"Truth its Manifest; or a short and true Relation of divers main Passages of things, (in some whereof the Scots are particularly concerned,) from the very first beginning of these unhappy Troubles to this day. Published by Authority. London, printed in the year 1645." 12mo, pp. xviii., 142.
"Some Papers of the Commissioners of Scotland, given in lately to the Houses of Parliament, concerning the Propositions of Peace. London, printed for Robert Bostock, &c., April 11, 1646." 4to, pp. 26.
The following extracts from the Journals of the House of Commons confirm Baillie's statements:—
On the 10th April 1646, the House of Commons "Ordered, &c., That the Report concerning a Book, entituled, 'Truth's Manifest,' be made on Monday morning," &c. (Journals, vol. iv. p. 505.)
"Die Lunæ, 13o Aprilis 1646. Mr. Lisle reports the state of the business concerning the printed book, intituled, 'Truth's Manifest;' read many passages out of it; and said, The Author of it was one Mr. Buchanan; who delivered one of the said books to the Committee, and did avow it to be his writing.
"Resolved, &c., That Mr. David Buchanan be forthwith sent for, as a Delinquent, by the Serjeant at Arms attending on this House; and brought to the Bar to-morrow morning.
"Resolved, &c., That the book intituled, 'Truth's Manifest,' does contain in it many matters false and scandalous; and they do Order, That the said book be forthwith burnt by the hands of the common hangman." (ib. p. 507.)
On the same day, the House also declared, that the book entituled, "Some Papers of the Commissioners of Scotland, given in lately to the Houses of Parliament, concerning the Propositions of Pence, doth contain in it matters scandalous and false," &c., and was Ordered to be burnt, &c. (ib. p. 507.) But this declaration was so far modified on the 20th April, in restricting the sentence simply to the Editor's Epistle and Tract, "The State of the Question concerning the Propositions of Peace," (which are prefixed by the Editor, on three leaves, after the title page.) (ib. p. 517.)
During the latter period of his life, Buchanan was engaged with Gordon of Straloch in illustrating the topography and antiquities of his native country, in connexion with the great Atlas of Scotland, which was published in Holland, by Bleau, in 1654. His papers afterwards fell into the hands of Sir Robert Sibbald, by whom some of them were printed. Two MS. works, "De Scriptoribus Scotis," the one dated 1627, and attributed to Buchanan, were printed for the Members of the Bannatyne Club, with a learned Preface by the Editor, Dr. Irving, in 1837.
From his Confirmed Testament, it appears that "Mr. David Buchanan," who died at Edinburgh before the end of August 1652, on the 19th of that month, had nominated "his loving brother, Mr. William Buchanan," his only executor. Whether "Captain William," above mentioned as David's brother, should be identified with this "Mr. William Buchanan," may be left to conjecture.