Page:Leechdoms wortcunning and starcraft of early England volume 3.djvu/111

 And when the mother feeleth that the bairn i.; quick within her, then let her go to church, and when she cometh before the altar, then let her say, to Christ I have said, this is declared. Let the woman who cannot bring up her bairn to maturity, let her, herself, take part of her own childs barrow, then afterwards wrap it up in black wool, and sell it to chapmen, and then say: I it sell,

Or it have sold,

This swarthy wool

And grains of this sorrow.

104. Let the woman who cannot rear her child, then take milk of a cow of one colour in her hand, and then sup it up with her mouth, and then go to running water, and spew out the milk therein, and then ladle up with the same hand a mouth full of the water, and swallow it down; then let her say these words: "Everywhere I carried for me the famous kindred doughty one with this famous meat doughty one; so I will have it for me and go home," When she goeth to the brook, then let her not look about, nor again when she goeth thence; and then let her go into another house than that from which she went out, and there taste of meat.

105. Words of a charm. Let one sing this prayer over that which a man is about to drink, nine times, and the Paternoster nine times.

Some words of a charm. Sing this nine times, and the Paternoster nine times over a barley loaf, and give it to the horse to eat.