he was amazed to find himself in the midst of a populous city, to which, as well as to the means of his transportation, he was an utter stranger. His coat was left upon the Peatlaw; and his bonnet, which had fallen off in the course of his aërial journey, was afterwards found hanging upon the steeple of the church of Lanark. The distress of the poor man was, in some degree, relieved by meeting a carrier, whom he had formerly known, and who conducted him back to Selkirk, by a slower conveyance than had whirled him to Glasgow. That he had been carried off by the Fairies was implicitly believed by all who did not reflect, that a man may have private reasons for leaving his own country, and for disguising his having intentionally done so.

NOTE A. To these I have now to add the following instance of redemption from Fairy Land. The legend is printed from a broadside still popular in Ireland :

"Near the town of Aberdeen, in Scotland, lived James Campbell, who had one daughter, named Mary, who was married to John Nelson, a young man of that neighbourhood. Shortly after their marriage, they being a young couple, they went to live in the town of Aberdeen, where he followed his trade, being a goldsmith; they lived loving and agreeable together until the time of her lying-in, when there were female attendants prepared suitable to her situation; when near the hour of twelve at night they were alarmed with a dreadful noise, as which of a sudden the candles went out, which drove the attendants iu the utmost confusion; soon as the women regained their half-lost senses, they called in their neighbours, who, after striking up lights, and looking towards the lying-in woman, found her a corpse, which caused great confusion in the family. There was no grief could exceed that of her husband, who, next morning, prepared ornaments for her funeral; people of all sects came to her wake; amongst others came the Rev. Mr. Dodd, who, at first sight of the corpse, said, It's not the body of any Christian, but that Mrs. Nelson was taken away by the Fairies, and what they took for her was only some substance left in her place. He was not believed, so he refused attending her funeral; they kept her in the following night, and the next day she was interred.

"Her husband one evening after sunset, being riding in his own field, heard a most pleasant concert of music, and soon after espied a woman coming towards him dressed in white; she being veiled he could not observe her face, yet he rode near her, and asked her very friendly who she was that chose to walk alone so late in the evening? at which she unveiled her face, and burst into tears, saying, I am not permitted to tell you who I am. He knowing her to be his wife, asked her, in the name of God, what disturbed her, or occasioned her to appear at that hour? She said her appearing at any hour was of no consequence; for though you believe me to be dead and buried, I am not, but was taken away by the Fairies the night of my delivery: you only buried a piece of wood in my place; I can be recovered if you take proper means; as for my child, it has three nurses to attend it, but I fear it cannot be brought home; the greatest dependence I have on any person is my brother Robert, who is a captain of a merchant ship, and will be home in ten days hence. Her husband asked her what means he should take to win her? She told him he should find a letter the Sunday morning following, on the desk in his own room, directed to her brother, wherein there would be directions for winning her. Since my being taken from you I have had the attendance of a queen or empress, and if you look over my right shoulder you will see several of my companions; he then did as she desired, when, at a small distance, he saw a king and queen sitting, beside a moat, on a throne, in splendour.

"She then desired him to look right and left, which he did, and observed other kings on each side of the king and queen, well guarded. He said, I fear it is an impossibility to win you from such a place. No, says she, were my brother Robert here in your place, he would bring me home; but let it not encourage you to attempt the like, for that would occasion the loss of me for ever; there is now severe punishment threatened to me for speaking to you;

1 "We notice with particular approbation, a discourse in the 2nd volume, on the Fairies of Popular Superstition, in which the author takes a much wider range, than was to have been expected from a collector of Border Ballads; and evinces an extent of reading and sagacity of conjecture, which have never before been applied to this subject. We recommend this treatise, as by far the most learned, rational, and entertaining, that has yet been made public, upon the subject of these superstitions."-Edinburgh Review, 1803.

