Page:History of John Cheap the chapman (5).pdf/20

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THE HISTORY OF

goodman? come in by, ye's get a night o' our barn yet.' Thanks to you goodwife, an we ſud get nae mair. I then being preferred to my old ſeat, and got the ſowens to ſtir, until they were near ready, when the goodwife ordered the lad to take the old blankets, and ſhew me to my bed in the barn; I then gave the ſowens the last turn, and having about the bigneſs of a nut of C--l S--p, drops it into the pot, then went off to bed in the barn as faſt as I could, and made faſt both the doors within, leſt the bewitched ſowens, out of the pot, ſhould attack me in my ſleep. Next morning when I came in, the goodwife began to pray for herſelf and all that ſhe had, ſaying, "It's Wedneſday thro' a' the warld, and good be between you and me, chapman, for ye're either a witch or a warlock, or ſomething that's no canny, for ye witcht our ſowens laſt night, for they gaed mad; raged out o' the pot, belling and bizzing like barm, I thought they wad run out to the barn to you, ſee how they fill'd up my milk-tub, and a' the diſhes in the houſe is fu' o' them." Dear goodwife, ſaid I, they were very good when I left them, tho' I did not prie them, and I wiſh'd them as much good of them as I got, but certainly they are not witcht, but a bleſſing in them, when they are ſo multiplied. 'Gae awa', cryed ſhe in a paſſion, ye're no canny, ye's ne're be here again." I need not value that, ſaid I, for I have nothing to thank you for, but my dinner, ſupper, and breakfaſt, and for a night of your barn, I'll pay it when I come back: "Ay, ay, ſaid ſhe, you need not thank me for what ye did not get." That no my fault goodleſs-goodwife, ſaid I, proſperity to you and your witch'd ſowens.

The next little town I came to, and the firſt houſe which I entered, the wife cryed out, 'Plague on your ſnout ſir, ye filthy black-guard chapman like b---h is are, the laſt time ye came here, ye gard our Sandy burn the good bane kame it I gaide a sax-pence for in Falkirk, ay did ye ay, ſae did ye een, and ſaid ye wou'd gie him