1 Mirker-Darker.

4 Kie-Cows.

8 Shill-Shrill.

I seem't to sloom," quhan throw the gloom
I saw the river shak,

And heard a whush" alangis 15 it rush,

Gart aw my members quak;

Twa slaukystanes seemit his spule-banes;"
His briskit 38 braid, a whin;

Ilk rib sae bare, a skelvy skair; 40

Ilk arm a monstrous fin.

He frae the wame a fish became,
With shells aw coverit owre:
And for his tail, the grislie whale
Could nevir match its pow'r.

With dreddour" I, quhan he drew nigh,
Had maistly swarfit" outricht:

43

Less fleyit at lenth I gatherit strenth,

44

And speirit quhat was this wicht.

Syne thrice he shook his fearsum bouk,"
And thrice he snockerit loud;

5 Byre-Cowhouse. 9 Erd-Earth.

46

2 Lifte-Sky. & Croonin-Bellowing, a loud and mournful sound. 6 Darger-Day worker. 7 Lavrock-Lark. 10 Loun--Calm. 11 Loup-Leap. See Note A, p. 542. 12 Boun-Ready. See Note B, p. 542. 13 Sloom-Slumber. 14 Whush-Rustling sound. 15 Alangis-Along. 16 Gart-Caused. 17 Syne-Then. 18 In a stound-Suddenly. 21 Gaist-Ghost. See Note C, p. 542.

20 Frichtsom-Fearful.

25 Gar

19 Huly-Slowly. 22 Rashes-Rushes. 23 Seggs-Sedges. 24 Ramper-eels-Lampreys. The slimy vegetable substance in the bed of a river. 26 Ee-brees-Eyebrows. 27 War -Were. 28 Esks-Newts, or efts. 29 Horse-gells-Horse-leeches. 30 Een-Eyes. 31 Dowie-Melancholy, sad. 32 Sheen-Shine. 83 See Note D, p. 542. $4 MowMouth. 35 Soupt-Drenched. 36 Slauky-Slimy. 37 Spule-banes-Shoulder-blades. 38 Briskit-Breast. 39 Ilk-Each. 40 Škelvy skair-A rock presenting the appearance of a variety of lamina. 41 Dreddour-Dread, terror. 42 Swarfit-Fainted. Affrighted. 44 Speirit-Asked. Bouk-Body. 46 Snockerit-Snorted.

Fleyit

From ilka ee the fire-flauchts1 flee,
And flash alangis the flude.

Quhan words he found, their elritch2 sound
Was like the norlan❞ blast,

Frae yon deep glack,* at Catla's' back,
That skeegs the dark-brown waste.
The troublit pool conveyit the gowl'
Down to yon echoin' rock;

And to his maik, with wilsum skraik,9
Ilk bird its terror spoke.

The gerron" gend gaif" sic a stend,
As on the yird's him flang:

And down the stream, like levin's 16 gleam,
The fleggit" salmond flew ;

18

The ottar yap his prey let drap,"

And to his hiddils 20 drew.

"Vile droich,"
," " he said, “art nocht" afraid
Thy mortal life" to tyne ?"

How darest thou seik with me till speik,
Sae far aboon thy line?

Yet sen 26 thou hast thai" limits past,

That sinder 29 sprites frae men,

Thy life I'll spare, and aw declare,
That worms like thee mae ken.29

"In kintries nar," and distant far,
Is my renoun propall't;

As is the leid," my name ye'll reid,32

But here I'm Kelpie call❜t.

33

The strypes and burns, throw aw their turns,

As weel's the waters wide,

My laws obey, their spring-heads frae,
Doun till the salt sea tide.

1 Fire-flauchts-Lightning.

2 Elritch-Hideous, not earthly.

3 Norlan-Northern.

4 Glack-A hollow between two hills. 5 See Note E, p. 542. Skeegs-Lashes. 7 Gowl

-Yell.

8 Maik-mate.

19 Drap-Drop.

• Wilsum skraik-Wild shriek.

24 Tyne-Lose.

10 Par-The samlet.

11 Widdrim-State of confusion. 12 Bang-Rush. 13 Gerron-A sea-trout. 14 Gait -Gave. 15 Yird-Earth, ground. 18 Levin-Lightning, 17 Fleggit-Affrighted. 18 Yap-Keen. 20 Hiddils-Hiding-place. 22 Nocht-Nought. 23 See Note F, p. 542. 26 Sen-Since. 27 Thai-These. 28 Sinder-Separate. 29 Ken-Know. Near. 31 Leid-Language. 32 Reid-Read. 33 Strypes-Small rills. A young horse. 35 Stravaig-Stray. 36 Gar-To force. 37 Wirk-Work. -During night.

