The Whole Prophecies of Scotland, England, Ireland, France & Denmark

Front matter

THE WHOL

PROPHECIES

OF

Dedication

Sacro & Auguſto, Monarcho,

Magnæ Britanniæ, Galliæ & Hiberniæ Regi, &c.

Regum Regibus edite, Regnum Britannum qui Imperio regens Regali & unus Chriſtianna Regula, tum Typus es regendi; Regnum relictum funere regio, Regnum receptum munere patrio, Regnes beatus nos regendos, Uſque tuæ ſoboli relinquens.

The Prophecies of Thomas Rymer

SCOTLAND be ſad now and lament thy child whom thou haſt loſt, Bereft of kings, falſely undone, by thine unkindly hoſt.

2 Alas! the free is bound become, and deceit is thy fall; The falſehood of the Britiſh race, has brought thee into thrall.

3 The grave of the moſt noble prince, to all is great regret, Not ſubject to law, who doth leave the kingdom and eſtate.

4 O anguiſh great! where every kind and age doth lament, Whom bitter death has ta'en away, ſhall Scotland ore repent.

5 Lately a land of rich increaſe, a nation ſtout, and true, Has loſt her former dear eſtate, which they did hold in due.

6 By hard conflict, and by the chance, of mobile Fortune's force, Thy hap, and thy proſperity, is turned into worſe.

7 Thou wont to win, now is ſubdu'd and come in under yoke; A ſtranger reigns and doth deſtroy what likes him, with ſword's ſtroke.

8 The Engliſh race, whom neither force nor manner do approve, Woe is to thee: by guile and flight is only win above.

9 This mighty nation was tofore invincible and ſtout, Has yielded low to deſtiny, great pity is no doubt.

10 In former age the Scots renown did flouriſh goodly gay: But now, alas! is over-clad with a great dark decay

11 Then mark and ſee what is the cauſe of this ſo wonderous fall, Contempt of faith, falſehood, deceit, the wrath of God withal.

12 Unſatiable greed of world's gain, oppreſſion, cries of poor, Perpetual a ſlanderous race, no juſtice put in Ure.

13 The haughty pride of mighty men of former vice chief cauſe, The nutriture of wickedneſs, an unjuſt match of laws:

14 Therefore this caſe the prophets old of long time did preſage, As now has happened every point into your preſent age.

15 Since fate is ſo, now Scotland learn in patience to abide, Slander, great fears, and ſudden plagues, and Dolours more beſide,

16 For out of thee ſhall people riſe, with divers happineſs; And yet a pen can ſcarcely write thy hurt, kaith, and diſtreſs:

17 And yet beware thou not diſtruſt although o'erwhelm'd with grief, Thy ſtroke is not perpetual, for thou ſhalt find relief.

18 I do ſuppoſe, although too late, old prophecies ſhall hold, Hope thou in God's goodneſs ever, and mercies manifold.

19 For thou that now a patient is, and ſeemeth to be bound, At liberty ſhall free be ſet, and with empire renown'd.

20 From high above hall grace come down: and thy ſtate, Scotland, be In letter end more proſperous nor former age did ſee.

21 Old prophecies fortel to thee a warlike heir bee's born, Who ſhall recover now his right, advance his kingdom's horn:

22 Then ſhall the Scots' ſword ſweet with blood, and ſlaughter which they make, The king himſelf revenger ſhall the guilty troops down wrack.

33 The Engliſh nation ſhall invade, but not eſcape a plague, With ſword, with thirſt, with tears and peſt, with fears and ſuch like ague.

34 And after en'mies bee's thrown down, and maſtered by war, Then Scotland, in peace quietly, paſs joyful days for ever.

When HEMPE is come and alſo gone, Scotland and England ſhall be one.

K.

Henry, the VIII.

K.

Edward, the VI.

Q.

Mary,

K.

Philip, of Spain. M's Hub.

Q.

Elisabeth. Q.

Praiſed be God alone, for Hempe is come and gone, And left us old Albion, by peace join'd in one.

Tempora patet oculata veritas.

In time appeareth hidden Truth.

