THOMAS RHYMER
A. `Thomas Rymer and Queen of Elfland,' Alexander Fraser Tytler's Brown MS, No. 1.
B. `Thomas the Rhymer,' Campbell MSS, II, 83.
C. `Thomas the Rhymer,' Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, II, 251,
1802, "from a copy obtained from a lady residing not
far from Erceldoune, corrected and enlarged by one in Mrs. Brown's
MS."
A is one of the nine ballads transmitted to Alexander Fraser Tytler
by Mrs Brown in April, 180, as written down by her
recollection (note 1). This copy was printed by Jamieson, II, 7, in
his preface to `True Thomas and the Queen of Elfland.'
B, never published as yet, has been corrupted here and ther, but only
by tradition. C being compounded of A and another
version, that portion which is found in A is put in smaller type.
Thomas of Erceldoune, otherwise Thomas the Rhymer, and in the popular
style True Thomas, has had a fame as a seer,
which, though progressively narrowed, is, after the lapse of nearly
or quite six centuries, far from being extinguished. The
common people throughout the whole of Scotland, according to Mr Robert
Chambers (1870), continue to regard him with
veneration, and to preserve a great number of his propheticsayings,
which they habitually seek to connect with "dear years"
and other notable public events (note 2). A prediction of Thomas of
Erceldoune's is recorded in a manuscript which is put
at a date before 1320, and he is referred to with other soothsayers
in the Scalacronica, a French chronicle of English history
begun in 1355. Erceldoune is spoken of in Robert Mannyng's translation
of Langtoft's chronicle, finished in 1338; and in the
Auchinleck copy of `Sir Tristrem,' said to have been made about 1350,
a Thomas is said to have been consulted at
Ertheldoun touching the history of Tristrem. So that we seem safe in
holding that Thomas of Erceldoune had a reputation
both as a prophet and poet in the earlier part of the fourteenth century.
The vaticinations of Thomas are cited by various
later chroniclers, and had as much credit in England as in Scotland.
"During the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth
centuries," says Chambers, "to fabricate a prophecy in the name of
Thomas the Rhymer appears to have been found a good
stroke of policy on many occasions. Thus was his authority employed
to countenance the views of Edwards III against
Scottish independence, to favor the ambitious views of the Duke of
Albany in the minority of James V, and to sustain the
spirits of the nation under the harassing invasions of Henry VIII."
During the Jacobite rising of 1745 the accomplishment of
Thomas'sas then unfulfilled predictions was looked for by many. His
prophecies, and those of other Scotch soothsayers,
were consulted, says Lord Hailes, "with a week if not criminal curiosity."
Even as late as the French revolutionary war a
rhyme of Thomas's caused much distress and consternation in the border
counties of Scotland, where people were fearing
an invasion. The `Whole Prophecie' of Merlin, Thomas Rymour, and others,
collected and issued as early as 1603,
continued to be printed as a chap-book down to the beginning of this
century, when, says Dr Murray, few farm-houses in
Scotland were with a copy of it.
A
Alexander Fraser Tytler's Brown Ms., No 1, Jamieson's Popular Ballads, II, 7.
1 True Thomas
lay oer yond grassy bank,
And he beheld a ladie gay,
A ladie that was brisk and bold,
Come riding oer the fernie brae.
2 Her skirt
was of the grass-green silk,
Her mantel of the velvet fine,
At ilka tett of horse's mane
Hung fifty silver bells and nine.
3 True Thomas
he took off his hat,
And bowed him low down till his knee:
'All hail, though mighty Queen of Heaven!
For your peer on earth I never did see.'
4 'O no, O no,
True Thomas,' she says,
'That name does not belong to me;
I am but the queen of fair Elfland,
And I'm come here for to visit thee.
* *
* *
*
5 But ye maun
go wi me now, Thomas,
True Thomas, ye maun go wi me,
For ye maun serve me seven years,
Thro weel or wae as may chance to be.'
