David Laing, eminent historian, antiquary and bibliographer, was the second son of the Edinburgh bookseller William Laing (1764-1832) and his wife Helen Kirk, and was born on 20 April 1793. He was educated at the Canongate Grammar School and later on attended Greek classes at the University of Edinburgh. At the age of fourteen, he became apprenticed to his father who, at the time, was the only bookseller in Edinburgh dealing in foreign literature. Laing was able, occasionally, to travel abroad in search of rare or curious books. In 1821, he became a partner in his father's business and throughout his life he was an avid collector of manuscripts and rescued many from destruction. The first published work of his own was Auctarium Bibliothecae Edinburgenae sive Catalogus Librorum quos Gulielmus Drummondus ab Hawthornden D.D.Q. Anno 1627 (1815). Among other works, Laing also reprinted Thomas Craig's Epithalamium on the marriage of Darnley and Mary Stuart (1821). When Sir Walter Scott founded the Bannatyne Club in 1823 for the printing of material and tracts relating to Scottish history and literature, Laing - a friend of Scott's - became Secretary of the Club and chief organiser until its dissolution in the 1860s. Laing was also associated with the Abbotsford Club, the Spalding Club, and the Wodrow Society, each of which had been set up for the publication of manuscripts and for the revival of old texts. When the keepership of the Advocates' Library fell vacant in 1818, Laing was a candidate but was not elected. He became Keeper of the Library to the Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet, a post which he occupied from 1837 until his death. On his appointment to the post, he gave up his business as a bookseller and disposed of the stock in a public sale. Laing died at Portobello, in Edinburgh, on 18 October 1878.
Scope and Contents
The manuscript contains the text of the New Testament according to the Vulgate. The four canonical Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the Book of Revelation are preceded by prologues. The prologues of the Gospels belong to the monarchian tradition, so called because it relates to the monarchian doctrine, which saw God as one person. They accompany several extant copies of the Vulgate, although their text is not derived from...
Contents
The manuscript contains the New Testament. The text between Book of Revelation chapter 17, verse 8 to First Letter of Peter chapter 2, verse 13 is missing. The manuscript includes the apocryphal Letter to the Laodiceans (f. 253r). A letter written "to the Laodiceans" or "from Laodicea" (depending on the different interpretation of the Latin text) is mentioned in the ...
After the death of David Laing, his private library was sold in an auction occupying thirty-one days. His collection of charters and other papers is of national importance and the most distinguished of its kind in any Scottish university. It is an essential source for the 18th century, and a much used one for all periods of Scottish history from the earliest times. The Laing Collection falls into five sections, designated as La.I., La.II., La.III., La.IV., and La.V.
Scope and Contents
This manuscript contains an incomplete copy of the Onomasticon by Julius Pollux, a Greek thesaurus of Attic words arrnaged by subject. It starts as follows on f. 1r: 'Όνομασίαι θεῶν καὶ δαιμόνων καὶ τών περὶ αὐτἁ καὶ τιμῶν καὶ τόπων καὶ χωρῶν καὶ τῶν περὶ αυτ... καὶ τὰ τῶν τχνητῶν καὶ τῶν θε ραπευτῶν.', and includes the chapters 1-10 of Book 1, with some lacunae.There are two pastedowns at the beginning and end of the volume, which contains...
Contents
The manuscript is an Italian Order of Profession created in Verona in 1541. These types of manuscripts provide rubrics (instructions) and texts for those in the religious profession. This specific manuscript can be classified as Benedictine.The manuscript starts with Incipit ordo professionis fiende per monacham in manu sacerdotis on f.1r. It continues Anno domini .mo...
Contents
The manuscript is a Prayer Book and Book of Hours from the late 15th century that originated in Italy.The Penitential Psalms start on f.1r.The Litany starts on f.12r.The Prayers start on f.22v. These include the Ave Maria, Pater Noster, Credo, and Salve...
Contents
The manuscript is an English Psalter that was created in the 14th century, between 1300 and 1330, possibly in Worcester.There is a Title Page on f.1r. There is some custodial history information, as well as some scribbles and drawings, dating from later than the rest of the manuscript.The Litany of the Virgin starts on f.2r.The Virtutes Psalmorum Psalterii hec sint start on f.3r. This section...
Scope and Contents
Ethiopic Psalter (CAe 2701), including, as usual in post-15th (?)-century times, (1) the Book of Psalms, (2) the Canticles of the Prophets, (3) the Song of Songs, (4) the Wǝddāse Māryām (‘Praise of Mary’, a Marian prayer divided into seven parts, one for each day of the week), (5) the ʾAnqaṣa bǝrhān (‘Gate of Light’, another Marian prayer).In column b. on the second-to-last folio, there is an ownership note, in which the name of the owner has been erased. On the third-to-last...
Contents
The manuscript is an Italian Psalter and Hymnarium from the late 14th century. An hymnarium is a liturgical book that contains hymns and is a fixed part of the liturgy. This manuscript is also probably Benedictine.The Benedictine Psalter, with noted Anthems and Hymns, and Chapters with their Versicles and Responds, are arranged in the following order:Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Prime; Matins and Lauds for the whole week start on...
