Domestic Annals of Scotland from the Reformation to the Revolution, Volume 1 (of 2)Chambers, Robert
History
Domestic Annals of Scotland from the Reformation to the Revolution, Volume 1 (of 2)
Chambers, Robert
Scotland -- History -- 16th century; Scotland -- History -- 17th century
‘... The feird [fourth] time, he appearit in her awn house to her,
about the 12 hour of the day, where there was sitting three tailors
and her awn gudeman ... he took her apron and led her to the door with
him, and she followit, and gaed up with him to the kiln-end, where he
forbade her to speak or fear ony thing she heard or saw ... when they
had gane ane little piece forward, she saw twelve persons, aucht women
and four men: the men were clad in gentlemen’s claithing, and the women
had all plaids round about them, and were very seemly-like to see. And
Tom was with them. Demandit if she knew any of them, answerit: “Nane,
except Tom.” Demandit what they said to her, answerit: They bade her
sit down, and said, “Welcome, Bessie; will thou go with us?” But she
answerit not, because Tom had forbidden her.’
‘And further declairit, that she knew not what purpose they had amongst
them; only she saw their lips move; and within a short space, they
partit all away; and ane hideous ugly sough of wind followit them; and
she lay sick till Tom came back again frae them.... Being demandit gif
she speerit at Tom what persons they were, answerit: “That they were
the gude wights that winnit in the court of Elfame, wha came there to
desire her to go with them.” And further, Tom desirit her to do the
same; wha answerit: “She saw nae profit to gang thae kind of gaits [to
go such ways], unless she kend wherefore.” Tom said: “Sees thou not me,
baith meat-worth, claith-worth, and gude eneuch like in person? and
[he] should make her far better nor ever she was.” She answerit: “That
she dwelt with her awn husband and bairns, and could not leave them.”
And sae Tom began to be very crabbit with her, and said: “Gif sae she
thought, she wald get little gude of him.”’
[Sidenote: 1576.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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