J. F. Campbell Collection > Minstrelsy of the Scottish border > Volume 3

THE SCOTTISH BORDER. 173
merry with his friends, in the tower of Erceldoun, a
person came running in, and told, with marks of fear
and astonishment, that a hart and hind had left the
neighbouring forest, and were, composedly and slowly,
parading the street of the village.* The prophet instant-
ly arose, left his habitation, and followed the wonderful
animals to the forest, whence he was never seen to re-
turn. According to the popular belief, he still " drees
his weird" in Fairy Land, and is one day expected to
revisit earth. In the meanwhile, his memory is held in
the most profound respect. The Eildon Tree, from be-
neath the shade of which he delivered his prophecies,
now no longer exists ; but the spot is marked by a large
stone, called Eildon Tree Stone. A neighbouring ri-
vulet takes the name of the Bogle Burn (Goblin Brook)
from the Rhymer's supernatural visitants. The vene-
ration paid to his dwelling place even attached itself
in some degree to a person, who, within the memory
of man, chose to set up his residence in the ruins of
Learmont's tower. The name of this man was Murray,
a kind of herbalist ; who, by dint of some knowledge in
simples, the possession of a musical clock, an electrical
machine, and a stuffed alligator, added to a supposed
communication with Thomas the Rhymer, lived for
many years in very good ci'edit as a wizard.
• There is a singular resemblance betwixt this tradition, and an
incident occurring in the life of iNIerlin Caledonius, which the reader
will find a few pages onwards.