Page:Studies in Lowland Scots - Colville - 1909.djvu/183

Rh master of Rorie he then ordred him to take so meny of the people to the Church he douing the same, thay just got two halones by the tim they came for the third the remnant had fled : he then armed Eorie with a big Stick ordred him to alow none out. when he went up to the Pulpet & preached that Sermon was the mens of Big Eories converson he then became an Elder & the tow were the meanse in Gods hand of douing a great work; there was a deal of ignorence & Superstetion a relick of barbaresem: an old woman on hir Deathbed told hir Caretakers to leeve hir neir the Yet that she might have time to be up & away before the thrang Vass.

"Thay beleved in witchcraft & Feries Gosts all sudden Deaths were effected by feries caled Elfs whou were contunley prowing about on eviel intent; & sudden Deaths was an elf shot there were heard before death the shukkie mill: the noise a small insect maks in decayed wood: thay beleived in some sudden deaths to be don by a Witch casting a Cantertup in the path of one thay did not love or baited thay alse beleived in days of luck thay beleived in the power of Burtrie & roden tree thay put bits of these in the iverseals that bound there Cows & above there Doors : thay beleived in Witches having power to transform themselves into hairs (hares): thay could tak away the Milk of a Neighbours Cow.

"Between the eand of the eightteenth centurie up till the dawn of the Nineteenth was an age of great darkness Supper-stetion & opresion Agriculter was in a vary Eoad (rude) Condition; the Common people were all Serfs the Lards (who) had pot & Gallos in there own hands : the one for hanging the other for Drowing whoever offended them were taken into there Courts bound to a ston with an iron chain & then taken at the Lards pleasure & consined to the one or the other thay had stons all Bound there Courts for binding there victims two hence there Mota above there Gait in Laten gang ye forth in beast & fill the fetters.

"there were scersley any whisky it was strong Ale : but thay learned to extract whisky from the Strong Ale: the Goverment put on Excise offesries to catch & plounder then were the days of deseption falsehood & judasem the poor Crofters had vary sore time of it worken Day & Night: going ten twelve mils in