Page:Chronicles of the Picts, chronicles of the Scots, and other early memorials of Scottish history.djvu/71

 PREFACE. Ixiii nearly the same version of it as that printed by Hearne. The Editor has had the advantage of examining the fine MS. of Fordun in the library of the Earl of Moray at Donibristle, which formerly belonged to the monastery of Inchcolme/ and the conclusion he has come to on examining the differ- ent Mss. is, that the differences do not consist merely of the ordinary variations of transcribers, but that there are, in point of fact, two entirely distinct ver- sions of this document ; of one of these versions, the text in the Edinburgh College MS. may be taken as an example, and of the other, that printed by Hearne. The differences between them consist to a great ex- tent of intentional alterations. At the first view, it might be supposed that Hearne's copy, being taken from the oldest MS., is probably that nearest to the original, but, on the other hand, the differences consist of additions and interpolations in Hearne's edition, and, when these additions are examined, they appear to have been made for the purpose of bringing the document nearer to the statements in Fordun's own history. Thus, in stating the conversion of the Scots by relics of St. Andrew, the copy in the Edinburgh College MS. says, " ibidem Hungo rege tunc reg- " nante." Hearne's edition adds, " et super Scotos " Erth filii Echadii fratris Eugenii." Now, the ' This MS. has at the end the fol- lowing sentence : — "Hunc librum " scribi fecit Domiuns Symon " Fynlay Capellanus Altaris Sancti "Michaelis ecclesie Sancti Egidii " de Edinburgo quern post smmi " obitum reliquit canonicis mo- " nasterii insule Sancti Columbe " de Emonia. Orate pro eo. Eius " alienator anathema sit."