MERLING ſays in his book, who will read it right, Although his ſayings be uncouth, they ſhall be true found. In the ſeventh chapter, read whoſo will One thouſand and more after Chriſt's birth: When the Chalnalider of Cornwall is called, And the wolf out of Wales is vanguiſhed for aye. Then many farlies ſhall fall, and many folks ſhall die. Many elcouth ſhall be ſeen in all chriſtian lands, In the moon and the ſea, and ſigns in the ſun, And in all planets plainly that appears to the ſky; Then ſhall the lion the beaſt in the broad north, And a fellon flaw ſhall fall ſoon after, And a ſheding of blood within ſhort time: Both the moon and the mernes great dool ſhall make, And all Mar ſhall mourn many days after. The great bear with his tuſks the field ſhall loſe, A fell ſhower of the ſouth ſhall ſad him for ever, And that leid ſhall his life loſe in another land. Then ſhall a freik be foſtered far in the ſouth, And to the Kyth ſhall he go that he came from, With much wealth and worſhip ſhall he go home, And inhabit Albany unto the end. Both the iſles and Arran at his own will, Many men ſhall laugh when he home comes, But much elcouth ſhall be ſeen within ſhort time, At his own kind blood there ſhall begin, Chooſe of the chiefeſt, and chop off their heads. Some harled in ſleds and hanged on high, Some put in priſon and much pain abide. The crab ſhall be out of his clift along time, With unkind blood, and yet ſhall recover; And other beirns in whole baniſh for ever. Covetice ſhall be his name, the King of that Kyth, For both his heart and his head, ſhall be of flint forged, No Lord ſhall live in that land but himſelf alone: But they are bereaved of bliſs to keep them in baile, Yet ſhall a man of more vail mar him for ever; For ſuddenly he ſhall go down and die in a fen. There ſhall no king come in that Kyth for along time, But a figure of a flower, the faireſt of the ſixth, The white flower and the red ſo ſhall be call'd. In the mouth of Arran a elcouth ſhall fall, Two bloody hearts ſhall be taken with a falſet rain, And derſly ding down without any doom; Ireland, Orkney, and other lands many; For the death of theſe two, great dool ſhall make. Then much ſorrow is ſeen within ſeven years, Both the crab and the cock ſhall eſcape, For more harm at that time ſhall they not have, When the ravan roups many ſhall rue! From Cornwell to Caithneſs they ſhall his cry hearǃ When the gled in his clift is clim to the height, He counts not the lion that he is kind Lord: When the griap would govern all and gapes thereafter With great gifts of gold the flower would he get, Come he once in his clooks, he covers him never! Then would a poor captive be keeper of the Kyth, Yet ſhall it fail the freit that the fool thinks, When the cock crows, keep well his comb: For the fox and the fulmaſt they are falſe both, When the raven and the rook is rounded together, And the kid in his clift ſhall accord to the ſame, Then ſhall they be bold, and ſoon to bail after; Then ſhall the buck in belling-time make a great bear: It is but wind that waits, for he is but away: Then ſhall waken up a war and much woe after: Then the birds of the raven rugs and reaves, And the leil men of Lothian be luppen on their horſe; Then ſhall the poor people be ſpoiled full near, And the Mers ſhall mourn many days after. And all the abbies truly that ſtands on Tweed, And all Lothian ſhall live on their lives after, They ſhall burn and ſlay, and great reif make, There dare no poor man ſay whoſe man he is. Then ſhall the land be lawleſs, for love there is none, And falſehood ſhall have foot, fully five years, And truth truly ſhall be tint, and none ſhall truſt other: The couſin once ſhall not truſt the other, Nor the ſon the father, nor the father the ſon, For to have his goods he would have him hanged. Then ſhall they a counſel call for peace of the Kyth, To make love among Lords but that ſhall not laſt: For thoſe barons and batchelors that will not obey, That will not keep to their cry, nor come to their call. Then ſhall men be marked for their miſdeeds, That ſhall turn them to tein within a while after When 14 are paſt, and twice three threep is at end, And over a water he ſhall, fair and ſee for himſelf, And in a fair foreſt ſhall an ern big. Many men ſhall loſe their life in the mean time; For they ſhall pitch a field and fiercely fight; Upon a broad muir a battle ſhall be. Beſide a ſtock croſe that ſtands in the north, It is covered with dead corpſe and all of a Kythe, That the