6 She turned
about her milk-white steed,
And took True Thomas up behind,
And aye wheneer her bridle rang,
The steed flew swifter than the wind.
7 For forty
days and forty nights
He wade thro red blude to the knee,
And he saw neither sun nor moon,
But heard the roaring of the sea.
8 O they rade
on, and further on,
Until they came to a garden gree:
'Light down, light down, ye ladie free,
SOme of that fruit let me pull to thee.'
9 'O no, O no,
True Thomas,' she says,
'That fruit maun not be touched by thee,
For a' the plagues that are in hell
Light on the fruit of this countrie.
10 'But I have a loaf
here in my lap,
Likewise a bottle of claret wine,
And now ere we go farther on,
We'll rest a while, and ye may dine.'
11 When he had eaten
and drunk his fill,
'Lay down your head upon my knee,'
The lady sayd, 'ere we climb yon hill,
And I will show you fairlies three.
12 'Oh see not ye
yon narrow road,
So thick beset wi thorns and briers?
That is the path of righteousness,
Tho after it but few enquires.
13 'And see not ye
that braid braid road,
That lies across yon lillie leven?
That is the path of wickedness,
Tho some call it the road to heaven.
14 'And see not ye
that bonny road,
Which winds about the fernie brae?
That is the road to fair Elfland,
Whe[re] you and I this night maun gae.
15 'But Thomas, ye
maun hold your tongue,
Whatever you may hear or see,
For gin ae word you should chance to speak,
You will neer get back to your ain countrie.'
16 He has gotten a
coat of the even cloth,
And a pair of shoes of velvet green,
And till seven years were past and gone
True Thomas on earth was never seen.
Notes:
7 stands 15 in the Ms.
8 line 2. golden green, if my copy is right.
11, line 2, 3 are 11, line 3, 2 in the MS.: the order of words is still
not simple enough for a ballad.
14, line 4: goe.
Jamieson has a few variations, which I suppose to be his own.
1, line 1: oer yonder bank.
3, line 4: your like.
4, line 4: And I am come to here.
6, line 4: Her steed.
8, line 2: garden, rightly.
10, line 2: clarry.
11, line 2: Lay your head.
12, line 1: see you not.
12, line 4: there's few.
13, line 1: see ye not yon.
14, line 1: see ye not.
14, line 2: Which winds.
B
Campbell MSS, II, 83.
1 As Thomas lay
on Huntlie banks--
A wat a weel bred man was he--
And there he spied a lady fair,
Coming riding down by the Eildon tree.
2 The horse
she rode on was dapple gray,
And in her hand she held bells nine;
I thought I heard this fair lady say
These fair siller bells they should a' be mine.
3 It's Thomas
even forward went,
And lootit low down on his knee:
'Weel met thee save, my lady fair,
For thou'rt the flower o this countrie.'
4 'O no, O no,
Thomas,' she says,
'O no, O nno, that can never be,
For I'm but a lady of an unco land,
Comd out a hunting, as ye may see.
5 'O harp and
carp, Thomas,' she says,
'O harp and carp, and go wi me;
It's be seven years, Thomas, and a day,
Or you see man or woman in your ain countrie.'
6 It's she has
rode, and Thomas ran,
Until they cam to yon water clear;
He's coosten off his hose and shon,
And he's wooden the water up to the knee.
7 It's she has
rode, and Thomas ran,
Until they cam to yon garden green;
He's put up his hand for to pull down ane,
For the lack o food he was like to tyne.
8 'Hold your
hand, Thomas,' she says,
'Hold your hand, that must not be;
It was a'that cursed fruit o thine
Beggared man and woman in your countrie.
9 'But I have
a loaf and a soup o wine,
And ye shall go and dine wi me;
And lay yer head down in my lap,
And I will tell ye farlies three.
