Maitland Club > Notices of original unprinted documents

PREFACE. xiii
The reader will observe, that by far the greatest portion of
thq,present volume is occupied with a Catalogue of certain re-
cords connected with the History of Scotland, which are at pre-
sent preserved in the Queen's Remembrancer's Office. Many
circumstances tend to make these documents highly interest-
ing. They relate to one of the most busy and important pe-
riods of Scottish history, the period when that kingdom was
overrun by King Edward the First of England. It is obvious
that Scotland cannot furnish many new materials for a history
of this period ; if, indeed, any yet remain unexamined. Of the
English Records, the most important are the Rotuli Scotiae.
They form, indeed, the great storehouse, whence is derived al-
most all the information which can add to, or correct, or con-
firm the narratives of the Historians who lived at the period.
But if we turn to the Rotuli Scotiae, we shall find that they
are sadly defective towards the end of the reign of Edward
the First. For example, the 26th and 27th years of his reign
contain nothing but letters of protection and letters of at-
torney,* leaving us in total ignorance of the great transactions
which were then passing. There are no Rolls for the 28th
* These two years occupy scarce a page in the printed edition, (i. 51,) and their con-
tents are thus dsscribed by the Editor of that publication : —
" In toto rotulo de duobus annis, novem membranas densissime scriptas, etpleras-
que utrinque, continente, nihil aliud est quam literre de protectione, attornatu, et re-
spectibus debitorum, pro hominibus regis Edwardi, ex tota Angiia vocatis, et in Scotia
morantibus, vel in Scotiam proficiscentibus, quDe nihil prosunt ad historiam. In nu-
mero ingente nominum inveniuntur sequentia virorum prsecipuorum, ex illis, qui in
utroque regno terras habuerunt."