And yielded to a father's arms Clasp'd him, and sobb'd-" My son! my son!" XXXV. This chanced upon a summer morn, 'Twas then the Maid of Rokeby gave Time and Tide had thus their sway, MISCELLANEOUS PIECES. THOMAS THE RHYMER. IN THREE PARTS. FEW personages are so renowned in tradition as Thomas of Ercildoune, known by the appellation of The Rhymer. It is agreed on all hands, that the residence, and probably the birthplace of this ancient bard, was Ercildoune, a village situated upon the Leader, two miles above its junction with the Tweed. The ruins of an ancient tower are still pointed out as the Rhymer's castle. The uniform tradition bears, that his surname was Lermont, or Learmont; and that the appellation of The Rhymer was conferred on him in consequence of his poetical compositions. There remains, nevertheless, some doubt upon the subject. We are better able to ascertain the period at which Thomas of Ercildoune lived, being the latter end of the thirteenth century. It cannot be doubted that Thomas of Ercildoune was a remarkable and important person in his own time, since, very shortly after his death, we find him celebrated as a prophet and as a poet. Whether he himself made any pretensions to the first of these characters, or whether it was gratuitously conferred upon him by the credulity of posterity, it seems difficult to decide. The popular tale bears that Thomas was carried off, at an early age, to the Fairy Land, where he acquired all the knowledge which made him afterwards so famous. After seven years' residence, he was permitted to return to the earth, to enlighten and astonish his countrymen by his prophetic powers; still, however, remaining bound to return to his royal mistress, when she should intimate her pleasure. Accordingly, while Thomas was making merry with his friends in the Tower of Ercildoune, a person came running in, and told, with marks of fear and astonishment, that a hart and hind had left the neighbouring forest, and were, composedly and slowly, parading the street of the village. The prophet instantly arose, left his habitation, and followed the wonderful animals to the forest, whence he was never seen to return. The Eildon Tree, from beneath the shade of which he delivered his prophecies, now no longer exists, but the spot is marked by a large stone, called Eildon Tree Stone. The following ballad is given from a copy, obtained from a lady residing not far from Ercildoune, corrected and enlarged by one in Mrs Brown's MSS. To this old tale the Editor has ventured to add a Second Part, consisting of a kind of cento, from the printed prophecies vulgarly ascribed to the Rhymer; and a Third Part, entirely modern, founded upon the tradition of his having returned with the hart and hind to the Land of Faërie. THOMAS THE RHYMER. PART FIRST. Ancient. TRUE THOMAS lay on Huntlie bank; And there he saw a ladye bright, Come riding down by the Eildon Tree. Her shirt was o' the grass-green silk, "Harp and carp, Thomas," she said; "Betide me weal, betide me woe, All underneath the Eildon Tree. "" "Now, ye maun go wi' me," she said; O they rade on, and farther on; The steed gaed swifter than the wind; Until they reach'd a desert wide, And living land was left behind. "Light down, light down, now, true Thomas, And lean your head upon my knee; Abide and rest a little space, And I will show you ferlies three. "O see ye not yon narrow road, So thick beset with thorns and briers? That is the path of righteousness, Though after it but few enquires. "And see ye not that braid braid road, Though some call it the road to heaven. "And see not ye that bonny road, That winds about the fernie brae? That is the road to fair Elfland, Where thou and I this night maun gae. That weird, &c.-That destiny shall never frighten me. "But, Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue, Ye'll ne'er get back to your ain countrie." O they rade on, and farther on, And they waded through rivers aboon the knee, But they heard the roaring of the sea. It was mirk mirk night, and there was nae stern light, Rins through the springs o' that countrie. Syne they came on to a garden green, "Take this for thy wages, true Thomas; It will give thee the tongue that can never lie."- At fair or tryst where I may be. "I dought neither speak to prince or peer, He has gotten a coat of the even cloth, THOMAS THE RHYMER. PART SECOND. Altered from Ancient Prophecies. CORSPATRICK (Comes Patrick), Earl of March, but more commonly taking his title from his castle of Dunbar, acted a noted part during the wars of Edward I. in Scotland. As Thomas of Ercildoune is said to have delivered to him his famous prophecy of King Alexander's death, the Editor has chosen to introduce him into the following ballad. All the prophetic verses are selected from Hart's publication of the Rhymer's Predictions, printed at Edinburgh A.D. 1615. WHEN seven years were come and gane, And Thomas lay on Huntlie bank, He heard the trampling of a steed, Come riding down by the Eildon Tree. He was a stalwart knight, and strong; Says "Well met, well met, true Thomas! "Light down, light down, Corspatrick brave! "A storm shall roar this very hour, For the sun shines sweet on fauld and lee." He put his hand on the Earlie's head; And chieftains throng wi' meikle pride. Shall make him wink and warre to see. "When he is bloody, and all to bledde, Thus to his men he still shall say"For God's sake, turn ye back again, And give yon southern folk a fray! Why should I lose, the right is mine? My doom is not to die this day.' "Yet turn ye to the eastern hand, And woe and wonder ye sall see; How forty thousand spearmen stand, Where yon rank river meets the sca. "There shall the lion lose the gylte, And the libbards bear it clean away; At Pinkyn Cleuch there shall be spilt Much gentil bluid that day.""Enough, enough, of curse and ban; Some blessings show thou now to me, Or, by the faith o' my bodie," Corspatrick said, "Ye shall rue the day ye e'er saw me!""The first of blessings I shall thee show, Is by a burn, that's call'd of bread; |