: Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border Volume 3 (of 3) Consisting of Historical and Romantic Ballads Collected in the Southern Counties of Scotland; with a Few of Modern Date Founded Upon Local Tradition by Scott Walter - Ballads Scots Scotland Scottish Border

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that died for me, Certes bot I may speke with that lady bright, Myd my hert will breke in three; I schal me hye with all my might, Hyr to mete at Eldyn Tree. Thomas rathly up he rase, And ran ouer mountayn hye, If it be sothe the story says, He met her euyn at Eldyn Tre. Thomas knelyd down on his kne Undir nethe the grenewood spray, And sayd, lovely lady thou rue on me, Queen of heaven as you well may be; But I am a lady of another countrie, If I be pareld most of prise, I ride after the wild fee, My ratches rinnen at my devys. If thou be pareld most of prise, And rides a lady in strang foly, Lovely lady as thou art wise, Giue you me leue to lige ye by. Do way Thomas, that wert foly, I pray ye Thomas late me be, That sin will forde all my bewtie: Lovely ladye rewe on me, And euer more I shall with ye dwell, Here my trowth I plyght to thee, Where you beleues in heuin or hell. Thomas, and you myght lyge me by, Undir nethe this grene wode spray, Thou would tell full hastely, That thou had layn by a lady gay. Lady I mote lyg by the, Under nethe the grene wode tre, For all the gold in chrystenty, Suld you neuer be wryede for me. Man on molde you will me marre, And yet bot you may haf you will, Trow you well Thomas, you cheuyst ye warre; For all my bewtie wilt you spill. Down lyghtyd that lady bryzt, Undir nethe the grene wode spray, And as ye story sayth full ryzt, Seuyn tymes by her he lay. She seyd, man you lyste thi play, What berde in bouyr may dele with thee, That maries me all this long day; I pray ye Thomas lat me be. Thomas stode up in the stede, And behelde the lady gay, Her heyre hang down about hyr hede, The tone was blak, the other gray. Her eyn semyt onte before was gray, Her gay clethyng was all away, That he before had sene in that stede; Hyr body as blow as ony bede. Thomas sighede, and sayd allas, Me thynke this a dullfull syght, That thou art fadyd in the face, Before you shone as son so bryzt. Tak thy leue Thomas, at son and mone, At gresse, and at euery tre. This twelmonth sall you with me gone, Medyl erth you sall not se. Alas he seyd, ful wo is me, I trow my dedes will werke me care, Jesu my sole tak to ye, Whedir so euyr my body sal fare. She rode furth with all her myzt, Undir nethe the derne lee, It was as derke as at mydnizt, And euyr in water unto the kne; Through the space of days thre, He herde but swowyng of a flode; Thomas sayd, ful wo is me, Nowe I spyll for fawte of fode; To a garden she lede him tyte, There was fruyte in grete plente, Peyres and appless ther were rype, The date and the damese, The figge and als fylbert tre; The nyghtyngale bredyng in her neste, The papigaye about gan fle, The throstylcok sang wold hafe no rest. He pressed to pulle fruyt with his hand As man for faute that was faynt; She seyd, Thomas lat al stand, Or els the deuyl wil the ataynt. Sche said, Thomas I the hyzt, To lay thi hede upon my kne, And thou shalt see fayrer syght, Than euyr sawe man in their kintre. Sees thou, Thomas, yon fayr way, That lyggs ouyr yone fayr playn? Yonder is the way to heuyn for ay, Whan synful sawles haf derayed their payne. Sees thou, Thomas, yon secund way, That lygges lawe undir the ryse? Streight is the way sothly to say, To the joyes of paradyce. Sees thou, Thomas, yon thyrd way, That ligges ouyr yone how? Wide is the way sothly to say, To the brynyng fyres of hell. Sees thou, Thomas, yone fayr castell, That standes ouyr yone fayr hill? Of town and tower it beereth the belle, In middell erth is non like theretill. Whan thou comyst in yone castell gaye, I pray thu curteis man to be; What so any man to you say, Soke thu answer non but me. My lord is servyd at yche messe, With xxx kniztes feir and fre; I sall say syttyng on the dese, I toke thy speche beyonde the le. Thomas stode as still as stone, And behelde that ladye gaye; Than was sche fayr and ryche anone, And also ryal on hir palfreye. The grewhoundes had fylde them on the dere, The raches coupled, by my fay, She blewe her horn Thomas to chere, To the castell she went her way. The ladye into the hall went, Thomas folowyd at her hand; Thar kept hyr mony a lady gent, With curtasy and lawe. Harp and fedyl both he fande, The getern and the sawtry, Lut and rybid ther gon gan, Thair was al maner of mynstralsy. The most fertly that Thomas thoght, When he com emyddes the flore, Fourty hertes to quarry were broght, That had ben befor both long and store. Lymors lay lappyng blode, And kokes standyng with dressyng knyfe, And dressyd dere as thai wer wode, And rewell was thair wonder Knyghtes dansyd by two and thre, All that leue long day. Ladyes that wer gret of gre, Sat and sang of rych aray. Thomas sawe much more in that place, Than I can descryve, Til on a day alas, alas, My lovelye ladye sayd to me, Busk ye Thomas you must agayn, Here you may no longer be: Hy then zerne that you were at hame, I sal ye bryng to Eldyn Tre. Thomas answerd with heuy cher, And sayd, lowely ladye lat me be, For I say ye certenly here Haf I be bot the space of dayes three. Sothely Thomas as I telle ye, You hath ben here thre yeres, And here you may no longer be; And I sal tele ye a skele, To-morowe of helle ye foule fende Amang our folke shall chuse his fee; For you art a larg man and an hende, Trowe you wele he will chuse thee. Fore all the golde that may be, Fro hens unto the worldes ende, Sall you not be betrayed for me, And thairfor sall you hens wend. She broght hym euyn to Eldon Tre, Undir nethe the grene wode spray, In Huntle bankes was fayr to be, Ther breddes syng both nyzt and day. Ferre ouyr yon montayns gray, Ther hathe my facon; Fare wele, Thomas, I wende my way.