"Though we cannot entirely approve the nature and extent of Mr. Scott's plan in "the Minstrelsy," yet the fidelity, taste, and learning, which he has manifested in the execution of it, induce us to cherish the hope that he will employ his pen on more important and useful subjects. Even from his present labours, indeed, the curious inquirer may derive some ingenious and entertaining information on several points connected with the antiquities and history of Great Britain. Prefixed to The Young Tamlane is an acute and philosophical dissertation on the Fairies of Popular Superstition.""-Monthly Review, Sept., 1803.

but, to prevent that, do you ride up to the moat, where (suppose you will see no person) all you now see will be near you, and do you threaten to burn all the old thorns and brambles that is round the moat, if you do not get a firm promise that I shall get no punishment; I shall be forgiven; which he promised. She then disappeared, and he lost sight of all he had seen; he then rode very resolutely up to the moat, and went round it, vowing he would burn all about it if he would not get a promise that his wife should get no hurt. A voice desired him to cast away a book was in his pocket, and then demand his request; he answered he would not part his book, but grant his request, or they should find the effect of his rage. The voice answered, that upon honour she should be forgiven her fault, but for him to suffer no prejudice to come to the moat, which he promised to fulfil, at which he heard most pleasant music. He then returned home, and sent for the Reverend Mr. Dodd, and related to him what he had seen; Mr. Dodd stayed with him till Sunday morning following, when, as Mr. Nelson looked on the desk in his room, he espied a letter, which he took up, it being directed to her brother, who in a few days came home; on his receiving the letter he opened it, wherein he found the following:

DEAR BROTHER-My husband can relate to you my present circumstances. I request that you will (the first night after you see this) come to the moat where I parted my husband: let nothing daunt you, but stand in the centre of the moat at the hour of twelve at night, and call me, when I, with several others, will surround you; I shall have on the whitest dress of any in company, then take hold of me, and do not forsake me; all the frightful methods they shall use let it not surprise you, but keep your hold, suppose they continue till cock crow, when they shall vanish all of a sudden, and I shall be safe, when I will return home and live with my husband. If you succeed in your attempt, you will gain applause from all your friends, and have the blessing of your ever-loving and affectionate sister,

'MARY NELSON.' "No sooner had he read the letter than he vowed to win his sister and her child, or perish in the attempt; he returned to his ship and related to his sailors the consequence of the letter; he delayed till ten at night, when his loyal sailors offered to go with him, which he refused, thinking it best to go alone. As he left his ship, a frightful lion came roaring towards him: he drew his sword and struck at the lion, which he observed was of no substance, it being only the appearance of one, to terrify him in his attempt; it only encouraged him, so that he proceeded to the moat, in the centre of which he observed a white handkerchief spread; on which he was surrounded with a number of women, the cries of whom were the most frightful he ever heard: his sister being in the whitest dress of any around him, he seized her by the right hand, and said, 'With the help of God, I will preserve you from all infernal imps ;' when of a sudden, the moat seemed to be on fire around him. He likewise heard the most dreadful thunder could be imagined; frightful birds and beasts seemed to make towards him out of the fire which he knew was not real; nothing daunted his courage; he kept hold of his sister for the space of an hour and three quarters, when the cocks began to crow; then the fire disappeared, and all the frightful imps vanished. He held her in his arms, and fell on his knees, and gave God thanks for his proceedings that night; he believed her clothing to be light, he put his outside coat on her; she then embraced him, saying, she was now safe, as he put any of his clothing on her; he then brought her home to her husband, which occasioned great rejoicing. Her husband and he began to conclude to destroy the moat in revenge of the child they had away, when instantly they heard a voice, which said, you shall have your son safe, and well, on condition that you will not till the ground within three perches of the moat, nor damage bushes or brambles round that place, which they agreed to, when, in a few minutes, the child was left on his mother's knee, which caused them to kneel and return thanks to God.

"The circumstance of this terrifying affair was occasioned by leaving Mrs. Nelson, the night of her lying-in, in the care of women who were mostly intoxicated with liquor. It is requested both sexes will take notice of the above, and not leave women in distress, but with people who at such times mind their duty to God."

THE YOUNG TAMLANE.

"O I forbid ye, maidens a',
That wear gowd on your hair,
To come or gae by Carterhaugh,
For young Tamlane is there.

"There's nane that gaes by Carterhaugh,

But maun leave him a wad,'
Either gowd rings or green mantles,

Or else their maidenheid.

1 Wad-Pledge.

"Now gowd rings ye may buy, maidens,
Green mantles ye may spin;

But, gin ye lose your maidenheid,
Ye'll ne'er get that agen."-

But up then spake her, fair Janet,
The fairest o' a' her kin;

"I'll cum and gang to Carterhaugh,
And ask nae leave o' him."

Janet has kilted her green kirtle,'
A little abune her knee;

And she has braided her yellow hair,
A little abune her bree.

And when she came to Carterhaugh,
She gaed beside the well;

And there she fand his steed standing,
But awa was himsell.

