BURTON, Richard. The History of The Kingdom of Ireland;

being an account of all the battles, sieges, and other considerable transactions, both civil and military, during the late wars there, till the entire reduction of that country, by the Victorious Arms of our most gracious Sovereign, King William. To which is prefixed, a brief relation of the ancient inhabitants and the First Conquest of that nation, by Henry II, and of all the remarkable Passages in the Reign of every King to this time; particularly of the Horrid Rebellion and Massacres in 1641, with the Popish and arbitrary Designs that were carried on there in the late Reigns. A new edition, with wood-cut portraits. Westminster: Printed for Machell Stace, No. 5, Middle Scotland Yard, By W. Smith & Co. 6, King Street, Seven Dials, 1811. Small quarto. pp. [iv], 145. Title printed in red and black. Contemporary full calf, covers framed by a gilt chain-link roll, spine professionally rebacked, title in gilt on maroon morocco label. From the library of Sir John J. Scott Douglas of Springfield Park, with his armorial bookplate on front pastedown. All edges sprinkled. A very fine copy. Rare.
No copy located on COPAC. WorldCat 5.
Richard (Robert?) Burton was the pseudonym of Nathaniel Crouch (c.1640-1725?), an English publisher, bookseller and writer. Crouch’s writings, focussed on history and divinity, sought to present simplified versions of important works to people who otherwise would never have read them. As he was not a historian and he generally compiled his histories from other printed sources, his works were prone to inaccuracies. However, he published extensively and cheaply for a growing literary market among the less educated social groups in England. Each book sold for just one shilling at that time. His publications were very popular resulting in him becoming a very prosperous author.
His ‘History of The Kingdom of Ireland’ (1693) offers an example of what would have been a popular account of Irish history among the less educated social group of the late seventeenth century. Illustrated with wood-cut portraits of: King William III, George, Duke of Clarence, Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, Sir Henry Sidney, [Hugh O’Neill] Earl of Tyrone, King James I, Lord Inchiquin, Sir Henry Benet (Earl of Arlington), Father Peters (or Petre), The Infant Prince of Wales, Colonel Sarsfield, Rev. Dr. Walker, The Duke of Schomberg, Sir Cloudesly Shovel, George, Prince of Denmark, The Duke of Ormonde, General Ginkle, and Major-General Talmash.
Provenance: From the library of Sir John James Scott Douglas (1792-1836) the 3rd Baronet of Springwood Park, Kelso, Scotland. He took the Scott name and arms after marrying Hannah Charlotte Scott in 1822. In the 15th Hussars, he fought in the Peninsula campaign and at Waterloo.