FOOTNOTES:

ERSYLTON.

Omnibus has literas visuris vel audituris Thomas de Ercildoun filius et heres Thomae Rymour de Ercildoun salutem in Domino.--Noveritis me per fustem et baculum in pleno judicio resignasse ac per presentes quietem clamasse pro me et heredibus meis Magistro domus Sanctae Trinitatis de Soltre et fratribus ejusdem domus totam terram meam cum omnibus pertinentibus suis quam in tenemento de Ercildoun hereditarie tenui renunciando de toto pro me et heredibus meis omni jure et clameo que ego seu antecessores mei in eadem terra alioque tempore de perpetua habuimus sive de futuro habere possumus. In cujus rei testimonio presentibus his sigillum meum apposui data apud Ercildoun die Martis proximo post festum Sanctorum Apostolorum Symonis et Jude Anno Domini Millessimo cc. Nonagesimo Nono.

The lines alluded to are these:--

I hope that Tomas's prophesie, Of Erceldoun, shall truly be. In him, &c.

Henry the Minstrel, who introduces Thomas into the history of Wallace, expresses the same doubt as to the source of his prophetic knowledge:

Thomas Rhymer into the faile was than With the minister, which was a worthy man. He used oft to that religious place; The people deemed of wit he meikle can, And so he told, though that they bless or ban, Which happened sooth in many divers case; I cannot say by wrong or righteousness. In rule of war whether they tint or wan: It may be deemed by division of grace, &c.

There is a singular resemblance betwixt this tradition, and an incident occurring in the life of Merlin Caledonius, which, the reader will find a few pages onward.

THOMAS THE RHYMER.

PART SECOND.

ALTERED FROM ANCIENT PROPHECIES.

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