"Index, drawn up in the Year 1629, of many Records of Charters granted
by the different Sovereigns of Scotland, between 1309 and 1413 (which
had been discovered by Mr. Astle in the British Museum), most of which
Records have been long missing; with an Introduction, giving a State,
founded upon Authentic Documents still preserved, of the Ancient
Records of Scotland, which were in that Kingdom in 1292."
The object of this publication was to endeavour to recover many ancient
records, which there was much reason to believe were still in existence.
The labour which he underwent in preparing this volume for the press, and
in transcribing a very ancient quarto manuscript, written on vellum, which
was found in the State Paper Office, was very great. Every word of this
ancient vellum MS. he copied with his own hand, and it is printed along
with the volume of the _Records of the Parliament of Scotland_. The
preface, introduction, notes, and appendix to the _Index of Charters_,
show, not only the great labour which this work required from him, but the
extensive information also, on the subject of the ancient history of
Scotland, which he possessed.
At a general meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, held Jan. 28, 1799,
he was elected a member, and placed in the literary class of the Society.
He died March 4, 1803, at his house, St. Andrew's Square, Edinburgh, in the
sixty-third year of his age.