BLACK MEG OF DARNWICK. 245 



yclept "Meg's Hole," some little distance above the 

 Melrose bridge. I wonder who Meg was ; but Charles 

 Purdie, who is coming up the river, is right sure to tell 

 me some nonsense or another anent it, so I will sound 

 him. 



" Well, Charlie, I see you have been putting all the 

 boats in place, so sit down upon the bank here and rest 

 yourself: pulling a boat up a strong stream is hard 

 work, and pulling several over is harder. Now, tell 

 me why the pool I fished the other day is called Meg's 

 Hole ; but stick to truth, mind, and do not let me hear 

 any of your foolish tales." 



" Aweel, then, I'll tell ye the hale truth. Ye'll hae 

 heard o' Thomas the Rhymer, him that in days lang 

 gaen by lived at Earlston,* and was ta'en awa' by the 

 fairies, and is wi' them at this day ; we hae Sir Walter's 

 word for it. Black Meg of Darnwick lived wi' this 

 Thomas, who, ye ken, was an enchanter; and Meg- 

 learned some awfu' words of him, and also power as a 

 witch. Ae time she was seen sitting upon ane of the 

 towers, aboon the Elfin Glen, in the shape of a raven ; 

 at anither, she came doun to the Tweed at the gloamin' 

 in the likeness of a lang-craiged heron, flappin' her 

 muckle wings, an' utterin' dreidfu' shrieks ; and again 

 she was a cormorant, perch'd upon a blastit tree on the 

 muir. I have seen her mysel' mair than ance." 



" Seen her, man ! why you said she lived with 

 Thomas the Rhymer ; and it is some centuries since 

 he was taken away by the fairies." 



" Aweel, aweel, that may be ; but as sure as deid, I 



* Formerly Ercildoun. 



10 



