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 it's rude state , in all ages and nations ; and it may be some entertainment to a philosophic mind , if any such should honor the Author with a perusal , to see the remains of it , among the more unenlightened in our own .

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 . 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 . I. UPON that night , when Fairies light , On Cassilis Downans Certain little , romantic , rocky , green hills , in the neighbourhood of the ancient seat of the Earls of Cassilis . dance , Or owre the lays , in splendid blaze , On sprightly coursers prance ; Or for Colean , the rout is taen , Beneath the moon's pale beams ; There , up the Cove , 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 . to stray an' rove , Amang the rocks an' streams To sport that night II . Amang the bonie , winding banks , Where Doon rins , wimplin , clear , Where BRUCE The famous family of that name , the ancestors of ROBERT the great Deliverer of his country , were Earls of Carrick . ance rul'd the martial ranks , An' shook his Carrick spear , Some merry , friendly , countra folks , Together did convene , To burn their nits , an' pou their stocks , Au' haud their Halloween Fu' blythe that night . III . The lassies feat , an' cleanly neat , Mair braw than when they're fine ; Their faces blythe , fu' sweetly kythe , Hearts leal , an' warm , an' kin' : The lads fae trig , wi wooer-babs , Weel knotted on their garten , Some unco blate , an' some wi' gabs , Gar lasses hearts gang startin Whyles fast at night . IV . Then , first an' foremost thro' the kail , Their stocks 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 . maun a' be sought ance ; They steek their een , an' grape an' wale , For muckle anes , an' straught anes . Poor hav'rel Will fell aff the drift , An' wander'd thro' the Bow-kail , An' pow't , for want o' better shift , A runt was like a sow-tail Sae bow't that night . V. ' Then , straught or crooked , yird or nane , They roar an' cry a' throw'ther ; The vera wee-things , toddlan , rin , Wi' stocks out owre their shouther : An' gif the custock's sweet or sour , Wi' joctelegs they taste them ; Syne coziely , aboon the door , Wi' cannie care , they've plac'd them To lye that night . VI . The lasses staw frae 'mang them a' , To pou their stalks o' corn ; 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 want the Maidenhead . But Rab slips out , an' jinks about , Behint the muckle thorn : He grippet Nelly hard an' fast ; Loud skirl'd a' the lasses ; But her tap-pickle maist was lost , When kiutlan in the Fause-house 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 . Wi' him that night . VII . The auld Guidwife's weel-hoordet nits Burning the nuts is a favourite charm . They name the lad and lass 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 issue of the Courtship will be . Are round an' round divided , An' monie lads an' lasses fates Are there that night decided : Some kindle , couthie , side by side , An' burn thegither trimly ; Some start awa , wi' saucy pride , An' jump out owre the chimlie Fu' high that night . VIII . Jean slips in twa , wi' tentie e'e ; Wha 'twas , she wadna tell ; But this is Jock , an' 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 , An' Jean had e'en a fair heart To see't that night . IX . Poor Willie , wi' his bow-kail runt , Was brunt wi' primsie 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' swoor by jing , 'Twas just the way he wanted To be that night . X. Nell had the Fause-house in her min' , She pits hersel an' Rob in ; In loving bleeze they sweetly join , Till white in ase they're sobbin : Nell's heart was dancin at the view ; She whisper'd Rob to leuk for't : Rob , stownlins , prie'd her bonie mou , Fu' cozie in the neuk for't , Unseen that night . XI . But Merran sat behint their backs , Her thoughts on Andrew Bell ; She lea'es them gashan at their cracks , An' slips out by herfel : She thro' the yard the nearest taks , An' for the kiln she goes then , An' darklins grapet for the bauks , And in the blue-clue 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 clew of blue yarn : wind it in a new clew off the old one ; and towards the latter end , something will hold the thread : demand , wha hauds ? i.e. who holds ? and answer will be returned from the kiln-pot , by naming the christian and sirname of your future Spouse . throws then , Right fear't that night . XII . An' ay the win't , an' ay the swat , I wat she made nae jaukin ; Till something held within the pat , Guid L — d ! but she was quaukin ! 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 spier that night . XIII . Wee Jenny to her Graunie says , ' Will ye go wi' me Graunie ? ' I'll eat the apple 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 . at the glass , ' I gat frae uncle Johnie : ' She fuff't her pipe wi' sic a lunt , In wrath she was sae vap'rin , She notic't na , an aizle brunt Her braw , new , worset apron Out thro' that night XIV . ' Ye little Skelpie-limmer's-face ! ' I daur you try sic sportin , ' As seek the foul Thief onie place , ' For him to spae your fortune : ' Nae doubt but ye may get a fight ! ' Great cause ye hae to fear it ; ' For monie a ane has gotten a fright , ' An' liv'd an' di'd deleeret , ' On sic a night . XV. ' Ae Hairst afore the Sherra-moor , ' I mind't as weel's yestreen , ' I was a gilpey then , I'm sure , ' I was na past fyfteen : ' The Simmer had been cauld an' wat , ' An' Stuff was unco green ; ' An' ay a rantan Kirn we gat , ' An' just on Halloween ' It fell that night . XVI . 