Page:History of the haveral wives, or, The folly of witless women displayed.pdf/5

( 5 ) meikle horn'd de'il box'd the dog in at the holongrin; earn a' hen the houſe and grat t jock, wha was a the gabby laddol, cried ay, nither wither, what is the e'il ſeeking here? hold he wandrin' to take auld wives d the cats to make witches o' them. I ow when my and mither heard that ſhe got up and rank on the hot ſo d crap into the bearmeal ha to lode herſel' frae em, and cu r'd there till the kirs ſkail'd; ſhe was ſae ar'd that ſhe made her burn in the barrel; and what t after a' but a tupe and a we o' highland gaits he rd got to gi'e the lady milk; but mony a day we leugh the twa de'ils.

Mag. But dear woman, what an a lady in that de'il at ilka body is ſhe fear'd for him? a him they ca' auld Nick? what for do they en' him auld Nick?

Jan. Deed woman I dinna ken what like a body he, but they ſay that he is black, and they ca' him auld ick becauſe he is aulder than Adam, and Adam was the eft man in the world, and they ſay the de'il will ne'er ie, not yet be ſick, nor ha' fair een.

Mag. A wow Janet, but ye'r a witty creature; but an ye tell me what way the blackamoors is made? ſome olk ſays they are dipped in cats bleed and burnt wi' hear rae, but I'm thinking the lifter folks dips them amang he broe that they lit the black claith wi', and then fells hem to the lairds and gentle folks to fly their bairns wi'; or do ye think the gentles cats them?

Jan. Hout awa', daft creature, the blackamoors is folk juſt like ourſel', only they ha'e black ſkins on them. Did ye never ſee black ſheep and white ſheep, black horſe and white horſe? ye think they're a' de'ils because the de'il is black: I thought a glyne they were made for the penny, and fel'd the letter o' the black ſkin.

Mag. But Janet did ye e'er ſee the de'il? I wad fain ken what like he is: ſome ſays be is like a Lull, a bear, or an auld beggar man.

Jan, Indeed I never ſaw the de'il my days, but I've heard the miniſters miſeaing him, and what they ſaid a' they could ſay o' him, they ca'd him an ill ſpirit, and a