Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

208 MINSTRELSY OF
" Baldwine, King of the broad isle of Britain ; in the
" which she maketh mention of two noble princes and
" emperours, the which is called Leones. How these
" two shall subdue, and overcome all earthlie princes
" to their diademe and crowne, and also be glorified
" and crowned in the heaven among saints. The first
" of these two is Constantinus Magnus ; that was Le-
" prosus, the son of Saint Helene, that found the croce.
" The second is the sixt king of the name of SteAvard
" of Scotland, the which is our most noble king."
With such editors and commentators, what wonder
that the text became unintelligible, even beyond the
usual oracular obscurity of prediction ?
If there still remain, therefore, among these predic-
tions, any verses having a claim to real antiquity, it seems
now impossible to discover them from those which are
comparatively modern. Nevertheless, as there are to
be found, in these compositions, some uncommonly wild
and masculine expressions, the editor has been induced
to throw a few passages together, into the sort of ballad
to which this disquisition is prefixed. It would, indeed,
have been no difficult matter for him, by a judicious se-
lection, to have excited, in favour of Thomas of Ercel-
doune, a share of the admiration bestowed by sundry
wise persons upon Mass Robert Fleming. For example
" But then the lilyc shall be loused when they least tliink ;
" Then clear king's blood shal quake for fear of death ;
" For churls shal chop off heads of their chief beirns,
" And carfe of the crowns that Christ hath appomted.
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