Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

192 MINSTRELSY OF
out her people having either crouched like hares in
their form, or being drowned in their flight, " for faute
of ships,"—thank God for that too.—The prophecy,
quoted in p. 179, is probably of the same date, and in-
tended for the same purpose. A minute search of the
records of the time would, probably, throw additional
light upon the allusions contained in these ancient le-
gends. Among various rhymes of prophetic import,
which are at this day current amongst the people of
Teviotdale, is one, supposed to be pronounced by Tho-
mas the Rhymer, presaging the destruction of his ha-
bitation and family :
*' The hare sail kittle (litter) on my hearth stane,
" And there will never be a Laird Learmont again."
The first of these lines is obviously borrowed from
that in the MS. of the Harl. Library.— " When hare
" kendles o' the her'stane"—an emphatic image of de-
solation. It is also inaccurately quoted in the prophecy
of Waldhave, published by Andro Hart, lCl3 :
"This is a true talking that Thomas of tells,
" The hare shall hirple on the hard (hearth) stane."
Spottiswoode, an honest, butcredulous historian, seems
to have been a firm believer in the authenticity of the
prophetic wares, vended in the name of Thomas of Ercil-
doun. " The prophecies, yet extant in Scottish rhymes,
" whereupon he was commonly called Thomas the
" Rhymer, may justly be admired ; having foretold, so
" many ages before, the union of England and Scotland
" in the ninth degree of the Bruce's blood, Avith the