“Another may I’ll never wed,
  “Another may I’ll never bring hame.” 
  But, sighing, said that weary wight—­
  “I wish my days were at an end!”

  Then out and spak the Billy Blind,[D]
  (He spak ay in a gude time:)
  “Yet gae ye to the market-place,
  “And there do buy a loaf of wace;[E]
  “Do shape it bairn and bairnly like,
  “And in it twa glassen een you’ll put;

“And bid her your boy’s christening to,
“Then notice weel what she shall do;
“And do ye stand a little away,
“To notice weel what she may saye.

* * * * *

[A stanza seems to be wanting.  Willie is supposed to follow
the advice of the spirit.—­His mother speaks.]

“O wha has loosed the nine witch knots,
“That were amang that ladye’s locks? 
“And wha’s ta’en out the kaims o’ care,
“That were amang that ladye’s hair?

“And wha has ta’en downe that bush o’ woodbine,
“That hung between her bour and mine? 
“And wha has kill’d the master kid,
“That ran beneath that ladye’s bed? 
“And wha has loosed her left foot shee,
“And let that ladye lighter be?”

  Syne, Willy’s loosed the nine witch knots,
  That were amang that ladye’s locks;
  And Willy’s ta’en out the kaims o’ care,
  That were into that ladye’s hair;
  And he’s ta’en down the bush o’ woodbine,
  Hung atween her bour and the witch carline;

  And he has kill’d the master kid,
  That ran beneath that ladye’s bed;
  And he has loosed her left foot shee,
  And latten that ladye lighter be;
  And now he has gotten a bonny son,
  And meikle grace be him upon.

[Footnote A:  Faem—­The sea foam.]

[Footnote B:  Land o’ Leed—­Perhaps Lydia.]

[Footnote C:  Chess—­Should probably be jess, the name of a hawk’s bell.]

[Footnote D:  Billy-Blind—­A familiar genius, or propitious spirit, somewhat similar to the Brownie.  He is mentioned repeatedly in Mrs Brown’s Ballads, but I have not met with him any where else, although he is alluded to in the rustic game of Bogle (i.e. goblin) Billy-Blind.  The word is, indeed, used in Sir David Lindsay’s plays, but apparently in a different sense—­

  “Preists sall leid you like ane Billy Blinde.”

  PINKERTON’S Scottish Poems, 1792, Vol.  II. p. 232.]

[Footnote E:  Wace—­Wax.]

CLERK SAUNDERS.

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.