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Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 1823-1911

"Tales of the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic"

Onthe east side of the churchyard a brook called the Pansayl falls into theTweed, and there was this prophecy as to their union:-- "When Tweed and Pansayl join at Merlin's grave, Scotland and England shall one monarch have."Sir Walter Scott tells us, in his "Border Minstrelsy," that on the day ofthe coronation of James VI. of Scotland the Tweed accordingly overflowedand joined the Pansayl at the prophet's grave. It was also claimed by oneof the witnesses at the trial of Jeanne d'Arc, that there was a predictionby Merlin that France would be saved by a peasant girl from Lorraine.These prophesies have been often reprinted, and have been translated intodifferent languages, and there was published in London, in 1641, "The Lifeof Merlin, surnamed Ambrosius, His Prophesies and Predictions interpreted,and their Truth made Good by our English Annals." Another book was alsopublished in London, in 1683, called "Merlin revived in a Discourse ofProphesies, Predictions, and their Remarkable Accomplishments."VIII. LANCELOTThe main sources of information concerning Lancelot are the "Morted'Arthur," Newell's "King Arthur and the Table Round," and thepublications of the Early English Text Society. See also Rhys's "ArthurianLegend," pp. 127, 147, etc.IX. THE HALF-MANThe symbolical legend on which this tale is founded will be found in LadyCharlotte Guest's translation of the "Mabinogion" (London, 1877), II.


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