Important Books Return to Edinburgh

In 1544, an English knight looted a set of 16 books – 15 of which were on Civil or Canon law – from Edinburgh. Until recently these were in the Athenaeum in Liverpool. They have now been acquired by the National Library of Scotland. What is notable is that they came from Cambuskenneth Abbey near Stirling. The first President of the College of Justice was Alexander Mylne, Abbot of Cambuskenneth. This emphasises the importance of these books for the history of Scots law in the first half of the sixteenth century. See p. 12 of http://www.nls.uk/about/discover-nls/issues/discover-nls-10.pdf

Mylne's own copy of the Infortiatum (Lyons, 1514) has survived. His ownership inscription is dated 1516 and records his then offices of Canon of Dunkeld and Official of Dunkeld. See http://www.lyonandturnbull.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=103++++++276+&refno=+++53892

Study of these works may throw considerable light on the develoment of Scots law in the first half of the sixteenth century