'And see ye not that braid braid road, That lies across that lily leven? That is the path of wickedness, Though some call it the road to heaven.

'And see ye not that bonny road, That winds about the fernie brae? That is the road to fair Elfland, Where thou and I this night maun gae.

'But, Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue,

Whatever ye may hear or see; For, if ye speak word in Elfyn land, Ye'll ne'er get back to your ain countrie.'

O they rade on, and farther on, And they waded through rivers aboon the knee,

And they saw neither sun nor moon, But they heard the roaring of the sea.

It was mirk mirk night, and there was nae stern light,

And they waded through red blude to the knee;

For a' the blude that's shed on earth

He has gotten a coat of the even cloth,

And a pair of shoes of velvet green; And till seven years were gane and past True Thomas on earth was never

seen.

PART II. (MODERNIZED FROM THE PROPHECIES.

WHEN Seven years were come and gane, The sun blink'd fair on pool and

stream;

And Thomas lay on Huntlie bank,

Like one awaken'd from a dream.

He heard the trampling of a steed,

He saw the flash of armour flee, And he beheld a gallant knight Come riding down by the Eildontree.

He was a stalwart knight, and strong;
Of giant make he 'pear'd to be:
He stirr'd his horse, as he were wode,
Wi' gilded spurs, of faushion free.

countrie.

Syne they came on to a garden green, And she pu'd an apple frae a tree"Take this for thy wages, true Thomas; It will give thee the tongue that can never lie.'

'My tongue is mine ain,' true Thomas said;

'A gudely gift ye wad gie to me! I neither dought to buy nor sell, At fair or tryst where I may be.

'I dought neither speak to prince or peer,

Nor ask of grace from fair ladye.' Now hold thy peace!' the lady said, 'For as I say, so must it be.'

Thomas!

Some uncouth ferlies show to me.' Says Christ thee save, Corspatrick

brave!

Thrice welcome, good Dunbar, to me!

'Light down, light down, Corspatrick brave!

And I will show thee curses three, Shall gar fair Scotland greet and grane, And change the green to the black livery.

'A storm shall roar this very hour,

From Ross's hills to Solway sea.' 'Ye lied, ye lied, ye warlock hoar! For the sun shines sweet on fauld

and lee.'

He put his hand on the Earlie's head;

Heshow'd him a rock beside the sea, Where a king lay stiff beneath his steed,

And steel-dight nobles wiped their

ec.

The neist curse lights on Branxton hills:

By Flodden's high and heathery side, Shall wave a banner red as blude, And chieftains throng wi' meikle pride.

'A Scottish King shall come full keen, The ruddy lion beareth he; A feather'd arrow sharp, I ween,

Shall make him wink and warre to

see.

'When he is bloody, and all to-bledde, Thus to his men he still shall say "For God's sake, turn ye back again, And give yon southern folk a fray! Why should I lose? the right is mine!

My doom is not to die this day."

'Yet turn ye to the castern hand,

And woe and wonder ye sall see; How forty thousand spearmen stand,

Where yon rank river meets the sea.

'There shall the lion lose the gylte,

And the libbards bear it clean away; At Pinkyn Cleuch there shall be spilt Much gentil bluid that day.'

'Enough, enough, of curse and ban;

Some blessings show thou now tome, Or, by the faith o' my bodie,' Corspatrick said,

'Ye shall rue the day ye e'er saw me!'

'The first of blessings I shall thee show,

Is by a burn' that's call'd of bread; Where Saxon men shall tine the bow, And find their arrows lack the head.

1 Bannock-burn.

'Beside that brigg, out-ower that burn, Where the water bickereth bright

and sheen,

Shall many a fallen courser spurn, And knights shall die in battle keen. 'Beside a headless cross of stone,

The libbards there shall lose the gree: The raven shall come, the erne shall go, And drink the Saxon bluid sae free. The cross of stone they shall not know, So thick the corses there shall be.' 'But tell me now,' said brave Dunbar, 'True Thomas, tell now unto me, What man shall rule the isle Britain, Even from the north to the southern

sca?'

'A French Queen shall bear the son, Shall rule all Britain to the sea;

He of the Bruce's blood shall come,
As near as in the ninth degree.
The waters worship shall his race;
Likewise the waves of the farthest

sea;

For they shall ride over ocean wide, With hempen bridles, and horse of tree.'

PART III. (MODERN.)

WHEN seven years more were come and gone,

Was war through Scotland spread, And Ruberslaw show'd high Dunyon His beacon blazing red.

Then all by bonny Coldingknow,

Pitch'd palliouns took their room, And crested helms, and spears a-rowe,

Glanced gaily through the broom. The Leader, rolling to the Tweed, Resounds the ensenzie;

They roused the deer from Caddenhead,

To distant Torwoodlee.

In fairy tissue wove;

Where lords and knights and ladies

bright

In gay confusion strove.

The Garde Joyeuse amid the tale
High rear'd its glittering head;
And Avalon's enchanted vale
In all its wonders spread.

Brangwain was there, and Segramore,
And fiend-born Merlin's gramarye;
Of that famed wizard's mighty lore
O who could sing but he?

Through many a maze the winning song
In changeful passion led,
Till bent at length the listening throng
O'er Tristrem's dying bed.

His ancient wounds their scars expand,
With agony his heart is wrung:
O where is Isolde's lilye hand,

And where her soothing tongue?

She comes! she comes! like flash of flame

Can lovers' footsteps fly; She comes! she comes! She only came To see her Tristrem die.