Explication of the prophecies of Thomas Rymer

by Allan Boyd

For other versions of this work, see Explication of Thomas Rymer's prophecies.

THE

EXPLICATION

OF THE

PROPHECIES

OF

THOMAS RYMER.

 

WHEREIN IS CONTAINED,

Certain Remarks on what has already come to
paſs, with some curious Obſervations on
what is yet to come. Which is carefully
collected and compared with ancient old
Prophecies, and the Book of Arms.

 

BY THE FAMOUS

Mr. ALLAN BOYD, M. A.

 

 

Stirling, Printed in this preſent Year.

OLD SCOTISH PROPHECIES.

1SCOTLAND be ſad now and lament,
thy children whom thou haſt loſt,
Bereft of Kings, falſely undone,
by thine unkindly hoſt.

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

3The grave of the moſt noble Prince,
to all is great regret,
The ſubject to law, who doth leave,
the kingdom and eſtate.

4O anguiſh great! where ev'ry kind,
and ages doth lament:
Whom bitter death has ta'en away,
ſhall Scotland ſore repent.

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

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

7Thou won't to win, now are ſubdu'd,
and come in under yoke;
A ſtranger reigns, and doth deſtroy,
what likes him by ſword's ſtroke.

8The Engliſh race whom neither force,
nor manners do approve,
Woe is to thee ; by guile and flight,
is only won above.

9This mighty nation was to-fore,
invincible and ſtout,
Has yielded flow to deſtiny,
great pity is but doubt.

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

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

12Inſatiable greed of worldly gain,
oppreſſion, cries of poor,
A perpetual and ſlanderous race,
no juſtice put in ure.

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

14Therefore this cauſe the prophets told,
of long time did preſage,
As now has happened every point,
into our preſent age.

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

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

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

18I do ſuppoſe, although too late,
old prophecies ſhall hold;
Ever hope that in God's goodneſs,
and mercies manifold.

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

20From high above ſhall grace come down,
and thy ſtate Scotland be,
In latter ends more proſperous,
nor former age doth ſee.

21Old prophecies foretel to thee,
a warlike Heir he's born,
Who ſhall recover new his right,
advance his kingdom's horn.

22Then ſhall the Scots ſword ſweat with blood
and ſlaughter which they make,
The King himſelf revenge her ſhall,
the guilty troops down-wreck.

23The Engliſh nation ſhall invade,
but not eſcape a plague,
With ſword with thirſt, with tears and peſt,
with fears and ſuch like ague.

24 And after enemies 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	K	Q	K	Q
Henry, the VIII.	Edward, the VI.	Mary,	Philip, of Spain, M's Husband.	Elizabeth. Q.

HEMPE

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

THE explication of the above prophecies concerning Hempe, being come and alſo gone, and leaving Scotland and England join'd in one, is fulfilled in the late King William who came out of Holland, who in old time was vulgarly called the land of Hempe, and the joining the two nations together, ſignifies the union. Theſe things were foretold by the two Scots Prophets in the reign of King Arthur; firſt by the Marvellous Merling who is ſaid to be got by a devil who raviſhed a young woman his mother in a wood near Coldſtream in the ſouth of Scotland, afterwards to the ſame purpoſe, theſe and many more ſtrange things were foretold by Thomas Lermont, vulgarly called Thomas Rymer becauſe he ſpoke all his prophetical ſayings in rhyme, and ſo darkly that they could not be underſtood until they came to paſs.

This Thomas Lermont, or Rymer was born at Eiſlington, now called Heſelingtown on Tweedſide, above Kelſo. He is reported by hiſtorians to be a quiet ſober man given to no manner of vice, but prone to piety and devotion, a famous monthly prognoſticator concerning the ſtate of the weather, and government of the world, by ſtudying the aſpects of the planets. He being one day aſked by a nobleman what ſort of a day they ſhould have to-morrow? To which he anſwered, That the morrow before high noon, a blaſt ſhould blaw, that Scotland ſhould not overcome the evil thereof for twenty years thereafter. The nobleman and many more being greatly amazed, and giving great attention, looking for the blaſt all the next day till towards evening he ſent for Thomas to rebuke him for the falſehood of his Prophecy, and juſt as he began to upbraid him, he heard the ſound of a poſt's horn, who came with the woeful news, how the king had been hunting, and had broke his neck over a craig on the weſt ſide of the town of Kinghorn, from which accident the town received its name. Now, ſays Thomas to the Nobleman, the blaſt is blawn and for twenty years after there was no peace, but bloody wars in Scotland, on the account of who ſhould be king. Now as to the reſt of his prophetical ſayings, they are hard to be underſtood. becauſe they are pointed out by the Coats of Arms, which appertain to ſo many different kingdoms, and perſons. Yet we obſerve how he has pointed out plainly, many things which has come to paſs in our days; ſuch as the extirpation of the noble race of the Stewarts, the revolution, Sheriff-muir, &c. where he ſays,

That three Ships and a Shield,
That day ſhall keep the Field;
And be the Antelope's beild.

Theſe three ſhips and a ſhield, are in the Duke of Argyle's arms; and even every particular of the rebellion in 1745 and 46, when pointing at, he ſays, a chieftan unchoſen, ſhall chooſe forth himſelf, and rule the realm as his own, when at King Charles, he calls him a ſly fox bird, who would turn to Chriſt with toads or foxes wyles, meaning his ſwearing the covenants. When ſpeaking of the battle of Preſton-pans in the year 1745, he names the very two neighbouring villages to the ſpot of ground whereon it was fought, to wit, Goyſeford Green and Seton. ſaying, Between Seton and the ſea, ſorrow ſhall be wrought by the light of the moon, which actually came to paſs that morning the battle of Preſton-pans was fought ; but how the Lion was hurt at this time and not perceived, is yet a myſtery. Some are of opinion, that it is by taking away the power or ſuperiority from the chiefs of the Highland Clans, ſo that they cannot raiſe men in ſuch a ſhort time as formerly.

Theſe are a few of the obſervations we make on things already come to paſs, and as what is yet to come there is ſome remarks will yet happen when the time draws nigh; ſuch as when Tarbert Craigs are tumbled into the Sea, and the next ſeaſon or ſumnmer thereafter. great ſorrow and bloodſhed ſhall happen to this realm, the chief thereof eſpecially ſuch as harling on ſlades and chopping off heads. This Tarbert ſtands near the mouth of the river Clyde, but whether its being tumbled in the ſea, ſhall happen by an earthquake, thunder, or by the hands of men, is a myſtery unknown. There is alſo mention made of a Lord with a lucken or double hand which certainly is of royal-blood, and will breed great ſtir and confuſion in Britain. This man is alive in this very preſent age, and of the Stewart's race now in Italy : And there is plainly pointed out, that in his time, a great battle ſhould be ſeen in Fife,

Where ſaddled horſes ſhould be ſeen,
Tyed unto the trees green.

Not only in Fife, but the four chief rivers of the realm, there ſhould be a battle on each of them, that ſhould make the rivers run with blood, to wit, Tweed, Clyde, Forth and Tay, and laſt of all, a bloody deſperate battle in Northumberland, on the river Tyne, alſo great havock and ſlaughter about the broad walls of Berwick, all theſe things are yet to come to paſs, and when the firſt appears, the reſt will ſoon follow after.

FINIS.