21 Droich-Dwarf. 25 Aboon-Above. 30 Nar34 Staig38 Mirk

1 Tent-Take care.

Than quhihher" by thaim doun the stream,
Loud nickerin 22 in a lauch.23

"Sicklike's my fun, of wark quhan run;
But I do meikle mair;

28

In pool or ford can nane be smur'd
Gin Kelpie be nae there."
Fow" lang I wat, I ken the spat,
Quhair ane sal meet his dede :
Nor wit nor pow'r put aff the hour,
For his wanweird a decreed.

32

25

30

"For oulks befoir, alangis the shoir,
Or dancin' down the stream,

My lichts are seen to blaze at e'en,
With wull 3 wanerthly" gleam.

33

The hind cums in, gif haim he win,
And cries, as he war wod 3_

'Sum ane sall soon be carryit down

By that wanchancy 36 flude!'

2 See Note G, p. 542. $ Biggin-Building. 4 Chiell-Fellow. Sair-brizz'd-Sore-bruised. 6 See Note H, p. 542. Gudewillit-cordially. 8 WinDig from a quarry. Bonny-beautiful. 10 Wald-Would. 11 Big-Build. 12 Braw-Fine. 18 Pend-Arch. 14 See Note I, p. 542 15 Wauk the clais-Watch the clothes. 16 NarbyeNear to. 17 Daffin-Sport. 18 Mudge-Budge. 19 Toozlin-Toying. 20 HaughLow flat ground on the side of a river. 21 Quhihher-whiz, 22 Nickerin-Neighing. 28 Lauch-Laugh. 24 Sicklike-Of this kind. 25 Smur'd-Smothered, 26 Thare-There. 27 Fow-Full. 28 Spat-Spot. 29 Sal-Shall.

Unhappy fate. 35 Wod-Mad.

32 Oulks-Weeks.

36 Wanchancy-Unlucky.

30 Dede-Death.

31 Wanweird

33 Wull-Wild. 34 Wanerthly-Preternatural.

Thrice with his tail, as with a flail,
He struck the flying pool.
A thunderclap seem't ilka wap,'
Resoundin' through the wude:

The fire thrice flash't; syne in he plash't,
And sunk beneath the flude.

NOTES.

A. The fishes, the hope of the angler, no more rose to the fly.

B. All commonly occurs in our old writers. But aw is here used, as corresponding with the general pronunciation in Scotland; especially as it has the authority of Dunbar, in his Lament for the death of the Mackaris.

C. It is believed in Angus, that the Spirit of the Waters appears sometimes as a man, with a very frightful aspect; and at other times as a horse. The description here given must therefore be viewed as the offspring of fancy. All that can be said for it is, that such attributes are selected as are appropriate to the scenery.

D. South-Esk abounds with the fresh-water oyster, vulgarly called the horse-mussel; and, in former times, a pearl-fishery was carried on here to a considerable extent.

E. Part of the Grampian mountains. Catla appears as a promontory, jutting out from the principal ridge towards the plain. The Esk, if I recollect right, issues from behind it.

F. The vulgar idea is, that a spirit, however frequently it appear, will not speak, unless previously addressed. It is, however, at the same time believed, that the person who ventures to speak to a ghost, forfeits his life, and will soon lose it, in consequence of his presumption. G. The popular tradition is here faithfully described; and, strange to tell! has not yet lost all credit. In the following verses, the principal articles of the vulgar creed in Angus, with respect to this supposed being, are brought together, and illustrated by such facts as are yet appealed to by the credulous. If I mistake not, none of the historical circumstances mentioned are older than half a century. It is only about thirty years since the bridge referred to was built.

H. It is pretended that Kelpie celebrated this memorable event in rhyme; and that for a long time after he was often heard to cry with a doleful voice,

"Sair back and sair banes

Carrying the laird of Murphy's stanes!" I. A head like that of a Gorgon, appears above the arch of the bridge. This was hewn in honour of Kelpie.

THE FEAST OF SPURS.

BY THE REV. J. MARRIOTT, A.M.2

IN the account of Walter Scott of Harden's way of living, it is mentioned, that, "when the last bullock was killed and devoured, it was the lady's custom to place on the table a dish, which, on being uncovered, was found to contain a pair of clean spurs ; a hint to the riders that they must shift for their next meal."-See Introduction.

The speakers in the following stanzas are Walter Scott, of Harden, and his wife, Mary Scott, the Flower of Yarrow.

66

HASTE, ho! my dame, what cheer the night?
I look to see your table dight,

For I hae been up since peep o' light,

Driving the dun deer merrilie.

"Wow? but the bonny harts and raes
Are fleet o' foot on Ettricke braes;
My gude dogs ne'er in a' their days,
Forfoughten were sae wearilie.
"Frae shaws to Rankelburn we ran,
A score, that neither stint nor blan;

Wap-Flap.

2 One of the introductory epistles of Marmion is addressed to Mr. Marriott.