John Howie of Lochgoin

14 THE PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL REVIEW
is almost the same as that of the first. But it bears the
author's name, and there is this material addition :
"As also, an appendix, containing a short historical hint
of the wicked lives and miserable deaths of some of the
most remarkable apostates and bloody persecutors in Scot-
land from the Reformation to the Revolution."
This appendix, which is both instructive and entertaining,
has a title-page of its own, and is dated 1782. The chief
difference in the book itself is in the life of William Vetch,
which is cut down to 12J/2 pp. ; and the reasons for doing this
are given in an addition to the preface, which addition is
signed "John Howie", and dated "Lochgoin, June, 1781".
These were the only two editions which John Howie saw,
but other editions followed in rapid succession. Some of
the earlier of these may be briefly noted: Edinburgh, 1796;
Glasgow, 1797; Dundee, 1809; Edinburgh, 1812; Glasgow,
1813; Glasgow, 1816; Leith, 1816; Glasgow, 1821.
In all these eight editions the old name, Biographia Scoti-
cana, has been retained; but a grave injustice to the author
has been perpetrated in all of them. John Howie's name
has been kept out of the title-page ; and at the end of the pre-
face the words "the editor" have been substituted for "John
Howie ;" and the word "Lochgoin" has been struck out. His
name has also been removed from the appendix on bloody
persecutors and apostates. In short, in these eight editions
John Howie's name is not to be found! 10
John Howie has suffered many things from many editors.
One or two examples must suffice. In telling of Captain
Paton's wonderful feats as a swordsman, he adds in a foot-
note:
"This sword or short shabble yet remains, and may now
be seen in the hands of the publisher of this collection. It
was then by his progenitors counted to have twenty-eight
10 An abridged edition was also issued, the anonymous editor of which
suppressed Howie's preface, introduction and appendix. Howie's name
was also kept out. This abridgment, which was "offered to the public"
at one-half the price of the complete work, went through at least two
editions; the second was published in 1823, and the preface is dated
1816.