With respect to the knots in st. 34, it is to be observed that the tying of knots (as also the fastening of locks), either during the marriage ceremony or at the approach of parturition was, and is still, believed to be effectual for preventing conception or childbirth. The minister of Logierait, Perthshire, testifies, about the year 1793, that immediately before the celebration of a marriage it is the custom to loosen carefully every knot about bride and bridegroom,--garters, shoe-strings, etc. The knots are tied again before they leave the church. (Statistical Account of Scotland, V, 83.) So among the Laps and Norwegians, when a child is to be born, all the knots in the woman's clothes, or even all the knots in the house, must be untied, because of their impeding delivery. (Liebrecht, Zur Volkskunde, p. 322, who also cites the Statistical Account of Scotland.) * * * * * Willie's Lady is translated by Schubart, p. 74, Talvj, p. 555, and by Gerhard, p. 139. Grundtvig, 84 H (== Syv, 90, Danske Viser, 43), is translated by Jamieson, Illustrations of Northern Antiquities, p. 344, and by Prior, No 89. A #a.# A copy, by Miss Mary Fraser Tytler, of a transcript made by her grandfather from William Tytler's manuscript. #b.# Jamieson-Brown MS., No 15, fol. 33. 1 Willie has taen him oer the fame, He's woo'd a wife and brought her hame. 2 He's woo'd her for her yellow hair, But his mother wrought her mickle care. 3 And mickle dolour gard her dree, For lighter she can never be. 4 But in her bower she sits wi pain, And Willie mourns oer her in vain. 5 And to his mother he has gone, That vile rank witch of vilest kind. 6 He says: 'My ladie has a cup, Wi gowd and silver set about. 7 'This goodlie gift shall be your ain, And let her be lighter o her young bairn.' 8 'Of her young bairn she'll neer be lighter, Nor in her bower to shine the brighter. 9 'But she shall die and turn to clay, And you shall wed another may.' 10 'Another may I'll never wed, Another may I'll neer bring home.' 11 But sighing says that weary wight, 'I wish my life were at an end.' 12 'Ye doe [ye] unto your mother again, That vile rank witch of vilest kind. 13 'And say your ladie has a steed, The like o'm's no in the lands of Leed. 14 'For he [i]s golden shod before, And he [i]s golden shod behind. 15 'And at ilka tet of that horse's main, There's a golden chess and a bell ringing. 16 'This goodlie gift shall be your ain, And let me be lighter of my young bairn.' 17 'O her young bairn she'll neer be lighter, Nor in her bower to shine the brighter. 18 'But she shall die and turn to clay, And ye shall wed another may.'