'Our Stibble-rig was Rab M'Graen , ' A clever , sturdy fallow ; ' His Sin gat Eppie Sim wi' wean , That liv'd in Achmacalla : ' He gat hemp seed , Steal out , unperceived , and sow a handful of hemp seed ; harrowing it with any thing you can conveniently draw after you . Repeat , now and then , ' Hemp seed I saw thee , Hemp seed I saw thee ; and him ( or her ) that is to be my true-love , come after me and pou thee . ' Look over your left shoulder , and you will see the appearance of the person invoked , in the attitude of pulling hemp . Some traditions say , ' come after ' me and shaw thee , ' that is , show thyself ; in which case it simply appears . Others omit the harrowing , and say , ' come after me and harrow thee . ' I mind it weel , ' An' he made unco light o't ; ' But monie a day was by himsel , ' He was sae sairly frighted ' That vera night . ' XVII . Then up gat fechtan Jamie Fleck , An' he swoor by his conscience , That he could saw hemp-seed a peck ; For it was a' but nonsense : The auld guidman raught down the pock , An' out a handfu' gied him ; Syne bad him slip frae 'mang the folk , Sometime when nae ane see'd him , An' try't that night . XVIII . He marches thro' amang the stacks , Tho' he was something sturtan ; The graip he for a harrow taks , An' haurls at his curpan : And ev'ry now an' then , he says , ' Hemp-seed I saw thee , ' An' her that is to be my lass , ' Come after me an' draw thee ' As fast this night . ' XIX . He whistl'd up lord Lenox' march , To keep his courage cheary ; Altho' his hair began to arch , He was sae fley'd an' eerie : Till presently he hears a squeak , An' then a grane an' gruntle ; He by his showther gae a keek , An' tumbl'd wi' a wintle Out owre that night . XX . He roar'd a horrid murder-shout , In dreadfu' desperation ! An' young an' auld come rinnan out , An' hear the sad narration : He swoor 'twas hilchan Jean M'Craw , Or crouchie Merran Humphie , Till stop ! she trotted thro' them a' ; An' wha was it but Grumphie Asteer that night ? XXI . Meg fain wad to the Barn gaen , To winn three wechts o' naething ; This charm must Iikewise be performed , unperceived and alone . You 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 thro' all the attitudes of letting down corn against the wind . Repeat it three times : and the third time , an apparition will pass thro' 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 . But for to meet the Deil her lane , She pat but little faith in : She gies the Herd a pickle nits , An' twa red cheeket apples , To watch , while for the Barn she sets , In hopes to see Tam Kipples That vera night . XXII . She turns the key , wi' cannie thraw , An' owre the threshold ventures ; But first on Sawnie gies a ca' , Syne bauldly in she enters : A ratton rattl'd up the wa' , An' she cry'd , L — d preferve her ! An' ran thro' midden-hole an' a' , An' pray'd wi' zeal and fervour , Fu' fast that night . XXIII . They hoy't out Will , wi' sair advice ; They hecht him some fine braw ane ; It chanc'd the Stack he faddom't thrice , Take an opportunity of going , unnoticed , to a Bear-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 . Was timmer-propt for thrawin : He taks a swirlie , auld moss-oak , For some black , grousome Carlin ; An' loot a winze , an' drew a stroke , Till skin in blypes cam haurlin Aff's nieves that night . XXIV . A wanton widow Leezie was , As cantie as a kittlen ; But Och ! that night , amang the shaws , She gat a fearfu' fettlin ! She thro' the whins , an' by the cairn , An' owre the hill gaed scrievin , Whare three Lairds' lan's met at a burn , 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 . Ly awake ; and sometime 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 . To dip her left sark-sleeve in , Was bent that night . XXV . Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays , As thro' the glen it wimpl't ; Whyles round a rocky scar it strays ; Whyles in a wiel it dimpl't ; Whyles glitter'd to the nightly rays , Wi' bickerin , dancin dazzle ; Whyles cooket underneath the braes , Below the spreading hazle Unseen that night . XXVI . Amang the brachens , on the brae , Between her an' the moon , The Deil , or else an outler Quey , Gat up an' gae a croon : Poor Leezie's heart maist lap the hool ; Near lav'rock-height she jumpet , But mist a fit , an' in the pool , Out owre the lugs she plumpet , Wi' a plunge that night . XXVII . In order , on the clean hearth-stane , The Luggies Take three dishes ; put clean water in one , foul water in another , and 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 . three are ranged ; And ev'ry time great care is taen , To see them duely changed : Auld , uncle John , wha wedlock's joys , Sin' Mar's-year did desire , Because he gat the toom dish thrice , He heav'd them on the fire , In wrath that night . XXVIII . Wi' merry sangs , an' friendly cracks , I wat they did na weary ; And unco tales , an' funnie jokes , Their sports were cheap an' cheary : Till butter'd So'ns , Sowens , with butter instead of milk to them , is always the Halloween Supper . wi' fragrant lunt , Set a' their gabs a steerin ; Syne , wi' a social glass o' strunt , They parted aff careerin Fu' blythe that night .