The Anatomy of the Printed Book in Early Modern Scotland

Abstract

National historiography is victim to physical necessity the reflection on circumstances within a specified geographical boundary. A degree of historical 'bias' may even be required for the survival of the history of the small nation no matter the undoubted value of comparative perspec tives. Nonetheless, a convincing historical approach depends on a bal ance being struck between the study of national core themes and an honest appraisal of the influence of neighbouring nations.1 In the field of printed book history the character of the Scottish book and book trade must be consistently reviewed in relation to the larger neighbours of continental Europe and the British Isles while simultaneously recog nising particular Scottish trends and qualities. While much has been achieved since the 1950s, it is debatable if Scotland's historiography has studied adequately the national printed book before the Enlightenment with due attention to independent and interdependent development. British book historiography, in spite of recent laudable efforts to consider the Scottish factor before 1560,2 still finds itself prone to gener alisations and omissions, and the 'surprisingly late' and 'remarkably small' criticisms that have, to a degree, stigmatised the study of Scottish book history.3 Yet the position is an improving one, and over the next few years forthcoming collections from the two series 'The History of the Book in Britain' (Cambridge University Press) and 'The History of the Book in Scotland' (Edinburgh University Press) will help provide much needed thematic surveys of the Scottish scene. Meanwhile, we are left to anatomise Scotland's 'inter-communication' with the print