SOMETHING MORE ON THE "BORSE STONE"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11923, 22 December 1900, Page 2

SOMETHING MORE ON THE "BORSE STONE"

Dear Oivis,—l3ni 1( in n wall dicing a street in the Morningside district of Edinburgh is a stone said to bo that in which was planted [ the standard round which rallied the town bands before tho march lo Flodden field. Originally, doubtless, the " borough" stone, it is now known in the vernacular as the " borros " stone, or " bo'rse " stone—something like that, nt lenst, so far as my recollection I see ye hac yer doots of the authenticity of the "bore stone" on P.amiockbum. Now. if you will come to Hilton I can show yon a photo of it in itg iron cage alongside the great flagstaff erected a number of years ago. There! But to a genial cynic like you that argument i has perhaps the same weight as that of the husband whose wife comrjlnin":! to him that a neighbour had expressed doubts of her marriage. "What!" said the husband, "didn't you show her the twins! " Milton. I thought that I had already disposed of this1 absurdity. The unintelligible "Borsestoiie" I resolved and dismissed as a " border-stone," common enough in the border countries. Next week, however, it presented itself as the " bove-stone" of Bannnckburn, which, again, I rationalised as a " burr-stone." the name in good broad Scotch for a millstone. And. 10. here it h once more—this time the " boroujrhftone" of Edinburgh! In my belief the " Borse-stone" is merely a Scotch variant of the stone of Sisyphu?—as often as I chuck if- out it conies back upon me. Well, let it be the " borounh-stone " of Edinburgh. Anything for a quiet life. Ctvis.