Page:History of John Cheap, the chapman (8).pdf/20

 the bigneſs of a nut of C--1 --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, left 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 through 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 would run out to the barn to you, ſee how they ſilt'd up my milktub, and a' the diſhes in the houſe is fu' o' them" Dear goodwife, ſaid I, they were very good when I left them, though I did not prie them, and I wiſhed them as much good of them as I got, but certainly they're not witcht, but a bleſſing in them, when they are ſo multiplied. "Gae awa, cried ſhe, in a paſſion, ye're no canny, ye’s ne'er 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, ye needna thank me, for what ye did not get;" that's not my fault goodleſs-goodwife, ſaid I, proſperity to you and your witcht ſowens

The next little town I came to, and the firſt houſe which I entered, the wife cried out, "plague on your ſnout, ſtir, ye filthy black-guard chapman like b--h it ye are, the laſt time ye came here, ye gard our Sandy burn the good bane comb it I gade a ſaxpence for in Falkirk, ay did ye, ay ſae did ye e'en, and ſaid ye wou'd gie him a muckle clear button to do it: Me, ſaid, I, I never had ado with you a' the days of my life, and do not say that Sandy is mine: "A wae wirth the body, am I ſaying ye had