crow may not know where the croſſe ſtood. The wolf ſhall be watchman and keep many ways, And ſhall be leil to the lion his own kind Lord, Holy church is cumbered with the beſt of the Kyth, With languages that live not by Chriſt, but that ſhall not laſt. From Balcomy to the Baſſe on the broad ſea, And from Ireland to the forth ſhall be a fair fight; Of barges and billingers, and many broad ail; With 3 liberties, and the flower de luce fair upon height. Then ſhall a hunter in haſte come forth of the ſouth, With many ratches in row ruled full right, And ſhall go on his foot over the water of Forth: And in Fife ſhall he fight and the field win: And the chiftains ſhall die on either ſide. When the man in the moon is moſt in his might, Then ſhall Dumbarton turn up that is down, And the mouth of Arran both at one time, And the Lord with the lucken hand his life ſhall he loſe, For covetouſneſs and treaſon that loſes the land. When the craigs of Tarbet is tumbled in the ſea, At the next ſummer after ſorrow ſhall be. Beid's book have I ſeen, Banneſter's alſo, Marvellous Merling, and all accords in one. Marvellous Merling is waſted away, With a wicked woman woe might ſhe be: For ſhe hath cloſed in a craig on Cornwall coaſt. When the cock in the north hath builded his neſt, Buſked his birds, and bowned him to flee: Then ſhall Fortune his friend the gates up caſt, And right ſhall have his free entry. Then riſe ſhall the moon in the north-weſt, In a cloud as black as the bill of a crow; Then is looſed a lion, the boldeſt and the beſt, That was born in Britain ſince Arthur's day: Then ſhall a dreadful Dragon drive him from his den, To help the lion with his great might; A bull and a baſtard ſpurs ſhall ſpend, To abide with the bear, to reckon his rights. A libbered engendered of native kind, With the ſtern of Bethlehem ſhall riſe in the ſouth, An horſe and Anthelop, boldly ſhall abide, A bear and a brock, with berns ſo bright, A proud prince in pries lordly ſhall light, With bold barrons in buſhment to battle ſhall wend, Then ſhall the prophecie prove that Thomas of tells, Many comely knight is caſt under foot, That ſhall make maiden's mourn that in bowre dwells, The dreadful day of deſtiny ſhall drive to the night: Shall make maidens and wives in mourning be brought. Then they meet in the morning with the moon light: Betwixt Seton and the ſea ſorrow ſhall be wrought; There the lion ſhall be hurt and not perceived: Then ſhall be braid to the beſt that him the hurt wrought, And many ſtern in has found ſhall fold to the free; And the proudeſt in the preis to bail ſhall be brought, The fey fox and the fulmart in arms are taken, And led to the lion law to abide; The pyper and the pye ſhall ſuffer in the ſame; All the friends of the fox ſhall be fey made; Then ſhall troy untrue tremble for dread, For dreador of the deadman when they hear him ſpeak, All the commons of Kyth ſhall caſt him the keys, The buſhment of Beverlaw therewith ſhall break. Then war men and woods away went, And every ſeed in his ſeaſon laindly is ſet, And right well ruled, and falſehood is fled! Then ſhall be plenty of peace when laws have no let, The ſpouſe of God ſhall ſing with a joyful ſong, Thanking God thereof and the Trinity, And all grace and goodneſs ſhall grow us among: And every fruit ſhall have plenty by land and by ſea: Then the ſun and the moon ſhall ſhine bright, That many days afore dark have been; And keep their courſe both day and night, With more mirth than men have ſeen, As Berlington's books and Banneſter's tells. Merling, and many more that with marvels mells, And alſo Thomas Rymer in his tales tells. They ſay the Saxons ſhall chooſe them a lord, That ſhall make them greatly to fall under: The dead man ſhall riſe, and them accord, And this is much wonder and ſlight, That he that was dead, and buried in fight, Shall riſe again and live in the land. In comfort of a young knight, That Fortune hath choſen to be her huſband, The wheel ſhall turn to him full right, That Fortune hath choſen to be her ire, In Surry ſhall he ſhow a fight. In Babylon bring many a bern or brier, Fifteen miles from Jeruſalem the Holy Croſs win ſhall he; The ſame lord that bears the lyon, At Stanfoord wan the gree, Fortune hath granted him the victory, Since firſt that he arms bear: For without treaſon or treatorie, Deſtiny ſhall not him deir, While of age til him drive, For every man on mold muſt die, But end he ſhall in the land of Chriſt, And in the vale of Joſaphet ſhall he be.