10 'It's dont ye see
yon broad broad way,
That leadeth down by yon skerry fell?
It's ill's the man that dothe thereon gang,
For it leadeth him straight to the gates o hell.
11 'It's dont ye see
yon narrow way,
That leadeth down by yon lilllie lea?
It's weel's the man that doth therein gang,
For it leads him straight to heaven hie.'
* *
* *
*
12 It's when she cam
into the hall--
I wat a weel bred man was he--
They've asked him questions, one and all,
But he answered none but that fair ladie.
13 O they speerd at
her where she did him get,
And she told them at the Eilden tree;
[Corrupted]
C
Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, II, 251, ed. 1802.
1 True Thomas
lay on Huntlie Bank,
A ferlie he spied wi' his eye
And there he saw a lady bright,
Come riding down by Eildon Tree.
2 Her shirt
was o the grass-green silk,
Her mantle o the velvet fyne
At ilka tett of her horse's mane
Hang fifty siller bells and nine.
3 True Thomas,
he pulld aff his cap,
And louted low down to his knee:
`All hail, thou mighty Queen ofHeaven!
For thy peer on earth I never did see.'
4 `O no, O no,
Thomas,' she said,
`That name does not belang to me;
I am but the queen of fair Elfland,
That am hither come to visit thee.
5 `Harp and
carp, Thomas,' she said,
`Harp and carp along wi' me,
Andif ye dare to kiss my lips,
Sure of your bodie I will be.'
6 `Betide me
weal, betide me woe,
That weird shall never daunton me;'
Syne he has kissed her rosy lips,
All underneath the Eildon Tree.
7 `Now, ye maun
go wi me,' she said,
~True Thomas, ye maun go wi me,
And ye maun serve me seven years,
Thro weal or woe, as may chance to be.'
8 She mounted
on her milk-white steed,
She's taen True Thomas up behind,
And aye wheneer her bridle rung,
The steed flew swifter than the wind.
9 O they rade
on, and farther on--
The steed gaed swifter than the wind--
Untill they reached a desart wide,
And living land was left behind.
10 `Light down, light
down, now, True Thomas,
And lean your head upon my knee;
Abide and rest a little space,
And I will shew you ferlies three.
11 `O see ye not that
narrow road,
So thick beset with thorns and briers?
That is the path of righteousness,
Tho after it but few enquires.
12 `And see not ye
that braid braid road,
That lies across that lily leven?
That is the path to wickedness,
Tho some call it the road to heaven.
13 `And see not ye
that bonny road,
That winds about the fernie brae?
That is the road to fair Elfland,
Where thou and I this night maun gae.
14 `But, Thomas, ye
maun hold your tongue,
Whatever ye may hear or see,
For, if you speak word in Elflyn land,
Ye'll neer get back to your ain countrie.'
15 O they rade on,
and farther on,
And they waded thro rivers aboon the knee,
And they saw neither sun nor moon,
But they heard the roaring of the sea.
16 It was mirk mirk
night, and there was nae stern light,
And they waded thro red blude to the knee;
For a' the blude that's shed on earth
Rins thro the springs o that countrie.
17 Syne they came
on to a garden green,
And she pu'd an apple frae the tree:
`Take this for thy wages, True Thomas,
It will give the tongue that can never lie.'
18 `My tongue is mine
ain,' True Thomas said;
`A gudely gift ye was gie to me!
I neither dought to buy nor sell,
At fair or tryst where I may be.
19 `I dought neither
speak to prince or peer,
Nor ask of grace from fair ladye:'
`Now hold thy peace,' the lady said,
`For as I say, so must it be.'
20 He has gotten a
coat of the even cloth,
And a pair of shoes of velvet green,
And till seven years were gane and past
True Thomas on earth was never seen.
APPENDIX
THOMAS OFF ERSSELDOUNE
Thornton MS., leaf 149, back, as printed by Dr. J. A. H. Murray.
