He whistled up Lord Lennox' march Out-owre that night. He roar'd a horrid murder-shout, In dreadfu' desperation! And young and auld cam rinnin' out To hear the sad narration: He swcie 'twas hilchin' Jean M'Craw, Asteer that night! Meg fain wad to the barn hae gaen, She pat but little faith in : She gies the herd a pickle nits, She turns the key wi' cannie thraw, And owre the threshold ventures; A ratton rattled up the wa', * And she cried, Lord, preserve her! They hoy't out Will, wi' sair advice; 1 Frightened. 2 Staggering. 3 Halting. 4 Crookbacked. 5 The pig. 6 Corn-baskets. 7 Few. 8 Urged. *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.-B. 1 Knotty. It chanced the stack he faddom't thrice * For some black, grousome carlin; A wanton widow Leezie was, As canty as a kittlin; But, och! that night, amang the shaws, She got a fearfu' settlin'! 6 She through the whins, and by the cairn, Whare three lairds' lands met at a burn,+ Was bent that night. Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays, Unseen that night. Amang the brackens, on the brae, 2 Hideous. 3 An oath. 4 Shreds. Gat up and gae a croon : Poor Leezie's heart maist lap the hool! 10 Near lav'rock-height she jumpit ; But mist a fit, and in the pool Out-owre the lugs she plumpit, Wi' a plunge that night. In order, on the clean hearth-stane, * Take an opportunity of going unnoticed to a bean-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 yoke-fellow.-B. 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.-B. 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 And every time great care is ta'en Because he gat the toom1 dish thrice, In wrath that night. Wi' merry sangs, and friendly cracks, And unco tales, and funny jokes, Their sports were cheap and cheery; Syne, wi' a social glass o' strunt,* They parted aff careerin' Fu' blythe that night. MAN WAS MADE TO MOURN. A DIRGE. GILBERT BURNS tells us that "several of the poems were produced for the purpose of bringing forward some favourite sentiment of the author's. He' used to remark to me that he could not well conceive a more mortifying picture of human life than a man seeking work, In casting about in his mind how this sentiment might be brought forward, the elegy, 'Man was Made to Mourn,' was composed. An old Scottish ballad had suggested the poem. "I had an old granduncle," says the poet to Mrs. Dunlop, "with whom my mother lived a while in her girlish years. The good old man was long blind ere he died, during which time his highest enjoyment was to sit down and cry, while my mother would sing the simple old song of 'The Life and Age of Man." From the poet's mother, Mr. Cromek procured a copy of this composition; it commences thus: 1 Empty. "Upon the sixteen hundred year Of God and fifty-three Frae Christ was born, who bought us dear, On January the sixteenth day, As I did lie alone, With many a sigh and sob did say Ah! man was made to moan! WHEN chill November's surly blast 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.-B. *Sowens.-The shell of the corn (called shellings) is left in water until the fine meal particles are extracted; the liquid, when strained off, is boiled with butter. ! I spied a man whose aged step "Young stranger, whither wanderest thou?" "Does thirst of wealth thy step constrain, Or haply, prest with cares and woes, To wander forth with me to mourn "The sun that overhangs yon moors, And every time has added proofs "O man! while in thy early years, Which tenfold force gives nature's law, "Look not alone on youthful prime, Man then is useful to his kind, But see him on the edge of life, With cares and sorrows worn; Then age and want-oh! ill-match'd pair !-- "A few seem favourites of fate, In pleasure's lap carest; Yet think not all the rich and great Are likewise truly blest. But, oh! what crowds in every land "Many and sharp the numerous ills More pointed still we make ourselves— And man, whose heaven-erected face Makes countless thousands mourn! "See yonder poor, o'erlabour'd wight, "If I'm design'd yon lordling's slave- E'er planted in my mind? If not, why am I subject to Or why has man the will and power "Yet let not this too much, my son, The poor, oppressed, honest man, Had never, sure, been born, Had there not been some recompense To comfort those that mourn. "O Death! the poor man 5 dearest friend— The kindest and the best! Welcome the hour my aged limbs Are laid with thee at rest! The great, the wealthy, fear thy blow, From pomp and pleasure torn; But, oh! a blest relief to those That weary-laden mourn !" THE COTTER'S SATURDAY NIGHT. INSCRIBED TO ROBERT AIKEN, ESQ. GILBERT BURNS says in regard to this fine poem :-"Robert had frequently remarked to me that he thought there was something peculiarly venerable in the phrase, 'Let us worship God!' used by a decent, sober head of a family, introducing family worship. To this sentiment of the author, the world is indebted for The Cotter's Saturday Night.' When Robert had not some pleasure in view in which I was not thought fit to participate, we used frequently to walk together, when the weather was favourable, on the Sunday afternoons -those precious breathing times to the labouring part of the community-and enjoyed such Sundays as would make one regret to see their number abridged. It was in one of these walks that I first had the pleasure of hearing the author repeat 'The Cotter's Saturday Night.' I do not recollect to have read or heard anything by which I was more highly electrified. The fifth and sixth stanzas, C |