The Prophecies of Beid

The Prophecies of Beid.

BETWIXT the chief of ſummer and ſaid winter, Before the heat of harveſt happen ſhall a war, That Europe's lands earneſtly ſhall be wrought, And earneſt envy ſhall laſt but a while: But the lion with his luſty flowers, From harm of heat ſhall hap him with leaves, Then ſpeed and ſpread him to Spain into winter, All flowers in the Forth ſhall follow him on. Callender ſhall cry, Cornwall the noble, And inherit all Albany at his will, Envy to all Alliers anon to be worken, Old Almocycains, and Albany the ſame, Shall recover caſtles and towers out of Saxons' hands, When Britoners ſhall bear them with brands of ſteel, There ſhall no baſtard blood bide in theſe lands, Albanus that time king of the earth; Albanactus king and lord of the land, To the lilly ſhall lean, and love none other: The lion, leader of all beaſts, Shall lean to the lilly and live him with: And ſhall ſtir him to ſtrive by the ſtream of Humber, The ſtepſon of the lion ſturdily of themſelves, They ſhall ſtart up with ſtrife and ſtir all at once, And ſtrike down the ſtepſons, and deſtroy them for ever, Neither love they the lilly nor the lion: But the lilly ſhall looſe when they leaſt wean: Then all ſhall happen to the hart, happen as it may, And the tail of ſummer toward the harveſt, Be then the lilly ſhall be looſed when they leaſt think, Then clear king's blood ſhall quake for fear of death, For Churls ſhall chop off heads of their chief beirns, And carf of the crowns that Chriſt hath anointed, All this muſt deſtiny drive to an end. An eagle of the eaſt, a vent'rous beaſt, Shall be glad flowers to fang in the firſt ſeaſon, And ſtir to the ſtepſon, and ſtrike them together. Bind bands brukle and hail to begin: For he would garlands get of theſe fair flowers, That in ſummer ſeaſon ſpreads ſo fair, But ſoon ſhall fail the freit that the fool thinks, A fell northern flaw ſhall fade him for ever. Hereafter on either ſide ſorrow ſhall riſe, The barges of clear barons down ſhall be ſunken Seculars ſhall fa' in ſpiritual ſeats, Occupying offices anointed as they were, The true title to purchaſe that the truth holds, They ſhall torment them with torments a new. Then barons ſhall buſk on their beſt wiſe, Attour the fields, to air with a fey fox bird; Turn firſt to Chriſt with tod's-wyles, But ſoon the tod ſhall be tint, and in time loſed, They ſhall eſcape ſuch a check eſchew whoſo may. Then ſhall the nobleſt eſcape with the felles, Yet ſhall the one fox in the field eſcape; The falcon ſhall be looſed in his wings. Whoſo truſt not this tale, nor the term knows, Let him on Merling mean, and his merry words, As true Thomas told in his time after, At Standford ſhall he be ſeen example of their deeds, Yet it muſt overthrow the tod in his buſk, Buſk thee now Berwick with thy broad walls, Thou ſhalt incline to the king that is thy kind lord: As ſaint Beid of that burgh, in his book ſays Thou ſhalt with the lion lean, and liſten for ever; Though thou be ſubject to Saxons, ſorrow thou not, Thou ſhalt be looſed at laſt, believe thou in Chriſt, And every language ſhall have his lordſhip to brook: It was not lost but lent for little time: Bold Berwick be blyth with thy broad walls, Thou ſhalt to the lion ſtoop as Lord of his own; Let never the libbert lipen longer a day, In bold Britain to brook a foot-broad of earth, Whoſo doubts on this deed or denies hereon, I do them well to know the date is deviſed; Take the foremoſt of middle-earth, and mark by thyſelf, With four creſcents, cloſed together, Then of the lion, the longeſt ſee thou chooſe; Looſe not the lionneſs, let her lie ſtill. If thou caſt through caſe the courſe of the heaven, Take Saint Andrew's Croſs thriſe; Keep well theſe teachments as clarks have told, Thus begins date, the deem as thou likes, Thou ſhalt not ceaſe in that feat, aſſumed in the text, Or the height of the heat neareſt the winter, No tail of the tearm will I thee tell. But chaſtity the chieſtain of their chief wrongs, Or in the height of the harveſt, heard of thyſelf, Shall wicked weird undo, and to right, And this ere I wiſt, I awakened anon, Though I write as it was, wit I it not.

