XX.

He roar'd a horrid murder-shout,
In dreadfu' desperation!
An' young an' auld cam rinnin out,
An' hear the sad narration:

He swoor'twas hilchin Jean M'Craw,
Or crouchie Merran Humphie,
'Till stop! she trotted thro' them a';
An' wha was it but grumphie

Asteer that night!

XXI.

Meg fain wad to the barn hae gaen
To winn three wechts o' naething ;*
But for to meet the Deil her lane,
She pat but little faith in:

She gies the herd a pickle nits,
An' twa red cheekit apples,

To watch, while for the barn she sets,
In hopes to see Tam Kipples

That vera night.

*This charm must likewise be performed, unperceived, and alone. You go to the barn, and open both doors, taking them off the hinges, if possible; for there is danger that the being, about to appear, may shut the doors, and do you some mischief. Then take that instrument used in winnowing the corn, which, in our country dialect, we call a wecht; and go through all the attitudes of letting down corn against the wind. Repeat it three times; and the third time an apparition will pass through the barn, in at the windy door, and out at the other, having both the figure in question, and the appearance or retinue, marking the employment or station in life.

XXII.

She turns the key wi' cannie thraw,
And owre the threshold ventures;
But first on Sawnie gies a ca'

Syne bauldy in she enters;
A ratton rattl'd up the wa',

An' she cry'd L-d preserve her!
An' ran thro' midden-hole an' a'
An' pray'd wi' zeal an' fervor,

Fu' fast that night.

XXIII.

They hoy't out Will, wi' sair advice:
They hecht him some fine braw ane;
It chanc'd the stack he faddom'd thrice,*
Was timber-propt for thrawin:
He taks a swirlie, auld moss oak,
For some black, grousome carlin;
An' loot a winze, an' drew a stroke,
Till skain in blypes came haurlin

Aff's nieves that night.

XXIV.

A wanton widow Leezie was,
As canty as a kittlen;

Bnt Och! that night, amang the shaws,
She got a fearfu' settlin!

* Take an opportunity of going, unnoticed, to a bear-stack, and fathom it three times round. The last fathom of the last time, you will catch in your arms the appearance of your future conjugal yokefellow.

She thro' the whins, an' by the cairn,
An' owre the hill gaed scrievin,
Whare three lairds' lands met at a burn,*
To dip her left sark-sleeve in,

Was bent that night.

XXV.

Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays,
As thro' the glen it wimpl't;
Whyles round a rocky scar it strays;
Whyles in a wiel it dimpl't
Whyles glitter'd to the nightly rays,
Wi' bickering, dancing dazzle;
Whyles cookit underneath the braes,
Below the spreading_hazel,

Unseen that night.

XXVI.

Amang the brachens, on the brae

Between her an' the moon,
The Deil, or else an outler quey,
Cat up an' gae a croon:

Foor Leezie's heart maist lap the hool;
Near lav'rock-height she jumpit,
But mist a fit, an' in the pool

Out-owre the lugs she plumpit,

Wi' a plunge that night.

*You go out, one or more, for this is a social spell, to a south-running spring or rivulet, where "three lairds' lands meet," and dip your left shirt sleeve. Go to bed in sight of a fire, and hang your wet sleeve before it to dry. Lie awake: and some time near midnight, an apparition, having the exact figure of the grand object in question, will come and turn the sleeve, as if to the other side of it.

XXVII.

In order, on the clean hearth-stane,
The luggies three* are ranged,
And every time great care is taen,
To see them duly changed:

Auld uncle John, wha wedlock's joys
Sin Mar's year did desire,

Because he gat the toom dish thrice,

He heav'd them on the fire

In wrath that night.

XXVIII.

Wi' merry sangs, an' friendly cracks,
I wat they did na weary;
An' unco tales, an' funnie jokes,

Their sports were cheap an' cheery.
Till butter'd so'ns,t wi' fragrant lunt,
Set a' their gabs a-steerin;

Syne, wi' a social glass o' strunt,
They parted aff careerin

Fu' blythe that night.

Take three dishes: put clean water in one, foul water in another, leave the third empty blindfold a person, and lead him to the heart!. where the dishes are ranged; he (or she) dips the left hand: if by chance in the clean water, the future husband or wife will come to the bar of matrimony a maid: if in the foul, a witow if in the empty dish, it foretells, with equal certainty, no marriage at all. It is repeated three times, and every time the arrangement of the dishes is altered.

† Sowens. with butter instead of milk to them, is always the Halloween supper.

THE JOLLY BEGGARS.

A CANTATA.

RECITATIVO.

WHEN lyart leaves bestow the yird,
Or wavering like the Bauckie-bird,*
Bedim cauld Boreas' blast;
When hail stanes drive wi' bitter skyte,
And infant frosts begin to bite,
In hoary cranreuch drest;
Ae night at e'en a merry core
O' randie, gangrel bodies,
In Poosie-Nansie's held the splore,
To drink their orra duddies:
Wi' quaffing and laughing,
They ranted and they sang;
Wi' jumping and thumping,
The vera girdle rang.

First, niest the fire, in auld red rags,
Ane sat, weel brac'd wi' mealy bags,
And knapsack a' in order;
His doxy lay within his arm,
Wi' usquebae an' blankets warm-
She blinket on her sodger:

An' ay he gives the tozie drab
The tither skelpin kiss,
While she held up her greedy gab
Just like an aumos dish.

*The old Sootch name for the Bat.