author
George Mackenzie
1636–1691
A brilliant and controversial figure in 17th-century Scotland, this lawyer and essayist helped shape Scottish legal writing while leaving behind a deeply divided reputation. He is remembered both for founding the Advocates' Library and for the harsh prosecutions that earned him the nickname "Bloody Mackenzie."
1 Audiobook
Prefaces to Four Seventeenth-Century Romances Roger Boyle, Lord Broghill, preface to Parthenissa (1655) Sir George Mackenzie, "Apologie for romances," prefixed to Aretina, the serious romance (1660) Nathaniel Ingelo, preface to Bentivolio and Urania (1660) Robert Boyle, preface to Theodora and Didymus (1687)
by Earl of Orrery Roger Boyle, Nathaniel Ingelo, George Mackenzie
About the author
Born in Dundee in 1636, Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh became one of the best-known Scottish lawyers of his age. He studied at King's College, Aberdeen, and at St Andrews, then continued his legal education in France before building a major career at the Scottish bar.
Mackenzie was not only a lawyer but also a prolific writer, producing works on law, politics, and literature. As Lord Advocate, he served the Crown during a tense and violent period in Scottish history, and his prosecution of Covenanters made him a feared and bitterly debated public figure.
He also played an important part in Scotland's intellectual life. Mackenzie is credited with founding the Advocates' Library in Edinburgh, an institution that later became closely connected with the National Library of Scotland. He died in Westminster on May 8, 1691, leaving a legacy marked by both literary achievement and political severity.