The Prophecie of Merling

The Prophecie of Merling.

IT is to fall when they it find, That fell on face is fain to flee; That commedore of ſtordlings triendie, Waving through the work of wind: The bear his muſſel ſhall upbind, And never after bound ſhall be, Away the other ſhall wave with wind, And as they come ſo ſhall they flee. Syce ſhall up, and ſink ſhall under; The dead ſhall riſe and work great wonder; And joy ſhall riſe to man and wife; The orrowful hall ſtill of ſtrife; All men hall joy of his reſurrection, And in ſpecial men of religion, The morter is ready, the peſtle alſo, The ſauce ſhall be bitter, and that to his foe; And the devils alſo ſhall helpen to. Then the banks of Beil ſhall bloom all about; Then hie the Hurcheon to Hales, and cloſe thee therein, Thou ſhalt be werped with a wind, and plucked ilk pen, Shall never down on thy ſkin nor birs be thee left. The thunder ſhall work thy hold to the cold earth, Shall never ſtone upon ſtone nor ground be thee left, And ſo that wretched work is deſtroyed for ever. There ſhall a galyart goat with a golden horn, A pilledow with a toad, ſuch a prime hold, With their peers in place by a ſtream ſide; To ſtrive with the ſtream, but they no ſtrength have, For their moving they meet in the mid-way, All the grooms ſhall grunch by the way-ſide, And many bairn ſhall have his byth on the back-ſide, And that marvell ſhall fall by a fyrth-ſide, Where the leader of the land ſhall his life loſe; But that bargain ſhall brew in a bare brough, That ſhall banish from bliſs many bright helm, When it is bireved of his back, and his brief known, Of dum organs dight, then may thou well deem. Of all the weil and the wealth before them was wrought With hunger and hireſhip on every hill: Yet this wicked world ſhall laſt but a while; While a chiftain unchoſen chooſe forth himſelf, And ride over the region, and for Roy holden: Then his ſcutifiers ſhall ſkail all the fair ſouth, From Dumbarton to Dover and deal all the lands: He ſhall be kid conqueror, for he is kind Lord, Of all Britain that bounds to the broad ea. The conqueſſing ſhall be keeped, and never conqueſt after. By the coſt ye ſhall know when the knight comes, He has a mark in the middle, where no man may know; When he is in the eaſt when the ſun riſeth, He has a ſign ſhall ſhew on the ſouth-ſide. Signum venenaſi ſanguinus de ventre matris ſue, All Wales I wiſh ſhall wend with that Roy, For to work his will, where he think would, Guaine Gaſkonigne, and Britain the blyth, Shall buſk to his bidding on their beſt wie: The whole men will help in his moſt height, Then ſhall he turn into tuſkane but treaty or true, And buk him over the mountains on midwinter even, And then go to Rome, and rug down the walls, And over all the region Roy ſhall be holden. Oft this book have I ſeen, and better thereafter, Of marvellous Merling, but is waſted away, With a wicked woman woe might ſhe be.

The Prophecies of Berlington

The Prophecies of Berlington.

