188 NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 



wife that brewed the ale, and troubled beyond 

 measure at the loss of her liquor ; besides, it 

 touch'd, as she thought, her reputation, because 

 to disappoint the jovial crew that had celebrated 

 that day to solemniate Bacchus, and observing 

 how the cow stood puffing and blowing, and 

 her ale as concluded past all discovery, grows 

 immediately horn-mad ; so lets fly at the cow, 

 by thundring on the ribs and the sides of the 

 beast, with a formidable bastinado, or a good 

 oak sapling, like John at the Giant, who became 

 extream angry, because that the Giant would 

 not run away from him. 



At length comes Billy Pringle that owned the 

 cow ; and he forsooth, like an advocate, useth 

 arguments to pacify and moderate the awd 

 wife, against such violent and immoderate pro- 

 ceeds ; which nothing availed, for she gave him 

 the hearing, and that was all. But standing a 

 while to recover fresh breath, she presently lets 

 fly at the cow again, by redoubling her blows 

 on the sides of the beast, till at last the awd 

 wife became as weary with cudgeling, as the 

 insensible poor cow was at that time with fud- 

 ling ; whose sides were already so stufFd with 

 strong ale, that made her proof against the awd 

 wife's artillery, which so incapacitated the cow 

 for flight, nay, I might as well have said, not al- 

 most, but altogether uncapable of motion. 



