Explication on Thomas Rymer's prophecies

by Allan Boyd

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

AN

EXPLICATION

ON

THOMAS RYMER's

PROPHECIES.

 

Wherein is contained,

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

⟨BY⟩ the famous Mr. ALLAN BOYD, M. A.

One of the moſt eminent in the Age for Learning
and Knowledge, who has pointed out the Place of five great
Battles, yet to happen in Scotland, one in the North of
England, on the River Tyne; the Siege of Berwick,
and ſeveral other curious Things explained, yet to come
to paſs.

 

 

GLASGOW: Printed in the Year 1770.

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Old Scottish PROPHECIES.

I.

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

II.

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

III.

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

IV.

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

V.

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

VI.

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

VII.

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

VIII.

The Engliſh race, who neither force,
nor manners do approve,
Woe is to thee, by guile and flight
is only win above.

IX.

This mighty nation was, to foes,
invicible, and ſtout:
Has yielded low to deſtiny,
great pity is, but doubt.

X.

In former age, the Scots renown
did flouriſh, goodly gay,
But now, alas! is overclade
with a great dark decay.

XI.

Then mark, and ſee, what is the cauſe
of this ſo wond'rous fall;
Contempt of faith, ſalſhood, deceit,
the wrath of God withal.

XII.

Inſatiable greed of worldly gain,
oppreſſion, cries of poor,
perpetual and ſland'rous race,
no juſtice put in ure.

XIII.

The haughty pride of mighty men,
of former vice chief cauſe,
The nurriture of wickedneſs,
an unjuſt match of laws.

XIV.

Therefore this caſe the prophets told,
and long time did preſage,

As now has happened, every point,
in this our preſent age.

XV.

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

XVI.

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

XVII.

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

XVIII.

I do ſuppoſe, altho' too late,
old prophecies ſhall hold;
Hope thou in God's goodneſs ay,
and mercies manifold.

XIX.

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

XX

From high above ſhall grace come down,
and thy ſtate, Scotland be,
In latter end, more proſperous
than former age did ſee.

XXI.

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

XXII.

Then ſhall the Scots ſword ſweat with blood,
and ſlaughter which they make;

The king himſelf revenger ſhall
the guilty troops down wrack,

XXIII,

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

XXIV.

And after enemies thrown down,
and maſtered by war:
Then Scotland, in peace, quietly
paſs joyful days for ever.

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

K.	K.	Q.	K.	Q.
Henry,	Edward,	Mary,	Philip,	Elizabeth
VIII.	VI.	of Spain	Q
		Mary's Huſband

 

HEMPE.

 

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

 

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The EXPLICATION

The explication of the above prophecies, concerning Hempe-being come, and alſo gone, and leaving Scotland and England joined in one, is fulfilled in the ⟨late⟩ King William, who came out of Holland, which ⟨in old⟩ times was vulgarly called the land of Hempe: and the joining the two nations, together ſignify the union. Thoſe thing was foretold by the two Scots prophets, in the reign of King Arthur, firſt by the marvelous Merling, who is ſaid to be got by a devil. who raviſhed a young woman, his mother, in a wood near Coldſtram, in the ſouth of Scotland afterwards to the ſame purpoſe, theſe and many more ſtrange things was foretold of by Thomas Lermon, 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 Lermon or Rymer, was born at Erſlingtown, now called Heſelingtown, on Tweed ſide, above Kelſo. He is reported by hiſtorians to be a quite ſober man, given to no 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 to-morrow before high noon a blaſt ſhould blow, that Scotland ſhould not overcome the evil thereof for twenty years thereafter. The nobleman many more, being greatly amazed, and giving great attention, looking for the blaſt all next day, till towards evening he ſent for Thomas, to rebuke him for the falſhood of his prophecy, and juſt as he began to upbraid him be heard the found of a poſts horn, who came with the woful news, how the king had been hunting, and had broke his neck over a craig, the weſt ſide of the town of Kinghorn, from which accident the town derived its name. Now, ſays Thomas to the nobleman, the blaſt is blown; 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 prophețical 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 be 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 moor; (illegible text) particular of the rebellion in the years 1745, when pointing at it, he ſays, "A chieftain, unchoſen, ſhall chuſe forth himſelf, and rule the realm as his own," &c.

When at king Charles, he calls him a fly fox bird, who would turn to Chriſt with toads or foxes wyles, meaning his ſwearing the covenants.

When ſpeaking of the battle of Preſtonpans, in the year 1745, he names the two very neighbouring villages, to the ſpot of ground, whereon the battle was fought; to wit, Gooſe fourd green, and Seton, ſaying, "Between Seaton and the Sea ſorrow ſhould be wrought;" and how they ſhould meet in the morning, by the light of the moon; which act really came to paſs that morning the battle of Preſtonpans 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 Highlands, 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 what is yet to come, there is ſome remarks will yet happen, when the time draws nigh; ſuch as, when Tarbet's Craigs ſhall be turned into the ſea. And, the next ſeaſon, or ſummer thereafter, great ſorrows and bloodſhed ſhall happen to this realm; the chiefs thereof, eſpecially ſuch as betray their country, ſhall be harled on ſleds, and chopping of heads.

This Tarbet ſtands near the foot of the river Clyde, but whether its being tumbled into the ſea ſhall happen in an earthquake, thunder, or by the hands of men, is yet 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 bread great ſtir and confuſion in Britain.

⟨This man is alive in this⟩ 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 in Fife,

Where ſadled horſes ſhould be ſeen,
Tyed to the trees green.

Not only in Fife, but the four chief rivers in the realm, there ſhould be a battle on each of them, 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, a great havoc and ſlaughter about the broad walls of Berwick.

All theſe things is yet to come to paſs, and when the firſt appears, the reſt will ſoon follow after.

 

FINIS.