writers have used their utmost endeavours to remove, by their pamphlets, those black, heavy, and monstrous calumnies formerly thrown upon them, but without success: for, in fixing the date and time of the king's marriage with Elizabeth More, as I have set down, all that they allege against Buchanan and his confederates, neither removes those prejudices upon which the world have laid so long stress, nor is of any moment to the purpose. Whereupon Mr. Sage, whom many admire and adore, hath laid down a new scheme, which is inconsistent with the general council of Lateran, held in 1215, and the 65th canon of a national council of our country, assembled at Holyrood House in 1227. In which year, Pope Honorius III. dying, Gregory IX. succeeded to the chair of St. Peter. In the one and the other, the private marriage is condemned, as null and unlawful; and the child procreate, constante occulto et clandestino matrimonio, is declared spurious. Upon which ground, Alexander Stuart, Abbot of Scoon and Inchaffray, son to Alexander, Duke of Albany, brother to King James III. and Lady Katharine Saintclair, daughter to William, Earl of Orknay and Cathness, Lord High Chancellor, Chamberlain, Admiral and Pannetier of Scotland; was declared bastard, in a Parliament held at Edinburgh, the 13th of November 1516, and secluded from the succession and dignities of Duke Alexander, his father; who had been divorced from Orknay's daughter by John Otterburn, official of Lothian, in March 1477, because the Duke and Lady Katharine were in the forbidden degrees, intra gradus a jure prohibitos, and had been joined quietly and privately in marriage, sine trina denunciatione, solemniter in ecclesia praemissa, ante conjunctionem; without any proclamations or solemnities; against the canons and decrees of the church, and the laws, customs, and constitutions of the realm. The palpable mistakes of those late famous writers, have occasioned this book; wherein I vindicate Robert III. and his mother, from the false and scandalous aspersions they have been loaded with, by such clear evidences and reasons, drawn from authentic papers and original records, as, I think, any impartial and judicious man must allow to be sufficient for conviction: and the deceast Sir James Dalrymple of Borthwick, Baronet, who hath acquired an immortal reputation by his collections, published in 1705; from the restless malice, heavy censures, |