They fteek, their een, an' grape an' wale
For muckle anes, an' fraught anes;
Poor hav'rel Will fell aff the drift,

An' wander'd thro' the Bow-kail,,
An pou't, for want o' better fhift,

A runt was like a fow-tail,

Then, ftraught or crooked, yird or nane,
They roar an' cry a throu❜ther;
The vera wee-things, toddlin, rin,
Wi' ftocks out-owre their fhouther:
An' gif the cuflock's fweet or four,
Wi' jocteleg's they tafte them;;
Syne.coziely, aboon the door,

Wi' cannie care, they've plac'd them

To lie that night..

VI.

The laffes ftaw frae 'mang them a',

To pou their talks o' corn*;

with eyes fhut, and pull the first they meet with: its being big or little, ftraight or crooked, is prophetic of the fize and mape of the grand object of all their Spells the husband of wife. If any yird or, earth ftick to the root, that is Tocher, or Fortune; and the taste of the caftor, that is, the heart of the Stem, is indicative of the natural temper and difpofition. Laftly, the ftems, or, to give them their ordinary appellation, the runts, are placed fome where above the head of the door-; and the Chriftian names of the people whom chance brings into the house, are, according to the priority of placing the Runts, the name: in queftion.

*They go to the barn-yard, and pull each, at three feveral times, a talk of Oats. If the third talk wants the top-pickle,

But Rab flips out, an' jinks about,».
Bebint the muckle thorn,

He grippet Nelly hard an' faft; :
Loud skirl'da' the laffes;

But her tap-pickle maist was lost.

When kiutlin i the Fause-house

Wï' him that night. !

VII.

The auld Gaidwife's weel-hoordet nits t

Are round an' round divided,

An' monie lads an' laffes fates.

Are there that night decided;
Some kindle, couthie,, fide by fide,
An' burn thegither trimly;

Some start awa, wi' faucy pride,
An' jump out owre the chimlie

Fu' high that night.

that is the grain at the top of the flalk, the party in question will come to the marriage-bed any thing but a maid.

* When the corn is in a doubtful ftate, by being too green or wet, the stack builder, by means of old timber, &c. makes a large apartment in his ftack, with an opening in the fide which is fairest expofed to the wind: this he calls a Faufe-house.

Burning the nuts is a favourite charm. They name the fad and lafs to each particular nut, as they lay them in the fire; and according as they burn quietly together, or start from beside one another, the course and iffue of the Court-, ship will be.

VIIE

Jean flips in twa, wi' tentie e'e ;.

But this is Jock, an' this is me,

She fays in to hersel:

He bleez'd owre her, and the owre him,,

As they would ne'er mair part,

Till fuff! he ftarted up the lum,

An' Jean had e'en a fair heart

To fee't that night,

IX,

Poor Willie, wi' his bow-kail runt,..
Was brunt wi' primfie Mallie;

An' Mary, nae doubt, took the drunt,

To be compar'd to Willie:

Mall's nit lap out, wi' pridefu' fling.

An' her ain fit it brunt it;

While Willie lap, an' fwoor by jing,

'Twas just the way he wanted

To be that night,

X.

Nell had the Fause-house in her min',.

She pits herself an' Rob in ;

In loving bleeze they sweetly join,
Till white in afe they're fobbin:
Nell's heart was dancing at the view,
She whisper'd Rob to leuk for't:

Rob, ftowlins, prie'd her bony mou',

Fu' cozie in the neuk for't,

Unfeen that night..

XI.

But Merran fat behint their backs,
Her thoughts on Andrew Bell!
She lea'es them gafhing at their cracks,
An' flips out by herfel:

She thro' the yard the nearest taks,
An' to the kiln fhe goes then,

An' darklins grapit for the bauks,

And in the Blue-clue throws then,

Right fear't that night.

XII.

An' ay fhe win't, an' ay the fwaty
I wat fhe made nae jaukin;
Till fomething held within the pat,..
Guid L-d! but he was quakin!
But whether 'twas the Deil himself,

Or whether 'twas a bauk-en',
Or whether it was Andrew Bell,

She did na wait on talkin

To fpier that night."

*Whoever would, with fuccefs, try this fpell, muft ftri&t. ly observe these directions: Steal out, al alone, to the kiln, and, darkling, throw into the pot a clew of blue yarn; wind it in a new clew of the old one; and, towards the latter end, fomething will hold the thread: demand who hauds? i. e. who holds and anfwer will be returned from the kiln-pot, by naming the Chriftian and Surname of your future Spouse.

XIII.

• Wee Jenny to her Graunie fays,

Will ye go wi'

me graunie?

* at the glass,

• I'll eat the apple

I gat frae uncle. Johnie :" She fuff't her pipe wi' fic a lunt, In wrath fhe was fae vap'rin, She notic't na, an aizle brunt Her braw new worset apron

Out thro' that night.

XIV.

Ye little Skelpie-limmers face !
I daur you trie fic fportin,
As feek the foul Thief ony place,
For him to fpae your fortune :
Nae dout but ye may get a fight!
Great caufe you hae to fear it,

< For many a ane has gotten a fright,
An' liv'd an' di'd deleeret,

• On fic a night.

XV.

"Ae Hairft afore the Sherra-moor,

I mind t as weel's yeftreen,

I was a gilpy then, I'm fure

I was na paft fyfteen :

Take a candle, and go alone to a looking-glafs; eat an apple before it, and fome traditions fay, you should comb your hair all the time; the face of your conjugal companion › to be, will be feen in the glafs, as if peeping over your fhoulder.