WHEN the ruby is raiſed, reſt is there none; But much rancour ſhall riſe in river and plain, Much ſorrow is ſeen through a ſluth hound, That bears horns in his head like a wild hart: Then a brock ſhall make a braid on a broad field, And an hound ſhall bear a back with a brim face; The ſlothful ſluth hound ſhall ſlay him for ever; Through a treaty of a truce, a train ſhall be made, That Scotland ſhall rue, and England for ever; For the which Gladſmoore and Govanmoore gapes thereafter, Then ſhall the banks of Beil bloom all about. Then hye the Hurcheon to Hales and cloſe thee therein, Thou ſhall be warped with a wind, and plucked ilk pen, Shall never down on thy ſkin, nor birs be thee left: A thunder ſhall work thy hold to the cold earth, Shall never ſtone upon ſtone on ground be thee left, And ſo this wretched beaſt is deſtroyed for ever. When faith fails in prelates fawes, And temporal lords will hold new laws, And leachery holden for privy ſolace, And reef holden for good purchaſe, When Rome is divided in two parts, And every prieſt hath the Pope's power: Then ſhall the Dane of Albany, Be put to great perplexity, Man ſin forethink, and miſs amend, Dread God, do law, think on the end. Betwixt Templeton and the Baſs, Thou ſhalt ſee a right fair ight, Of barges and billingers and many broad ail, With 3 libberts and the flower de luce high upon height, And ſo the dreadful Dragon ſhall riſe from his den, And from the deep doughty ſhall draw to the height. Off Bruces left ſide ſhall ſpring out a leaf, As near as to the ninth degree, And ſhall be eſteemed of fair Scotland, In France far beyond the ſea: And then ſhall come again riding, With eyes that many men may ſee. At Aberlady he ſhall light, With hempen halters and horſe of tree, On Cosfoord green it ſhall be ſeen, On Gladſmoore ſhall the battle be: Now Albany make thou the bown, At hidding be thou prompt: He ſhall deal both tower and town, His gifts ſhall ſtand for evermore. Then boldly bown thee thereafter, Upon a broad moor a battle ſhall be, Beſide a ſtob croſs of ſtone, Which on the moor ſtands hie, It ſhall be clearly clad over with corps of Knights, That the crow may not find where the croſs ſtood! Many a wife ſhall weep, and ye ſhall under: The dead ſhall riſe, and that shall be wonder, And rax him rudly in his hire ſhield, For the great comfort of a new king. Now hie Powoke, with thy proud ſhow, Take thy part of the pelf when the pack opens: It ſhall be Gladſmoore by the ſea, It ſhall be Gladſmoore where ever it be: And the little lown that ſhall be, Is betwixt the Lowmand and the ſea: And well is the man in all his life, That hath a Cot-houſe in Fife; And yet once ſhall come the day, He would the Cot-houſe were away. And there ſhall come a hound out of the ſouth, With him a rayment of ratches ruled right; And actor for the keinly ſhall he come: And in Fife ſhall fight, and the field win: Yet ſhall a northern flaw fail him for ever, And kill him to confuſion, and return never. An eagle then ſhall come out of the north, With a flock of birds fair at the flight: Which ſhall make many foot founder and fall, Then ſhall a ghoſt come out of the weſt, With him a fair Menye; Upon the eagle make him bowne. But he ſo nigh then ſhall he flee. I cannot tell you what he height: A baſtard trow I boaſt he be. His name ſhall not be expremed as now, For he was gotten with a lady in privity, His doughty deed without all doubt, Shall comfort all his company. However it happened for to fall, The lion ſhall be Lord of all. The French wife ſhall bear a ſon, Shall weild all Britain to the ſea: And from the Bruces blood ſhall come, As near as the ninth degree, Marvellous Merling that many men of tells, And Thomas ſayings comes all at once: Thongh their ſayings be elcouth they shall be ſooth found And there shall our glading be; The crow shall fit upon a ſtone, And drink the gentle blood ſo free: Take of the ribs, and bear to her birds: As God hath ſaid ſo muſt it be. Then shall ladies lads wed, And brook caſtles and towers high, Beid hath berieved in his book and Banneter alſo, Marvellous Merling, and accords in one: Thomas the true, that never ſpake falſe, Conſents to their ſaying, and the ſame terms has taken, Yet shall there come a keen Knight over the ſalt ſea, A keen man of courage, and bold man of arms, A duke's ſon doubted, a born man in France, That shall our mirths amend, and mend all our harms, After the date of our Lord 1513, and thrice 3 thereafter, Which shall brook all the broad iſle to himſelf. Betwixt 13 and thrice 3, the threep shall be ended; The Saxons shall never recover after. He shall be crowned in the Kyth, in the caſtle of Dover, Which wears the golden garland of Julias Cæſar, More worship shall be win of greater worth, Then ever Arthur himſelf had in his days. Many doughty deeds shall he do thereafter, Which shall be ſpoken of many days better.