[A prologue of six stanzas, found only in the Thornton MS., is omitted,
as being, even if genuine, not to the present
purpose.]
1 Als I me wente
this endres daye
Full faste in mynd makand my mone
In a mery mornynge of Maye
By Huntley bankkes myselfe allone,
2 I herde the
jaye and the throstyll cokke;
The mavys menyde hir of hir songe;
The wodewale beryde als a belle,
That alle the wode abowte me ronge.
3 Allone in
longynge thus als I laye
Undyrenethe a semely tree,
[Saw] I whare a lady gaye
[Cam rydyng] over a lovely lee.
4 If I solde
sytt to domesdaye,
With my tonge, to wrobbe and wrye,
Certanely that lady gaye,
Never bese scho askryede for mee.
5 Hir palfraye
was a dappill graye;
Swylke one ne saughe I never none.
Als dose the sonne on someres daye,
That faire lady hirselfe scho schone.
6 Hir selle
it was of roelle bone--
Full semely was that syghte to see--
Stefly sett with precyous stones
And compaste all with crapotee,
7 Stones or
oryente, grete plentey.
Hir hare abowte hir hede it hange.
Scho rade over that lovely lee;
A whylle scho blewe, another scho sange.
8 Hir garthes
of nobyll sylke thay were,
The bukylls were of berelle stone;
Hir steraps were of crystalle cleve
And all with perelle over-by-one.
9 Hir payetrelle
was of yral fyne,
Hir cropoure was of orphare;
And als clere golde hir brydill it schone.
One aythir syde hange bellys three.
10 Scho led three
grehoundis in a lesshe,
And sevene raches by hir thay rone.
Scho bare an horne abowte hir halse
And undir hir belte full many a flone.
11 Thomas laye and
sawe that syghe
Undirnethe ane semly tree.
He sayd, "Yone es Marye, moste of myghte,
That bare that Childe that dyede for mee.
13 Bot if I speke
with yone lady bryghte,
I hope myne herte will bryste in three!
Now sall I go with all my myghte,
Hir for to mete at Eldoune Tree."
14 Thomas rathely
upe he rase,
And he rane over that mountayne hye.
Gyff it be als the storyee says,
He hir mette at Eldone Tree.
15 He knelyde downe
appone his knee
Undirnethe that grenwode spraye
And sayd, "Lufly ladye! rewe one me,
Qwene of Hevene, als thou wele maye!"
16 Then spake that
lady milde of thoghte:
"Thomas, late swylke wordes be.
Qwene of Hevene ne am I noghte,
For I tuke never so heghe degree,
17 Bote I ame of ane
other countree.
If I be payrelde most of prysse,
I ryde aftyre this wylde fee;
My raches rnnys at my devyse."
18 "If thou be parelde
moste of prysse,
And here rydis thus in thy folye,
Of lufe, lady, als thou erte wysse,
Thou gyffe me leve to lye thee bye."
19 Scho sayde, "Thou
mane, that ware folye.
I praye thee, Thomas, thou late me bee;
For I saye thee full sekirye,
That synne will fordoo all my beauty."
20 "Now, lufly ladye,
rewe on mee,
And I will ever more with thee dwelle--
Here my trouthe I will thee plyghte--
Whethir thou will in hevene or helle."
21 "Mane of Molde,
thou will me marre,
Bot yitt thou sall hafe all thy will;
And trowe it wele, thou chevys the werre,
For alle my beauty will thou spylle."
22 Downe thane lyghte
that lady bryghte
Undernethe that grenewode spraye;
And als the storye tellis full ryghte,
Sevene sythis by hir he laye.
23 Scho sayd, "Man,
thee lykes thy playe.
Whate byrde in boure maye delle with thee?
Thou merrys me all this longe daye;
I praye thee, Thomas, late me bee!"
24 Thomas stode upe
in that stede,
And he byhelde that lady gaye.
