j6 SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED. 



Thomas of Ercildoune* — and, probably, others of his countrymen, whose names 

 and works are lost — was already famous as the author of Sir Tristrem, in 1230-2, 

 and was quoted in terms of high compUment, both by Gottfried of Strasburg, 

 and Thomas de Brunne. From this it appears that the first classical English 

 romance was written in this part of Scotland, and by a native of Ercildoune : — 

 " Thomas of Britannia, master of the art of romance," as Rymour was styled 

 by the Rhenish minstrel; and from this epoch the minstrels of the " north 

 countrie" rose into credit and reputation, and in their heroic ballads established 

 a precedence in the art. Chaucer, therefore, though much admired in Scotland, 

 from the fact of the language in which he wrote having become familiar through 

 native channels, was not, as it has been stated in his biography, " as much the 

 father of poetry in Scotland, as in England ;" — on the contrary, the successful 

 cultivation of poetry in Scotland is easily proved to have commenced at least a 

 century and a half anterior to the period in which Chaucer flourished. 



During the reigns of Mary and James VI., a collection of prophetic rhymes, 

 both in Latin and English, appears to have been familiarly known in Scotland, 

 and ascribed to Thomas of Ercildoune. Among the enlightened orders of 

 society who gave testimony in favour of these prophecies, the learned bishop 

 Spottiswoode is especially mentioned, as having admitted that the said Thomas 

 " did divine and answer truly of many things to come." In support of this 

 oracular talent, Boece relates, that the day after the death of Alexander III., 

 the Earl of March inquired of a prophet, named Thomas Rymour — What 

 weather it should be on the morrow ? " To-morrow, before noon," answered 

 the prophet, " there shall blow the greatest wind that ever was heard before 

 in Scotland." On the morrow, accordingly, when it was near noon, and the 

 sky quite calm and settled, the earl sent for the prophet, and reproved liim 

 for having prognosticated a tempest of which no symptom had appeared. To 

 this, Thomas made little answer, but said — " Noon is not gone." Immediately 

 thereafter a man came to the gate with news that the king was slain. Then 

 said the prophet, " This is the wind that shall blow to the great trouble and 

 calamity of all Scotland," — an allegorical turn, which, in the opinion of the 

 times, verified the prechction, and bore the seer triumphant. 



Numerous other instances have been recorded in proof of his oracular powers ; 



• The question as to the name of LearmonI, usually appended to Thomas, seems fairly settled in a 

 charter granted by the poet's son and heir to the convent of Soultra, in 1289, in which the latter is 

 expressly called Fitius el hirres Thnmce Ri/moiir de Ercildoune ; so tliat his real name appears to have been 

 neither Lairmont, nor Thomas the Rhymer, but simply Thomas Rymour. For more evidence on this 

 point, see " Liecs of Scottish Poets," vol.i. 



