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NOTES TO NEW gEIR GIFT TO QUENE MARY (3-6). IOI
3. Welcum, oure tkrissill. The earliest known mention of the
Thistle as the national badge of Scotland occurs in the inventory of
the effects of James III., who probably considered “the awfull
thrissill” surrounded with “a busche of speiris” as a fitting illustra¬
tion of the royal motto, “ In defence.” It is found on coins of James
IV., James V., Mary, and James VI.—on those of the last-mentioned
king encircled for the first time with the motto “Nemo me impune
lacessit.”
With ]?£ Lorane grene. The colour peculiarly her own as daughter
of Mary of Lorraine.
4. Ryce=\yN\<g, spray. A.S. hrisj Ger. reis.
“As whyte as lylye or rose on rys. ”
—Chaucer, ‘ The Romaunt of the Rose,’
vol. vii. p. 46; ed. Bell.
“The roisis reid arrayit on rone and ryce.”
—Henryson, ‘ The Taill of the Lyoun and
the Mous,’ Prol., st. 3, 1. 1.
6. Welcum, oure beill of Albion to beir ! Dr Laing has the following
note : The beill of Albion to bein' included by Lord Hailes in the
list of passages not understood, has been thus explained : ‘ Beild,
beill of Albion is possession. The Scots were anciently confined to
Albany, poetically called Albion.’—Pinkerton. This appears to be
a more satisfactory explanation than that which follows: ‘Were it
not for the verb conjoined, one might view beill as the same with beild,
support. Can beill signify care, sorrow, q. baill?'—Jamieson.” What
Pinkerton has to say about Albion is not very helpful, and beill or
beild does not mean “possession.” Jamieson’s conjecture that beill
may be for baill is equally worthless.
If beill is the same as beild, it may be taken in the sense of “guard¬
ian,” “ protector,” and the line may be rendered, “ Welcome to bear
our guardians of Albion !” i.e., to be the mother of our kings. The
word genetryce in the preceding line seems to favour this interpretation.
See also 11. 193-208. But beill may be used in the common accep¬
tation of “shelter,” and the line may be explained, “Welcome to
share the shelter Albion can afford thee !” “ Welcome to our Scot¬
tish land! ”
5. Genetryce = mother. Lat. genetrix.
“ Haile, clene, bedene, ay till conteyne!
Haile, fair fresche fleur-de-lyce!
Haile, grene daseyne, haile fro the splene,
Of Jhesu genetrice! ”
—Dunbar, ‘ Ane Ballat of our Lady,’ 11. 41-44.