Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

THE SCOTTISH BORDEll. l69
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. In a charter, which is
subjoined at length,* the son of our poet designed him-
self " Thomas of Ercildoun, son and heir of Thomas
" Rymour of Ercildoun," which seems to imply that the
father did not bear the hereditary name of l.earmont ;
or, at least, was better known and distinguished by the
epithet, which he had acquired by his personal accom-
plishments. I must, however, remark, that, down to a
very late period, the practice of distinguishing the par-
ties, even in formal writings, by the epithets which had
been bestowed on them from personal circumstances, in-
* From the Charlulary of the Trinity Mouse of Sollra,
Advocates' Library, W. 4. 14.
ERSYLTON.
Omnibus has literas visuris vel audituris Thomas de Ercildoun
filius et heres Thonia Rymour de Ercildoun salutem in Domino.
Noveritis m^ 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 ^enemento de
Ercildoun hereditarie tenui renunciando de toto pro me et heredibus
meis omni jure et clameo que ego seu antecessorcs mei in eadeni
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 Sanc-
torum Apostolorum Symonis et Jude Anno Domini Millessimo cc.
Nonagesimo None.