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The Ex-Classics Web Site Book of the Month -- April 2025 The History of Scotland, by Hector Boece This was the first complete history of Scotland to be written. Hector Boece (1465–1536) compiled it from earlier chronicles and published it in Latin in the year 1527 as Scotorum Historiae a Prima Gentis Origine cum Aliarum Rerum et Gentium Illustratione Non Vulgari. [A History of The Scots from Their First Beginning with an Account of Other Matters of Importance.] After introductory material including a description of the Island of Great Britain, and Scotland in particular; and several poems; it narrates the history of Scotland from its legendary beginnings down to the death of James I in 1436. It was a major source for Holinshed's Chronicles, mined by Shakespeare for his story of Macbeth. In 1536 it was translated from Latin into Scots by John Bellenden. This translation is rather a free one and includes numerous episodes not in the original; it can be considered as a separate work. The 16^th Century Scots is difficult or in some cases impossible for a 21^st Century Anglophone to read, so there was a need for a modern English translation, which we have provided here. Previous BOMs AboutUs The Ex-Classics project was founded in 2000 to fill an unmet need.  When reading the blurb etc. to a book by Charles Dickens or Charlotte Bronte, say, we would often come across sentences like "Favourite reading included . . ."  If  it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us. So off we go to the library or bookshop, to be met first with blank stares and then with the information that the book has been out of print for decades. Our first two books were Gil Blas and Hudibras, which are prime examples of this. This web site is dedicated to rescuing these works from obscurity and making them available online, both for reading directly, and for downloading. What do you think? Any comments about this site or its contents? E-mail us (Click here) We have an occasional newsletter - please say if you want to be added to the mailing list. We never give out your details to spammers, or anyone else, for that matter. No-Copyright notice This site and its contents are public domain and free to the world. Anything in it may be copied and distributed free of charge or obligation. [There are one or two exceptions to this,which are clearly marked where they occur.] We expect this policy to be passed on - anyone who copies our texts or web pages and tries to claim copyright for themselves is stealing - not from us, but from you, and from everyone. An example of what we mean.

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