NOTES ON THE TENTH BOOK.
In till a playn set tentis and palyon,
South hald Fawkyrk.—V. 89.
I have hesitated whether this be not an erratum for half or halff, frequently used by our old writers in the sense of quarter; but have retained the term as in MS. Edit. 1594 has,—
South the Faukirk, &c.
If hald be the original term, it may lead us to the sense of the common termination in vulgar language, as in Southilt, Wessilt. V. Eassilt, Etym. Dict. Thus it might be resolved, “Hald,” or hold, “to the south of Falkirk.” Isl. halld-a signifies, viam dirigere; Haldorsoni Lex.
The lauch way till Enrawyn thai ryd.—V. 622.
Innerauyn, Edit. 1594; Inneravin, Edit. 1648. More properly Inveravon, a village near the mouth of the river Avon in Stirlingshire, a little to the south of Kinneil. V. Nimmo’s Map of Stirlingshire. The rhyme requires that this should be pronounced as a word of four syllables.
For weill thai wyst, that it was Jhon off Lyn,
Scottis to slay, he said, it was no syn.—V. 803.
It is not improbable that there might be, in that age, some dreaded English pirate, denominated perhaps from Lynne in Norfolk, especially as it is said that his ship was not seen by Wallace and his companions till they were opposite to the mouth of the Humber. But I have not met with any historical traces of him.
The Roman [bukis] that than was in Scotland,
He gart be brocht to scham, quhar thai thaim fand;
And, but radem, thai brynt thaim thar ilkan;
Salysbery oyss our clerkis than has tane.—V. 1003.
The Roman buikes that then war in Scotland,
He gart thame beir to cume quhar thai thaim fand, &c.—Edit. 1594.
The Roman bookes, &c.
Hee gart them beare to Scone where they them fand.—Edit. 1620.
Although the essential term, bukis, has been omitted by Ramsay, the MS. alone makes sense of the passage. Hart’s emendation is equal in absurdity with the reading of Edit. 1594. By the Salysbery oyss, I need scarcely say, those missals are meant which were formed secundum usum Sarisburiensem. This agrees with the account given by Bellenden.
“He brint all the Cronikles of Scotland, with all maner of bukis als weill of deuyne seruyce as of othir materis; to that fyne that the memorye of Scottis suld peris. He gart the Scottis wryte bukis efter the vse of Sarum, and constranit thaym to say efter that vse.” Cronikle, Fol. CCIX, a. Libros sacros Anglico ritu conscribi jussit. Boeth.
Schir Jhon Ramsay and Rowan than fled north,
To thair cusyng that lord was off Fyllorth.
Quhilk past with thaim throw Murray landis rycht;
So fand thai thar a gentill worthi knycht
At Climace hecht, full cruell ay had beyn,
And fayndyt weill amang his enemys keyn.—V. 1021.
The knycht Climés off Ross com sodeynly
In Murray land with thair gud chewalry.—B. XI. v. 743.
It appears that this knight belonged to the county of Ross; and it has been conjectured that he was a son or brother of the Earl of Ross, who was at this time a prisoner in England. V. Notes to Perth Edit. p. 25, 26. In Edit. 1594 and 1620, it is in both places Clement.