He fwoor 'twas hilchin Jean M'Craw,
Or crouchie Merran Humphie,

Till ftop! he trotted thro' them a';
An' wha was it but Grumphie

Aftaer that night!

XXI.

Meg fain would to the Barn 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 fhe sets,

In hopes to fee Tam Kipples.

That vera night.

XXII.

She turns the key, wi' cannie thraw,

An' owre the threshold ventures; But firft on Sawnie gies a ca',

Syne bauldly in fhe enters;

*This charm muft likewife be performed unperceived and alone. You go to the Barn, and open both doors, taking them off the hinges, if poffible, for there is danger, that the being about to appear, may fhut the doors, and do you fome mischief. Then take that inftrument ufed in winnowing the corn, which in our country dialect, we call a Wecht, and go thro' all the attitudes of letting down Corn against the wind. Repeat it three times; and the third time an apparition will pass thro the Barn, injat the windy door, and out at the other, having both the figure in question, and the appearance of retinue marking the employment or Station in life.

A ratton rattl'd up the wa',

An' she cry'd, L-d preferve her!
An' ran thro' midden-hole an' a',
And pray'd wi' zeal an fervour,

Fu' fast that night.

XXIII.

They hoy't out Will, wi' fair advice:
They hecht him fome fine braw ane;
It chanc'd the Stack he fadd m't thrice,*
Was timmer-propt for thrawin:

He taks a fwirlie, auld mofs-oak,
For fome black, groufome Carlin;
An' loot a winze, an' drew a ftroke,
Till skin in blypes cam haurlin

Aff's nieves that night.

XXIV.

A wanton widow Leezie was,

As kantie as a kittlin;

But, Och! that night, amang the fhaws,

She got a fearfu' settlin !

She thro' the whins, an' by the cairn,

An' owre the hill gaed fcrievin,

Take an opportunity of going, unnoticed, to a Bere-ftack, and fathom it three times round. The laft fathom of the laft time, you will catch in your arms the appearance of your future conjugal yoke-fellow.

Where three Laird's lands met at a burn*,

To dip her left fark-fleeve in,

Was bent that night.

XXV.

Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays, mod: ss) T
As thro' the glen it wimpl't;) blodd [sky
Whyles round a rocky fear it trays; 3h bền
Whyles in a wiel it dimpl't;

Whyles glitter'd to the nightly rays a
Wi' bickering, dancing dazzle;

Whyles cookit underneath the braes,

Below the spreading hazzle,

Unfeen that night.

XXVI.

Amang the brachens on the brae

Between her an' the moon,

The Deil, or elfe an outler Quay

Gat

up an gied a croon :

Poor Leezie's heart maift lap the hool;

Near lav'rock height the jumpit,

But mift a fit an' in the Pool

Out-owre the lugs fhe plumpit,

Wi' a plunge that night.

T

*You go out, one or more, for this is a focial fpell, to a fouth-running fpring or rivulet, where three Laird's lands meet," and dip your left fhirt fleeve. Go to bed in fight of a fire, and bang your wet fleeve before it to dry. Lie awake; and fometime near midnight, an apparition, having the exact figure of the grand object in queftion, will come and turn the fleeve, as if to dry the other fide of it.

XXVII.

In order, on the clean hearth ftane,
The Luggies three are ranged;
An' ev'ry time great care is ta'en
To fee them duly changed:
Auld uncle John, wha wedlock's joys
Sin' Mar's-year did defire,

Because he gat the toom dish thrice,

He heav'd them on the fire,

In wrath that night.

XXVIII.

Wi' merry fangs, and friendly cracks,

I wat they did na weary;
And unco tales, an' funnie jokes,
Their fports were cheap and cheary;
Till butter'd Sons,† wi' fragrant lunt,
Set a' their gabs a steerin;

Syne, wi' a focial glass o' ftrunt,
They parted aff careerin

Fu' blythe that night.

Take three dishes; put clean water in one, foul water in another, and leave the third empty blindfold a perfon, and lead him to the hearth where the dishes are ranged; he (or she) dips the left hand; if by chance in the clean water, the fu ture husband or wife will come to the bar of Matrimony maid; if in the foul, a widow; if in the empty dish, it fore tells, 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 inftead of milk to them, is always the Halloween Supper.

G

A GUID New Year I wish thee, Maggie!

Hae, there's a ripp to thy auld baggie :
Tho' thou's how-backit, now, an' knaggie,

I've feen the day

Thou could hae gaen like any itaggie

Out owre the lay.mb tedT

Tho' now thou's dowie, ftiff, an' crazy, goodwi uł

An' thy auld hide as white's a daisie,

I've feen thee dappl't, fleek an' glaizie,

A bonie gray:

He should been tight that daur't to raise thee,

Ance in a day.