She hadna pu'd a red red rose,
A rose but barely three;

Till up and starts a wee wee man,
At lady Janet's knee.

Says "Why pu' ye the rose, Janet?
What gars ye break the tree?
Or why come ye to Carterhaugh,
Withouten leave o' me?"—

Says "Carterhaugh it is mine ain;
My daddie gave it me :

I'll come and gang to Carterhaugh,
And ask nae leave o' thee."

He's taen her by the milk-white hand,
Among the leaves sae green;

And what they did, I cannot tell-
The green leaves were between.

He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
Among the roses red;

And what they did I cannot say—

She ne'er return'd a maid.

When she cam to her father's ha,'

She looked pale and wan;

They thought she'd dreed some sair sickness,

Or been with some leman.2

She didna comb her yellow hair,

Nor make meikle o' her head;

And ilka thing that ladye took,
Was like to be her deid.3

1 The ladies are always represented, in Dunbar's Poems, with green mantles_and_yellow hair.-Maitland Poems, vol. i. p. 45.

2 Leman-Lover.

3 Deid-Death

It's four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the ba';
Janet, the wightest of them anes,
Was faintest o' them a'.

Four and twenty ladies fair

Were playing at the chess ;
And out there came the fair Janet,

As green as any grass.

Out and spak an auld grey-headed knight, Lay o'er the castle wa'

"And ever, alas! for thee, Janet,

But we'll be blamed a'!"

"Now haud your tongue, ye auld grey knight,
And an ill deid may ye dee,
Father my bairn on whom I will,
I'll father nane on thee.”—

Out then spak her father dear,
And he spak meik and mild-
And ever, alas! my sweet Janet,
I fear ye gae with child."
"And if I be with child, father,
Mysell maun bear the blame ;
There's ne'er a knight about your ha'
Shall hae the bairnie's name.

"And if I be with child, father,
'Twill prove a wondrous birth;
For weel I swear I'm not wi' bairn
To any man on earth.”

"If my love were an earthly knight,
As he's an elfin grey,

I wadna gie my ain true love,
For nae lord that ye hae."-

She prink'd hersell and prinn'd hersell,
By the ae light of the moon,

And she's away to Carterhaugh,

To speak wi' young Tamlane.

And when she cam to Carterhaugh,

She gaed beside the well;

And there she saw the steed standing,

But away was himsell.

She hadna pu'd a double rose,

A rose but only twae,

When up and started young Tamlane,

Says "Lady, thou pu's nae mea!

"Why pu' ye the rose, Janet,

Within this garden grene,

And a' to kill the bonny babe,

That we got us between?"

"The truth ye'll tell to me, Tamlane:

A word ye mauna lie;

Gin e'er ye was in haly chapel,

Or sained' in Christentie?"

"The truth I'll tell to thee, Janet,
A word I winna lee :

A knight me got, and a lady me bore,
As well as they did thee.

2

"Randolph, earl Murray, was my sire,
Dunbar, earl March, is thine;
We loved when we were children small,
Which yet you well may mind.

"When I was a boy just turn'd of nine,
My uncle sent for me,

To hunt, and hawk, and ride with him,
And keep him companie.

"There came a wind out of the north,
A sharp wind and a snell;
And a deep sleep came over me,
And frae my horse I fell.

"The queen of fairies keppit me
In yon green hill to dwell;
And I'm a fairy, lyth and limb;
Fair ladye, view me well.
"But we, that live in fairy-land,
No sickness know nor pain,

I quit my body when I will,
And take to it again.

I quit my body when I please,
Or unto it repair;

We can inhabit at our ease,

In either earth or air.

"Our shapes and size we can convert

To either large or small;

An old nut-shell's the same to us

As is the lofty hall.

"We sleep in rose-buds soft and sweet,

We revel in the stream;

We wanton lightly on the wind,

Or glide on a sunbeam.

1 Sained-Hallowed.

2 Both these mighty chiefs were connected with Ettrick Forest and its vicinity. Their me mory, therefore, lived in the traditions of the country. Randolph, earl of Murray, the renowned nephew of Robert Bruce, had a castle at Ha' Guards, in Annandale, and another in Peeblesshire, on the borders of the forest, the site of which is still called Randall's Walls. Patrick of Dunbar, earl of March, is said, by Henry the Minstrel, to have retreated to Ettrick Forest, after being defeated by Wallace.