WITCH OF BEN-Y-GLOE. 1G1 



gloe. She is represented as of a very mischievous and 

 malevolent disposition, driving cattle into morasses, where 

 they perish, and riding the forest horses by night, till 

 covered with mire and sweat, they drop down from fatigue 

 and exhaustion. She has the power of taking the shape of 

 an eagle, raven, hind, or any other animal that may suit 

 her purpose. She destroys bridges, and allures people to 

 the margin of the flood, by exhibiting a semblance of 

 floating treasures, which they lose their lives in grasping at. 

 This very formidable person, in conjunction with the 

 hunt given to James the Fifth, gave rise to the following 

 legendary tale, which was given me in manuscript at Blair. 

 It was written by the late M. G. Lewis during his visit 

 there, and I am not aware that it has ever appeared in 

 print : 



THE WITCH OF BEN-Y-GLOE. 



I call thee ! I charra thee ! wing hither thy way ! 

 By the laws below that the fiends obey ! 

 By the groans which shall rise at the Judgment-day, 

 I call thee ! I charm thee ! wing hither thy way ! 



She heard him on her mount of stone, 

 Where on snakes alive she was feeding alone ; 

 And straight her limbs she anointed all 

 With basilisk's blood and viper's gall. 



But seeing, before away she sped 

 That her snakes half-eaten, were not yet dead, 

 She crush 'd their heads with fiendish spite, 

 But had not the mercy to kill them quite. 



Oh ! then she mounted the back of the blast, 



And sail'd o'er woods and waters fast ; 



She stopped on a rock awhile to rest, 



And she throttled the young in an eagle's nest. 



And now again her flight she takes 



O'er rocks and muirs o'er hills and lakes : 



She saw below her the harvest swell, 



And she groan'd to see that it promised so well. 



She stops for a moment to curse the grain, 

 Then away on the wind she hurries amain ; 

 Now she flies high now she flies low 

 And she lights on the summit of huge Ben-y-gloe. 



