Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 51.djvu/47

 Worde. His first book, ‘The Body of Policie,’ was issued in May 1521, when he was living ‘in St. Pulker's parisshe without Newgate.’ It is clear that about this time, besides printing books in his own name, he printed some for Wynkyn de Worde. In 1528 he was printing in St. Paul's Churchyard, and eight books are known bearing this address, though only two are dated. In 1537 he had removed to ‘Fauster’ Lane in St. Leonard's parish, where he printed six books, among them being the ballad of the battle of Agincourt and the still more celebrated ballad of the ‘Nutbrowne Maid.’ He also was for a time living ‘at George Alley gate’ in St. Botolph's parish, but the only book known printed at at this place is undated. At the present time twenty-five books are known to have been issued by this printer, all of them being of extreme rarity. His disappearance in 1537 and the appearance of another printer of the same name at Edinburgh in 1539 have led to their being often mistaken for the same man, but the characteristics of their work show that the two printers are distinct [see or, fl. 1550)].

[Herbert's Typogr. Antiq. i. 317–18.]

 SCOTT or SCOT, JOHN (fl. 1550), printer in Scotland, has been considered by many writers as identical with the John Scott or Scot (fl. 1530) [q. v.] who printed in London. Though one or two coincidences lend a certain appearance of probability to this theory, there is now little doubt that the two men are distinct. The Scottish printer appeared in Edinburgh in 1539, when he obtained a grant of some rooms in the Cowgate, but for some time after we hear nothing of him as a printer. In 1547 he was in Dundee, for letters were issued in that year to John Scrymgeour, constable of Dundee, ordering his arrest, though for what offence is not stated. In 1552 Scot's first dated book was issued, the catechism of Archbishop Hamilton. This was printed at St. Andrews, doubtless in order that the work might be done under the personal superintendence of the archbishop. For a few years Scot worked on steadily at St. Andrews and Edinburgh; but in 1562, while printing the ‘Last Blast of the Trumpet’ by Ninian Winzet [q. v.], the Roman catholic schoolmaster of Linlithgow, a raid was made upon his office by the magistrates of Edinburgh, the book seized, and the printer dragged off to prison. His printing materials seem also to have been impounded and given two years afterwards to Thomas Bassandyne, another printer. By some means they seem to have found their way again into Scot's hands, for in 1568 he printed an edition of the works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount, at the expense of Henry Charteris, an Edinburgh merchant. This was followed by another edition of the same work in 1571, the last dated book printed by Scot. Altogether twelve books are known by this printer, but there is no doubt that he produced many more which have disappeared. Their ephemeral nature and strong controversial tendency favoured their destruction.

[Edmond and Dickson's Annals of Scottish Printing, pp. 150–97.]

 SCOTT or SCOT, JOHN (1585–1670), of Scotstarvet, or more properly Scotstarver, Scottish lawyer and statesman, was the only son of Robert Scot the younger of Knights-Spottie in Perthshire, representative in the male line of the Scots of Buccleuch. Robert Scot succeeded to the office of director of chancery on the resignation of his father, Robert Scot the elder of Knights-Spottie, but, falling into bad health, resigned the office in 1582 in favour of his father, its former holder. Robert Scot the elder in 1592 again resigned the office to a kinsman, William Scot of Ardross, on condition that his grandson, John Scot, the subject of this article, should succeed to it on attaining majority, which he did in 1606. The directorship of chancery, which had been long in the Scot family, was an office of importance and emolument; for though the Scottish chancery did not become, as in England, a separate court, it framed and issued crown charters, brieves, and other crown writs. The possession, loss, and efforts to regain this office played a large part in the career of Sir John. He was educated at St. Leonard's College, St. Andrews, which he appears to have entered in 1600, for he describes himself in the register of 1603 as in his third year. After leaving St. Andrews he went abroad to study, and on his return was called to the bar in 1606. In 1611 he acquired Tarvet and other lands in Fife, to which he gave the name of Scotstarvet, and six years later he was knighted and made a privy councillor by James VI, in whose honour he published a Latin poem, ‘Hodœporicon in serenissimi et invictissimi Principis Jacobi Sexti ex Scotiâ suâ discessum.’

In 1619 he had a license to go for a year to Flanders and other parts (P. C. Reg. xii. 787). In 1620 he endowed the professorship of humanity or Latin in the university of St. Andrews, in spite of the opposition of the regents of St. Salvator, the first of many acts of liberality to learning. He did