Page:Ancient and modern history of Buck-haven in Fifeshire.pdf/5

Rh but rive at a tow.rock, and cut corn; they can neither bait a hook nor red a line, hook sandles nor gather periwinkles.

Now Wise Willy and Witty Eppie the ale-wife lived there, about an hundred years ago. Eppie's chamber was their college and court-house, where they decided their controversies, and explained their wonders, for the house was wide like a little kirk, had four windows and a gavel-door, the wives got leave to flyte their fill, but fighting was forbidden, (as Eppie said, up hands was fair play;) their fines were a' in pints o' ale, and Eppie sold it at a plack the pint; they had neither minister nor magistrate, nor yet a burly-bailie to brag them wi' his tolbooth; my Lord was their landlord; Wise 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 feckless growth, her waist was like a twitter, had nae curpen for a creel, being Embruch bred, and brought up wi' her Lowdin aunty, was learned to read and sew, made corse-claiths and calico-muches, there wasna a scholar in the town but hersel', she read the Bible and the book of Kirk-sangs, which was newly come in fashion, Willy and Eppie tell'd ay what it meant, and said a' the the letters in it, was litted by my Lord, for they saw him hae a feather that he dipped in black water, and made crooked scores just like the same, and