A wanton widow Leezie was, As canty as a kiitlen; But och! that night, amang the shaws, She got a fearfu' settlin! She thro' the wins, an' by the cairn, An' owre the hill gaed scrievin, Was bent that night. Whyles owre a lian the burnie plays, Unseen that night. Amang the brachens, on the brae, Poor Leezie's heart maist lap the hool; Out-owre the lugs she plumpit, Wi' a plunge that night. 14 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 dry the other side of it. In order, on the clean hearth-stane, Because he gat the toom dish thrice, In wrath that night. Wi' merry sangs, an' friendly cracks, Their sports were cheap an' cheery; Syne, wi' a social glass o' strunt, Fu' blythe that night. 15 Take three dishes; put clean water in one, foul water in another, leave the third empty: blindfold a person, 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 future husband or wife will come to the bar of matrimony a maid: if in the foul, a widow: 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. 16 Sowens, with butter instead of milk to them, is always the Halloween Supper. THE JOLLY BEGGARS. A Cantata. RECITATIVO. WHEN lyart leaves bestrew the yird, First, niest the fire, in auld red rags, And knapsack a' in order; 1 The old Scottish name for the Bat. Ilk smack still, did crack still, I AM a son of Mars, who have been in many wars, And show my cuts and scars wherever I come; This here was for a wench, and that other in a trench, [drum. When welcoming the French at the sound of the Lal de daudle, &c. My 'prentiship I past where my leader breath'd his last, [Abram; When the bloody die was cast on the heights of I serv'd out my trade when the gallant game was play'd, [drum. And the Moro low was laid at the sound of the Lal de daudle, &c. I lastly was with Curtis, among the floating batt'ries, And there I left for witnesses an arm and a limb: Yet let my country need me,with Elliot to head me, I'd clatter on my stumps at the sound of the drum. Lal de daudle, &c. And now, tho' I must beg, with a wooden arm and leg, And many a tatter'd rag hanging over my bum, I'm as happy with my wallet, my bottle, and my callet, As when I us'd in scarlet to follow the drum. Lal de daudle, &c. What tho' with hoary locks, I must stand the windy shocks, [home; Beneath the woods and rocks, oftentimes for a When the tother bag I sell, and the tother bottle tell, [drum. I could meet a troop of hell at the sound of the RECITATIVO. He ended; and the kebars sheuk Aboon the chorus roar; While frighted rattans backward leuk, AIR. TUNE,- Soldier Laddie.' I ONCE was a maid, tho' I cannot tell when, And still my delight is in proper young men; Some one of a troop of dragoons was my daddie, No wonder I'm fond of a sodger laddie. Sing, Lal de lal, &c. The first of my loves was a swaggering blade, But the goodly old chaplain left him in the lurch, |