The Prophecies of Thomas Rymer

The Prophecies of Thomas Rymer.

STILL on my ways as I went, Out through a land beſide a lee, I met a bairn upon the way, Me thought him ſeemly for to ſee. I aſked him wholly his intent? Good ſir if you will be, Since that ye bide upon the bent, Some uncouth tidings tell you me! When shall theſe wars be gone, That leel men may live in lee? Or when shall falſehood go from home? And laughty blow his horn on hie? I looked from me not a mile, And ſaw two knights upon a lee, They were armed ſeemingly new, Two croſſes on their breaſts they bare, And they were clad in diverſe hue, Of ſundry countries as they were; The one was red as blood, Set in a ſhield a dragon keen. He ſtird his ſteed as he were mad, With crabbed words ſharp and keen, Right to the other bairn him by; His horſe was all of ſilver ſheen! In it a ramping lion keen, Seemingly into gold was ſet; His border of was azure ſheen, His ſhield was ſhaped right ſeemly, With ſilk and fable well was plet. I looked from over a green, And ſaw a lady on a lee, That ſuch a one I had never ſeen, The light of her ſhined ſo high. Attour the moor whereat ſhe foor, The fields me thought fair and gree; She rode upon a ſteed full ſtoor, That ſuch a one had I ſeldom ſeen; Her ſteed was white as any milk, His top, his tail, were both full blue, A ſad ſaddle ſhowed with ſilk, As all were gold it glittered ſae: His harneſing was of ſilk of India, Set with precious ſtones frae: He ambled on a noble kind, Upon her head ſtood crowns three, Her garments was of gowans gay, But other colour ſaw none. A flying fowl then I ſaw, Light beſide her on a ſtone; A ſtoop into her hand ſhe bare, And holy water ſhe had ready, She ſprinkled the field both here and there, Said here ſhall many dead corps lie; At yon bridge upon yon burn, Where the water runs bright and ſheen And Knights die through battle keen. To the two Knights then did ſhe ſay, Let be your ſtrife my Knights free; Ye take your horſe, and ride your way, As God hath ordain'd ſo moſt it be. Saint Andrew thou haſt the right; Saint George thou art mine own Knight; Thy wrongous heir ſhall work thee woe. Now are they on their ways gone; The Lady and the Knights two, To that beirn then can I ment, And aſked tidings by may ſay, What kind of light is that, I ſaid, Thou ſheweſt to me upon yon lee; Or wherefore came yon Knights two? They ſeemed of a far country. That Lady that I let thee ſee, That is the Queen of Heaven ſo bright: The fowl that flew by her knee, That is Saint Michael, much of might: The Knights two the field to tae, Where many men in field ſhall fight: Know you well it ſhall be ae, That die ſhall many a gentle Knight: With death ſhall many a doughty deal. The Lord ſhall be then away, There is none herrel that can tell, Who ſhall win the field that day. A crowned King in arms three, Under the banner ſhall be ſet: Two falſe and feigned ſhall be, The third ſhall light and make great let. Banners five again ſhall ſtrive, And come in on the other ſide: The white lion ſhall beat them down, And work them woe with wounds wide: The bear's head with the red lion, So ſweetly into red gold ſet, That day ſhall ſlay the King with crown, Though many Lords make great let, There ſhall attour the water of Forth, Set in gold the red lion: And many Lords out of the north, To that battle ſhall make them bown; There ſhall creſcents come full keen, That wears the Croſs as red as blood, On every ſide ſhall be ſorrow ſeen, Defiled in many doughty food, Beſides a loch upon a lee, They ſhall aſſemble upon a day, And many doughty men ſhall die, Few in quiet ſhall be found away. Our Scottiſh King shall come full keen, The red lion beareth he; A feddered arrow sharp I ween, Shall make him wink, and warre to ſee, Out of the field he shall be led, When he is bloody and woe for blood; Yet to his men then shall he ſay, For God's love turn thou again, And give your outhern folk a fray; Why should I loſe? the right is mine, My fate is not to die this day. Yonder is falſehood fled away, And laughty blows his horn on high: Our bloody King that wears the crown, Full boldly shall the battle bide, His