William Drummond of Hawthornden's Donation of Books to Edinburgh University Library, 1626

William Drummond of Hawthornden began collecting books soon after he graduated. In 1626 he gifted 363 volumes to the Tounis College, and as many again between 1628 and 1636; these were probably about one-third of his own library. Exactly why he did so is not clear. He was made a burgess of Edinburgh in 1626, and probably wished to be seen and remembered as a benefactor to his alma mater. The library represents a superb example of an educated gentleman's private library of the early 17th-century. It has provided the University Library with some of its greatest treasures, especially in the fields of literature, history, geography, philosophy and theology, science, medicine and law. They include early printings of Shakespeare, Jonson, Spenser, Drayton and Sir Philip Sidney, a complete copy of John Derrick's "Image of Irelande" (1581), and two early pamphlets encouraging the colonisation of Nova Scotia.

The books are listed in the University Library's guard-book catalogue, and a printed catalogue of the collection is available in the Centre for Research Collections, where the collection itself may be consulted.