Hir hare it hange all over hir hede;
Hir eghne seme owte that are were graye;
25 And alle the riche
clothynge was awaye
That he byfore sawe in that stede;
Hir a schanke blake, hir other graye,
And all hir body lyke the lede.
26 Thomas laye and
sawe that syghe
Undirnethe that grenewod tree.
. . .
. .
. . .
. .
27 Then said Thomas,
"Allas! Allas!
In faythe this es a dullfull syghte.
How arte thou fadyde thus in the face,
That schane byfore als the sonne so bryghte!"
28 Scho sayd, "Thomas,
take leve at sonne and mone
And als at lefe that grewes on tree.
This twelmoneth sall thou with me gone,
And medill-erthe sall thou none see."
29 He knelyd downe
appone his knee
Undirnethe that grenewod spraye
And sayd, "Lufly lady, rewe on mee,
Mylde qwene of Hevene, als thou beste maye.
30 Allas," he sayd,
"and wa es mee!
I trowe my dedis wyll wirke me care;
My saullle, Jhesu, byteche I thee,
Whedir-some that ever my banes sall fare."
31 Scho ledde hym
in at Eldone Hill
Undernithe a derne lee
Whare it was dirke als mydnyght myrke,
And ever the water till his knee.
32 The montenans of
dayes three
He herd bot swoghynge of the flode.
At the laste, he sayde, "Full was es mee!
Almaste I dye, for fawte of fode."
33 Scho lede hym intill
a faire herbere,
Whare frwte was growand gret plentee:
Pere and appill, bothe ryppe thay were,
The date, and als the damasee;
34 The fygge, and
alsso the wyneberye;
The nyghtgales byggande on thair neste.
The papejoyes faste abowte gane flye,
And throstylles sange wolde hafe no rest.
35 He pressede to
pulle frowyte with his hande,
Als mane for fude that was nere faynt.
Scho sayd, "Thomas, thou late thame stande,
Or elels the fende thee will atteynt.
36 If thou it plokk,
sothely to saye,
Thi saule gose to the fyre of helle.
It commes never owte or domesdaye,
Bot ther in payne ay for to dwelle.
37 Thomas, sothely,
I thee hyghte,
Come lygge thne hede downe on my knee,
And thou sall se the fayreste syghte
That ever sawe mane of thi contree."
38 He did in hye als
scho hym badde.
Appone hir knee his hede he layde,
For hir to paye he was full glade.
And thane that lady to hym sayde:
39 "Seese thou nowe
yone faire waye
That lygges over yone heghe mountayne?
Yone es the waye to hevene for aye,
Whene synfull sawles are passede ther payne.
40 "Seese thou yitt
yone other waye,
That lygges lawe bynethe yone rysse?
Yone es the waye, the sothe to saye,
Unto the joye of paradyse.
41 "Seese tou yitt
yone thirde waye
That ligges undir yone grene playne?
Yone es the waye, with tene and traye,
Where synfull saulis suffiris thaire payne.
42 "Bot seese thou
nowe yone ferthe waye
That legges over yone depe delle?
Yone es the waye, so waylawaye,
Unto the birnande fyre of helle.
43 "Seese thou yitt
yone faire castelle
That standis over yone heghe hill?
Of towne and towre, it beris the belle;
In erthe es none lyke it untill.
44 Forsothe, Thomas,
yone es myne awenne,
And the kynges of this countree.
Bot me ware lever be hanged and drawene
Or that he wyste thou laye me by.
45 When thou commes
to yone castelle gaye,
Ip pray thee curtase mane to bee.
And whate-so any many to thee saye,
Luke thou answere none bott me.
46 My lordes es sevrede
at ylk a mese
With thritty knyghttis faire and free.
I sall saye, syttande at the desse,
I tuke thi speche byyone the see."
47 Thomas still als
stane he stude,
And he byhelde that lady gaye.
