HALLOWEEN.1

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.-R. B.

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.

UPON that night, when Fairies light
On Cassilis Downans2 dance,
Or owre the lays,3 in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the route is ta'en,
Beneath the moon's pale beams;
There, up the Cove1 to stray an' rove,
Amang the rocks and streams

To sport that night.

Amang the bonnie, winding banks,
Where Doon rins, wimplin,5 clear,

Where Bruce ance rul'd the martial ranks,
An' shook his Carrick spear,

Some merry, friendly, contra folks,

Together did convene,

To burn their nits,7 an' pou their stocks,8

An' haud their Halloween

Fu' blythe that night.

1 Halloween is thought to be a night when witches, devils, and other mischief-making beings are all abroad on their baneful, midnight errands; particularly those aerial people, the fairies, are said, on that night to hold a grand anniversary.-R. B.

2 Certain little, romantic, rocky, green hills, in the neighbourhood of the ancient seat of the Earls of Cassilis.-R. B. 3 Fields.

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.-R. B.

" Meandering.

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

Nuts.

8 Plants of kail.

The lasses feat,1 an' cleanly neat,
Mair braw than when they're fine;
Their faces blythe, fu' sweetly kythe,2
Hearts leal, an' warm, an' kin:
The lads sae trig,3 wi' wooer-babs,*
Weel knotted on their garten,
Some unco blate, an' some wi' gabs,
Gar lasses' hearts gang startin

Whyles fast at night.

Then, first, an' foremost, thro' the kail,
Their stocks5 maun a' be sought ance:
They steek their een, an' grape an' wale,7
For muckle anes, an' straught anes.
Poor hav'rels Will fell aff the drift,

An' wander'd thro' the bow-kail,9
An' pow't,10 for want o' better shift,
A runt" was like a sow-tail,

Sae bow't12 that night.

Then, straught or crooked, yird13 or nane,
They roar an' cry a' throu'ther;14
The vera wee things, toddlin, rin,
Wi' stocks out-owre their shouther;
An' gif the custocs15 sweet or sour,
Wi' joctelegs16 they taste them;
Syne coziely, aboon the door,

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

The lasses staw's frae' mang them a'
To their stalks o' corn;19

pou
But Rab slips out, an' jinks20 about,
Behint the muckle thorn:

1 Spruce. 2 Shewn. 3 Smart.

4 Garters knotted with loops.

5 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 spells-the 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 the people whom chance brings into the house, are, according to the priority of placing the runts, the names in question.-R. B. 6 Grope. 7 Choose. 8 Half-witted. 9 Cabbage. 11 A cabbage stem.

10 Pulled.

13 Earth.

12 Crooked 14 In confusion. 15 Hearts of stems. 16 Knives. 17 Snugly. 18 Steal. 19 They 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 come to the marriage-bed anything but a maid.-R. B.

20 Dodges.

He grippet Nelly hard an' fast;
Loud skirled a' the lasses;
But her tap-pickle maist was lost,
When kiutlin' in the fause-house2
Wi' him that night.

The auld guidwife's weel-hoordet3 nits1
Are round an' round divided,
An' monie lads' and lasses' fates
Are there that night decided:
Some kindle, couthie,5 side by side,
An' burn thegither trimly;
Some start awa, wi' saucy pride,
An' 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 bleez'd owre her, an' she owre him,
As they wad never mair part;

Till, fuff! he started up the lum,7

An' Jean had e'en a sair heart
To see't that night.

Poor Willie, wi' his bow-kail runt,
Was brunt wi' primsies Mallie,
An' Mary, nae doubt, took the drunt,9
To be compared to Willie:

Mall's nit lap out, wi' pridefu' fling,
An' her ain fit it brunt it;
While Willie lap, an' swoor10 by jing,
'Twas just the way he wanted
To be that night.

Nell had the fause-house in her min',"1
She pits hersel an' Rob in;

In loving bleeze they sweetly join,
Till white in ase12 they're sobbin:

1 Cuddling.

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.-R. B.

3 Well-hoarded.

4 Burning the nuts is a famous charm. They name the lad and the 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.-R. B.

5 Loving. 6 Cautious.
9 Pet. 10 Swore.

8 Demure.

7 The chimney:
11 Mind. 12 Ashes.

F

Nell's heart was dancin at the view;
She whisper'd Rob to leuk for't:
Rob, stownlins,' prie'd2 her bonnie mou,
Fu' cozie in the neuk for't,

Unseen that night.

But Merran sat behint their backs,
Her thoughts on Andrew Bell;
She lea'es" them gashin at their cracks,
An' slips out by hersel:

She thro' the yard the nearest taks,
An' to the kiln she goes then,
An' darklins grapit for the bauks,*
And in the blue-clues throws then,
Right fear't that night.

An'

aye she win't, an' ay she swat,
I wat she made nae jaukin ;6
Till something held within the pat,
Guid Lord! but she was quaukin !7
But whether 'twas the Deil himsel
Or whether 'twas a bauk-en',
Or whether it was Andrew Bell,
She did na wait on talkin

To spiers that night.

Wee Jennie to her Graunie says,
"Will ye go wi' me Graunie?
I'll eat the apple at the glass,
I gat frae uncle Johnie:"
She fuff to her pipe wi' sic a lunt,"
In wrath she was sae vap'rin,
She notic't na, an aizle12 brunt
Her braw new worset13 apron
Out thro' that night.

1 By stealth.

2 Tasted.

+ Cross-beams.

3 Leaves.

5 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 new clue off the old one; and, towards the latter end, something will hold the thread; demand, Wha hauds? i.e. who holds ? an answer will be returned from the kiln-pot, by naming the christian and surname of your future spouse.-R. B. 8 Inquire.

6 Dallying.

7 Quaking.

9 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 if peeping over your shoulder.-R. B.

10 Did blow.

11 Column of smoke.

12 Hot cinder.

13 Worsted.