Vautrollier's unfinished and suppressed edition, in 1586 or 1587, has
already been noticed at page xxxii. The fate of this edition is thus
recorded by Calderwood, in his larger MS. History:--"February 1586.
Vauttrollier the printer took with him a copy of Mr. Knox's History to
England, and printed twelve hundred of them; the Stationers, at the
Archbishop's command, seized them the 18 of February [1586-7]; it was
thought that he would get leave to proceed again, because the Council
perceived that it would bring the Queen of Scots in detestation." The
execution of the unfortunate Queen, which followed so soon after, or the
death of the Printer himself, in 1588, may have prevented its
completion. But copies had speedily come into circulation in its
unfinished state. Thus Dr. (afterwards Archbishop) Bancroft, who
frequently quotes this suppressed edition, says,--"If euer you meete
with the Historie of the Church of Scotland, penned by Maister Knox, and
printed by Vautrouillier: reade the pages quoted here in the
margent."--(A Survay of the pretended Holy Discipline, &c. Imprinted at
London, by Iohn Wolfe, 1593, 4to, p. 48.)
It is most inaccurately printed.[7] This may have been partly owing to
the state of the MS. which he had procured in Scotland, as well as to
haste in printing, and ignorance of the names of persons and places
which occur in the work.
The following is a fac-simile reprint of the first page, which
corresponds with pages 10-11 of the present volume:--