banner shall be beaten down, And hath none hole his head to hide. The ſterns three that day shall die, That bears the hart in ſilver sheen, There is no riches, gold nor fee, May lengthen his life an hour I ween. Thus thro' the field that Knight shall ride, And twice reſcue the King with crown; He shall make many a banner yield, The Knight that bears the tods three, He will by force the field to tae; But when he ſees the lion die, Think ye well he will be wae! Beſide him lights bairns three, Two is white the third is blae, The tods three shall ſlay the two, The third of them shall make him die, Out of the field shall go no more, But one Knight and Knaves three. There comes a banner red as blood: In a ship of ſilver sheen; With him comes many ferly food, To work the Scots much hurt and woe. There comes a ghoſt out of the weſt, Is of another language than he, To the battle bowns him beſt, As ſoon as he the Senyour can ſee: The raches works them great wanreſt, Where they are rayed on a lee; I cannot tell who hath the beſt, Each one of them makes other die. A white ſwan ſet into blae, Shall ſemble from the ſouth ſea, To work the northern folk great woe, For know you well thus shall it be, The ſtaiks aught with ſilver ſet, Shall emble from the other ſide, Till he and the ſwan be met, They shall work woe with wounds wide, Thro' wounds wide their weeds hath ſet, So boldly will their bairns bide. It is no reck who gets the beſt, They shall both die in that ſame tide. There comes a Lord out of the north, Riding upon a horſe of tree, That broad lands hath beyond Forth The white hind beareth he; And two ratches that are blue, Set into gold that is ſo free, That day the eagle shall him ſlay, And then put up his banner hie. The Lord that bears the lolans three, Set into gold with jewels two: Before him shall a battle be. He wears a banner that is blue, Set with peacocks' tails three, And luty ladies heads two: Unfain of one, each other shall be, All through grief together they go; I cannot tell who wins the gree, Each one of them shall other ſlay: The eagle grey ſet into green, That wears the harts' heads three, Out of the ſouth he shall be ſeen, To light and ray him on a lee, With fifty-five Knights that are keen, And earls either two or theee, From Carliſle ſhall come bedeen, Again ſhall they it never ſee, At Pinkin Cleugh there ſhall be ſpilt, Much gentle blood that day; There ſhall the bear loſe the gylt, And the eagle bear it away. Before the water, men calls Tyne, And there over lays a bridge of ſtone, That bears three ſhall loſe the gree, There ſhall the eagle win his name. There comes a beaſt out of the weſt, With him ſhall come a fair minie, His banner hath been ſeldom ſeen, A baſtard trow I beſt he be; Gotten with a ladie ſheen, And a knight in privity, His arms are full eath to know, The red lion beareth he, And be right glad to flee away! Into an orchard on a lee; With herbs green and allies gray, There will he enlaked be, His men ſays, harmeſay; The eagle puts his banner on hie, And ſays the field he wan that day: There ſhall the lion lie full ſtill, Into a valley fair and bright: A lady ſhouts with words ſhril, And ſays woe worth thee cruel knight, Thy men are ſlain upon yon hill, The dead are many doughty dight. Thereat the lion liketh ill, And raiſeth his banner hie on hight: Upon the moor that is ſo grey, Beſide an headleſs croſs of ſtone: There ſhall the eagle die that day; And the red lion win the name. The eagles three ſhall loſe the gree: That they have had this many a day: The red lion ſhall win renown, Win all the field and bear away. One crow ſhall come, another ſhall go, And drink the gentle blood ſo free, When all theſe ferlies were away, Then ſaw I none, but I and he: Then to the beirn could I ſay, Where dwells thou? or in what country: Or who ſhall rule the Iſle Britain, From the north to the ſouth ſea? The French wife ſhall bear the ſon, Shall rule all Britain to the ſea, That of the Bruces blood ſhall come, As near as the ninth degree. I frained faſt, what was his name? Whence that he came from what country: In Erilingtown, I dwell at hame, Thomas Rymer men call me.