1 An occasional ear of corn in a thrave-that is, twenty-four sheaves.

We have the testimony of Gilbert Burns that this beautiful poem was composed while the author was following the plough. Burns ploughed with four horses, being twice the amount of power now required on most of the soils of Scotland. He required an assistant called a gaudsman, to drive the horses, his own duty being to hold and guide the plough. John Blane, who had acted as gaudsman to Burns, and who lived sixty years afterwards, had a distinct recollection of the turning up of the mouse. Like a thoughtless youth as he was, he ran after the creature to kill it, but was checked and recalled by his master, who, he observed, became thereafter thoughtful and abstracted. Burns, who treated his servants with the familiarity of fellow-labourers, soon after read the poem to Blane.

HALLOWEEN.'

The following poem will, by many readers, be well enough understood; but for the sake of those who are unacquainted with the manners and traditions of the country where the scene is cast, notes are added, to give some account of the principal charms and spells of that night, so big with prophecy to the peasantry in the west of Scotland. The passion of prying into futurity, makes a striking part of the history of human nature in its rude state, in all ages and nations; and it may be some entertainment to a philosophic mind, if any such should honour the author with a perusal, to see the remains of it among the more unenlightened in

our own.

"Yes! let the rich deride, the proud disdain,

The simple pleasures of the lowly train;
To me more dear, congenial to my heart,
One native charm, than all the gloss of art.'

GOLDSMITH.-B.

Upon that night, when fairies light,
On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the route is ta'en,
Beneath the moon's pale beams;
There, up the Cove to stray and rove
Amang the rocks and streams

To sport that night.

fields

[All Hallow Eve, or the eve of All Saints' Day,] is thought to be a night when witches, devils, and other mischief-making beings, are all abroad on their baneful midnight errands; particularly those aërial people, the fairies, are said on that night to hold a grand anniversary.-B.

2 Certain little romantic, rocky, green hills, in the neighbourhood of the ancient seat of the Earls of Cassilis.-B.

A noted cavern near Colean House, called the Cove of Colean; which, as well as Cassilis Downans, is famed in country story for being a favourite haunt of fairies.-B.

Then, first and foremost, through the kail, cabbage

2

Their stocks maun a' be sought ance;

They steek their een, and graip, and wale, close-grope-choose
For muckle anes and straught anes.

Poor hav'rel Will fell aff the drift,

And wandered through the bow-kail.

And pou't, for want o' better shift,

A runt was like a sow-tail,

Sae bow't that night.

Then, straught or crooked, yird or nane,
They roar and cry a' throu'ther;

The very wee things, todlin', rin

Wi' stocks out-owre their shouther:

And gif the custoc's sweet or sour,
Wi' joctelegs they taste them;

Syne cozily aboon the door,

Wi' cannie care, they 've placed them
To lie that night.

fool

crooked

tottering

knives
comfortably

gentle

The famous family of that name, the ancestors of Robert, the great deliverer of his country, were Earls of Carrick.-B.

2 The first ceremony of Halloween is, pulling each a stock, or plant of kail. They must go out, hand in hand, with eyes shut, and pull the first they meet with: its being big or little, straight or crooked, is prophetic of the size and shape of the grand object of all their spellsthe husband or wife. If any yird or earth stick to the root, that is tocher or fortune; and the taste of the custoc-that is, the heart of the stem-is indicative of the natural temper and disposition. Lastly, the stems, or, to give them their ordinary appellation, the runts, are placed somewhere above the head of the door, and the Christian names of people whom chance brings into the house are, according to the priority of placing the runts, the namies in question.-B.

The lasses staw frae 'mang them a'
To pou their stalks o' corn;'
But Rab slips out, and jinks about,

Behint the muckle thorn:

stole

He grippet Nelly hard and fast;
Loud skirled a' the lasses;

screamed

But her tap-pickle maist was lost,

When kuittlin' in the fause-house"
Wi' him that night.

The auld guidwife's weel-hoordit nits3
Are round and round divided;
And mony lads' and lasses' fates

Are there that night decided:
Some kindle couthie, side by side,
And burn thegither trimly;
Some start awa' wi' saucy pride,
And jump out-owre the chimlie
Fu' high that night.

Jean slips in twa wi' tentie e'e;
Wha 'twas, she wadna tell;
But this is Jock, and this is me,
She says in to hersel':

He bleezed owre her, and she owre him,

As they wad never mair part;
Till, fuff! he started up the lum,
And Jean had e'en a sair heart
To see 't that night.

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

And Mary, nae doubt, took the drunt,
To be compared to Willie.

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

And her ain fit it brunt it;

While Willie lap, and swore, by jing,

"Twas just the way he wanted

To be that night.

agreeably

pet

1 They go to the barn-yard, and pull each, at three several times, a stalk of oats. If the third stalk wants the top-pickle-that is, the grain at the top of the stalk-the party in question will not continue spotless until marriage.-B.

2 When the corn is in a doubtful state, by being too green or wet, the stack-builder, by means of old timber, &c., makes a large apartment in his stack, with an opening in the side which is fairest exposed to the wind: this he calls a fause-house.-B. That is, false-house; something only resembling a house.

* Burning the nuts is a famous charm. They name the lad and lass to each particular nut as they lay them in the fire, and accordingly as they burn quietly together, or start from beside one another, the course and issue of the courtship will be.—B.

1

Whoever would with success try this spell, must strictly observe these directions:- Steal out, all alone, to the kiln, and, darkling, throw into the pot a clue of blue yarn; wind it in a clue off the old one, and towards the latter end something will hold the thread; demand 'Wha hauds?'—that is, Who holds? An answer will be returned from the kiln-pot, by naming the Christian and surname of your future spouse.-B.

2 Take a candle, and go alone to a looking-glass; eat an apple before it, and, some traditions say, you should comb your hair all the time; the face of your conjugal companion to be, will be seen in the glass, as peeping over your shoulder.-B.