Scho come agayne als faire and gude
And also ryche one hir palfraye,
48 Hir grewehoundis
fillide with dere blode,
Hir raches couplede, by my faye.
Scho blewe hir horne with mayne and mode;
Unto the castelle scho tuke the waye.
49 Into the haulle
sothely scho went.
Thomas folowed at hir hande.
Than ladyes come, both faire and gent,
With curassye to hir knelande.
50 Harpe and fethill
both thay fande,
Gettern, and alsso the sawtry,
Lutte and rybyby both gangande,
And all manere of mynstralsye.
51 The most mervelle
that Thomas thoghte
When that he stode appone the flore,
For feftty hertis in were broghte
That were bothe grete and store.
52 Raches laye lapande
in the blode.
Cokes come with dryssynge knyfe;
Thay brittened thame als thay were wode.
Revelle amanges thame was full ryfe.
53 Knyghtis dawnsede
by three and three.
There was revelle, gamene, and playe,
Lufly ladyes faire and fre
That satte and sange one riche araye.
54 Thomas dwellide
in that solace
More than I yowe saye, parde,
Till one a daye, so hafe I grace,
My lufly lady sayde to mee:
55 "Do buske thee,
Thomas. The buse agayne,
For thou may here no lengare be.
Hye thee faste with myghte and mayne.
I sall thee brynge till Eldone Tree."
56 Thomas sayde thane
with hevy chere,
"Lufly lady, nowe late me bee,
For certis, lady, I hafe bene here
Noghte bot the space of dayes three!"
57 "Forsothe, Thomas,
als I thee telle,
Thou hase bene here thre yere and more,
Bot langere here thou may noghte dwelle.
That skylle I sall thee telle wharefore.
58 Tomorne of helle
the foulle fende
Amange this folke will feche his fee;
And thou arte mekill mane and hende;
I trowe full wele he wolde chese thee.
59 For alle the gold
that ever may bee
Fro hethyne unto the worldis ende,
Thou bese never betrayede for mee.
Therefore with me I rede thou wende."
60 Scho broghte hym
agayne to Eldone Tree
Undirnethe that grenewode spraye.
In Huntlee bannkes es mery to bee,
Wharte fowles synges bothe nyght and daye.
61 "Ferre owtt in
yone mountane graye,
Thomas, my fawkone bygges a nest.
A fawconnes es an erlis praye;
For-thi in na place may he rest.
61 Fare wele, Thomas,
I wend my waye,
For me byhoves over yon benttis browne."
Loo here a fytt. More es to say,
All of Thomas of Erselldowne.
FYTT II
1 `Farewele,
Thomas, I wend my waye,
I may no lengare stand with the:'
`Gyff me a tokynynge, lady gaye,
That I may saye I spake with the.'
2 `To harpe
or carpe, whare so thou gose
Thomas, thou sall hafe thee chose sothely:'
And he saide, Harpynge kepe I none,
Ffor tonge es chefe of mynstralsye.
3 `If thou will
spelle, or tales telle,
Thomas, thou sall neuer lesynge lye;
Whare euer thou fare, by frythe or felle,
I praye the speke none evyll of me.
4 Ffare wele,
Thomas, with-owttyne gyle,
I may no lengare duelle with thee:'
`Lufly lady, habyde a while,
And telle thou me of some ferly.'
5 `Thomas, herkyne
what I thee saye:' etc.
Here begin the prophecies.
Note 1: See the letter of Dr. Anderson to Bishop Percy, December 29,
1800, in Nichol's Illustration of the Literary History
of the Eighteenth Century, VII, 178 f.
Note 2: Chamber's Popular Rhymes of Scotland, 1870, pp. 211--224. See,
also, Scott's Minstrelsy, IV, 110-116,
129-151, ed. 1833. But, above all, Dr. J. A. H. Murray's Introduction
to the Romance and Prophecies of Thomas of
Erceldoune, 1875.