Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

THE SCOTTISH BORDEll. 199
[Or who shall rule the isle of Britane,
From the north to the south sey ?
A French queen e shall beare the sonne.
Shall rule all Britaine to the sea ;
Which of the Bruce's blood shall come,
' As neere as the nint degree :
' Thomas
I frained fast what was his name.
Where that he came, from what country.]
In Erslingtoun I dwell at hame,
Rymour men cals me."
There is surely no one, who will not conclude, with
Lord Hailes, that the eight lines, inclosed in brackets,
are a clumsy interpolation, borrowed from Berlington,
with such alterations as might render the supposed pro-
phecy applicable to the union of the crowns.
While we are on this subject, it may be proper briefly
to notice the scope of some of the other predictions, in
Hart's Collection. As the prophecy of Berlington was
intended to raise the spirits of the nation, during the
regency of Albany, so those of Sybilla and Eltraine re-
fer to that of the Earl of Arran, afterwards Duke of Cha-
telherault, dui ing the minority of Mary, a period of si-
milar calamity. This is obvious from the following
verses
:
Take a thousand in calculation.
And the longest of the lyon.
Four crescents under one crowne.
With Saint Andrew's croce thrise.
Then threescore and thrise three :
Take tent to INIerling truely,
Then shall the warres ended be,
And never againe rise.