Wi' mair o' horrible and awfu",

Which ev'n to name wad be unlawfu'.

As Tammie glow'r'd, amaz'd, and curious, The mirth and fun grew fast-and furious: The piper loud and louder blew,

The dancers quick and quicker flew;

They reel'd, they set, they cross'd, they cleekit, Till ilka carlin swat and reekit,

And coost her duddies to the wark,

And linket at it in her sark!

Now Tam, O Tam! had they been queans, A' plump and strapping, in their teens; Their sarks, instead o' creeshie flannen, Been snaw-white, seventeen hunder linen! These breeks o' mine, my only pair, That ance were plush, o' guid blue hair, I wad hae gi'en them aff my hurdies, For ae blink o' the bonie burdies!

But wither'd beldams, auld and droll,
Rigwoodie hags wad spean a foal,
Lowping an' flinging on a crummock,
I wonder didna turn thy stomach.

But Tam kenn'd what was what fu' brawlie;
There was ae winsome wench and walie,
That night enlisted in the core,

(Lang after kenn'd on Carrick shore!
For monie a beast to dead she shot,
And perish'd monie a bonie boat,
And shook baith meikle corn and bear,,
And kept the country-side in fear,)

Her cutty-sark, o' Paisley harn,
That while a lassie she had worn,
In longitude tho' sorely scanty,

It was her best, and she was vauntie.
Ah! little kenn'd thy rev'rend grannie,
That sark she coft for her wee Nannie,
Wi' twa pund Scots, ('twas a' her riches,)
Wad ever grac'd a dance o' witches!

But here my Muse her wing maun cow'r ;
Sic flights are far beyond her pow'r;
To sing how Nannie lap and flang,
(A souple jad she was and strang;)
And how Tam stood, like ane bewitch'd,
And thought his very een enrich'd;
Ev'n Satan glow'r'd, and fidg'd fu' fain,
And hotch'd, and blew wi' might and main;
Till first ae caper, syne anither,

Tam tint his reason a' thegither,
And roars out, 66
Weel-done, Cutty-sark!"
And in an instant a' was dark!
And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellish legion sallied.

As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke,
When plund'ring herds assail their byke;
As open pussie's mortal foes,

When, pop! she starts before their nose!
As eager runs the market-crowd,
When, "Catch the thief!" resounds aloud;
So Maggie runs, the witches follow,

Wi' monie an eldritch screech and hollow!

Ah, Tam! ah, Tam! thou'll get thy fairin' In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin!

In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin'!
Kate soon will be a wofu' woman!
Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg,
And win the key-stane* o' the brig;
There at them thou thy tail may toss,
A running stream they dare na cross.
But ere the key-stane she could make,
The fient a tail she had to shake!
For Nannie, far before the rest,
Hard upon noble Maggie prest,
And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle,
But little wist she Maggie's mettle;-
Ae spring brought aff her master hale,
But left behind her ain gray tail!
The carlin claught her by the rump,
And left poor Maggie scarce a stump!

Now, wha this tale o' truth shall read,
Ilk man and mother's son take heed:
Whene'er to drink you are inclin'd,
Or cutty-sarks run in your mind,
Think, ye may buy the joys o'er dear,
Remember Tam O'Shanter's mare.

It is a well known fact, that witches, or any evil spirits, have no power to follow a poor wight any farther than the middle of the next running stream. It may be proper likewise to mention to the benighted traveller, that when he falls in with Bogles, whatever danger may be in his going forward, there is much more hazard in turning back.

[The following poem will, by many readers, be well enough under stood; but for the sake of those who are unacquainted with the manners and traditions of the country where the scene is cast, notes are added, to give some account of the principal charms and spells of that night, so big with prophecy to the peasantry in the west of Scotland. The passion of prying into futurity makes a striking part of the history of human nature in its rude state, in all ages and nations; and it may be some entertainment to a philosophic mind, if any such should honor the author with a perusal, to see the remains of it among the more unenlightened in our own.]

HALLOWEEN.*

Yes! let the rich deride, the proud disdain,
The simple pleasures of the lowly train;
To me more dear, congenial to my heart,
One native charm than all the gloss of art.
GOLDSMITH.

I.

UPON that night when fairies light,
On Cassilis Downans † dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the rout is taen,

Beneath the moon's pale beams;

There, up the cove, to stray an' rove

* It is thought to be a night when witches, devils, and other mischief. making beings, are all abroad on their baneful midnight errands; particularly those aerial people, the fairies, are said on that night to hold a grand anniversary.

↑ Certain little, romantic, rocky, green hills, in the neighborhood of the ancient seat of the earls of Cassilis.

A noted cavern near Colean-house, called the Cove of Colean; which, as well as Cassilis Downans, is famed in country story for be ing a favorite haunt for fairies.

Amang the rocks an' streams,

To sport that night.

II.

Amang the bonie, winding banks,

Where Doon rins, wimplin, clear,
Where Bruce* ance rul'd the martial ranks,
And shook his Carrick spear,

Some merry, friendly, countra folks,

Together did convene,

To burn their nits, an' pou their stocks,

An' haud their Halloween,

Fu' blythe that night.

III.

The lasses feat, an' cleanly neat,
Mair braw than when they're fine;
Their faces blythe, fu' sweetly kythe,
Hearts leal, an' warm, an' kin':
The lads sae trig, wi' wooer-babs,
Weel knotted on their garten,
Some unco blate, and some wi' gabs,
Gar lasses' hearts gang startin,
Whyles fast that night.

IV.

Then first and foremost, thro' the kail,

Their stocks maun a' be sought ance;

The famous family of that name, the ancestors of Robert, the great deliverer of his country, were earls of Carrick.

†The first ceremony of Halloween is, pulling each a stock, or plant of kail. They must go out, hand in hand, with eyes shut, and pull the first they meet with. Its being big or little, straight or crooked, is prophetic of the size and shape of the grand object of all their spells husband or wife. If any yird, or earth, stick to the root, that is toucher,

the