THE LIFE OF COL. JAMES GARDINER,
WHO WAS SLAIN AT THE BATTLE OF PRESTONPANS,
SEPTEMBER 21, 1745.
BY P. DODDRIDGE, D.D.
| Justior alter Nec pietate fuit, nec bello major et armis. - VIRGIL |
[*Transcriber's Note: At the time of this book, England still followed the Julian calendar (after Julius Caesar, 44 B.C.), and celebrated New Year's Day on March 25th (Annunciation Day). Most Catholic countries accepted the Gregorian calendar (after Pope Gregory XIII) from some time after 1582 (the Catholic countries of France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy in 1582, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland within a year or two, Hungary in 1587, and Scotland in 1600), and celebrated New Year's Day on January 1st. England finally changed to the Gregorian calendar in 1752. This is the reason for the double dates in the early months of the years in this narrative. January 1687 in England would have been January 1688 in Scotland. Only after March 25th was the year the same in the two countries. The Julian calendar was known as 'Old Style', and the Gregorian calendar as 'New Style' (N.S.). (Thus a letter written from France on e.g. August 4th, 1719 would be dated August 4, N.S).]