Page:Ancient and modern history of Buck-haven in Fife-shire (1).pdf/5

5 them married or a milk oyre's daughter, a wheen uſeleſſ taupieſ tist ca. do nsething but rive at a tow rock and cut corn, they can neither bait a hood cor redd a lice, hook ſandles, nor gather periwinkle. Now wile Willy & witty Eppie the ale-wiſe lived there about an hundred years ago. Eppie's chamber was their college and court houſe, where they deci- ded their controverſies & explained their wonders, for the houſe was wide like a little kink, had four windows and a gavel door, the wives got leave to styte their fill, but fighting was forbidden (as Eppie ſaid, up hands was fair play their lines were a in pints of ale, and Eppie ſold it at a plack ſhe nint, they had neither miniſter nor magistrate, nor yet burly bailie to brag them wit his tolbooth, my lord was their landlord, wife Willy and witty Eppie the ale-wife were the rulers of the town. Now Eppie had a daughter, called lingle-tail'd Nancy, because of her ſeckleſſ growth her waiſt was like a twitter, had to curpen for a creel, being Embruch bred and brought up wisher Louden aunty was learned to read and ſew, made corſe claithes and callico mutehes, there waſna a ſcholar in the town but herſel, the read the Bibin and the book of kirk- ſangs, which was newly come in faſhion. Willy and Eppie teld ay what it meant, and ſaid a'the letters