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Contributions to the flora of Berwickshire, &c. 



BLYSMUS rufus. Salt-marshes at Beal, abundant. 



ASPLENIUM septentrionale. Kyloe Crags. 



CLADIUM Hariscus. Learmonth Bog, abundant. 



CERASTIUM atro-virens. Old walls in the neighbourhood of Berwick. 



The Popular Rhythmes of Berwickshire; to which are added, a few Il- 

 lustrations. By Mr HENDERSON, Surgeon, Chirnside. 



PERHAPS there are few counties in Scotland which possess so many 

 rhythmes of a popular nature, as that of Berwickshire. Whether it be 

 owing to the circumstance that " Thomas the Rythmer" was a native of 

 this district, and to whom the authorship of several of these rhythmes is 

 attributed, or whether the people of the Merse are in general disposed 

 to encourage this species of ancient lore, we will not waste time in a 

 vain endeavour to determine. The fact of itself is sufficiently obvious 

 from the following collection, and perhaps it might still be enlarged. 

 The memory of " Thomas the Rythmer" is still highly honoured in his 

 native county, and the people hitherto have placed undoubted con- 

 fidence in his prophetic enunciations, although these are certainly now 

 beginning to be numbered among the "wreck of things whiclfwere." 



As Sir Walter Scott, in his " Border Minstrelsy," &c. has, with his 

 usual pleasing and happy mode of illustration, brought together all the 

 facts that can now be discovered of the Minstrel of Ercildoune, it would 

 be superfluous for us to enter here into any discussion relative to the his- 

 tory or merits of that singular being, who lived so long with the Elf 

 Queen (according to rythme and tradition), and who yet " dfees his 

 weird" in Fairy land. All that we have set ourselves to do is to collect, 

 into one place, all the popular rhythmes connected with this county, as far 

 as we are acquainted with them, and append thereto such notes as an ex- 

 planation of them seems to demand ; and if we can hereby be the means 

 of preserving these curious relics of a former day from falling into utter 

 oblivion, the little trouble which we have taken in collecting them will 

 be amply rewarded. 



In the first place, we shall introduce those Rythmcs which have been 

 for many generations attributed to " True Thomas," and then add the 

 others, which are unclaimed by any author. 



1. " The hare shall kittle on my hearthstane, 



And there never will be a Laird Learmont again." 



Thomas here prophesies the ruin of his own house. It appears that 

 he had granted his property to the Hospital of Soltra, and that none of 



