The author had already spent ten years compiling the information that went into this history when the first volume was published. Upon its completion he declared the work to be, and his contemporaries agreed, the most complete of its kind ever assembled. The rich Scottish heritage can be successfully traced thanks to the practice of bestowing hereditary surnames, many of which found a permanent record in the many charters and other public deeds which still exist today. One of the objects of this series is to not only explain the origin of these surnames but to deliver an account of the families as well as the distinguished individuals within the families that bore them. The baronies of Scotland, associated with hereditary jurisdiction, were viewed as just short of regal and as such, an account of these honors provides an account of the territorial supremacy of a name and a family. A necessary supplement to the history of families is the history of titles which are key to understanding the social and political incidents that shaped the country. Above all other aspects perhaps the greatest light can be shed upon the Scottish nation when one studies the biographies of its most distinguished natives. This series embraces a wide range of people, comprising some names not met with in history but whose skill, labor, and genius have added to the greatness of their nation. Arranged alphabetically, there is a complete account of the surnames, titles, baronies, and general biographies of Scotland. The Scottish Nation is also richly decorated with autographs, seals, genealogical and titular tables as well as an abundance of illustrations and portraits, all taken from original or authentic sources. The author also pays particular attention to the literary accomplishments in Scottish history, creating, as he says, "a Bibliotheca Scottica." This series is truly a valuable collection of the antiquities, the literature, and the general and family histories of Scotland. Volume D-F: In this volume comprising the letters D, E, and F you will find interesting, well written, and comprehensive accounts of, among many others, James Dalrymple, first Viscount Stair, who was an eminent lawyer and statesman; David the First, King of Scots, a monarch who, by his admirable capacity for government, and skill in availing himself of opportunities of aggrandizing his kingdom, may be truly said to be the founder of the monarchy on its modern basis; Jane Elliot, author of one of the three lyrics of the song The Flowers of the Forest. It is said she composed it in a carriage with her brother, after a conversation about the Battle of Flodden, and a bet that she could not make a ballad on the subject. Also within the "E's" you will find the surname Erskine, fabled to have originated when a Scotsman, during a battle, cut off the head of a Danish chief and with the head and dagger in his hands exclaimed to his king, Malcolm the Second, in Gaelic, Eris Skene, alluding to the head and dagger. Malcolm then gave him the name of Erskine. Over sixty-five surnames are covered in this volume.