178 Nates and Sketches. 



mess John," who was " neither saint nor sinner," can- 

 not come on the scene for a moment, till 



A brattlin' band unhappily 



Drave by him wi' a binner, 

 An' heels o'er goudie coupit he, 



An' rave his guid horn penner 

 In bits that day, 



And when the meek parish clerk comes up the church- 

 yard, his " claithing fu' fine " is too strong a tempta- 

 tion. By a special act of wickedness he is speedily 

 " beft " over backward, 



Just whaur their feet the dubs had glaur'd, 

 An' barken'd them like brine, 



calling into use the services of ostensibly sympathising 

 onlookers with their " whittles " to " scrape his hat " 

 and otherwise make his raiment decent again. 



" The Christmas Ba'in' " was written by Skinner 

 when under seventeen years of age, which fixes its 

 date as being about 1737. From the minuteness of 

 the details, and the number of individual characters 

 named, the picture given may be accepted as in the 

 main somewhat closely realistic. The freedom and 

 zest with which kicks and blows were given out 

 amongst the leading players looks rather startling. 

 But then what use to possess muscular strength, and 

 not let it be known 1 The feeling on this point was 

 very pronounced ; and it sometimes found practical 

 manifestation in what would seem unlikely modes. To 

 determine which of two men was the stronger, was 

 often a nice question Here now are a couple of brawny 

 fellows of the class and type described who have never 

 yet been able to decide that particular point ; and they 

 have met of a winter evening in the house of their 

 mutual friend the weaver. What better chance than 

 settle it now 1 The weaver, a " sober bodie " whom 

 either of them could have put hors de combat by a single 

 blow of his fist, had no help but accept the situation. 



