CHAPTER III. 



An old Gaelic MS.— " The Bewitched Bachelor Unbewitched "—Fairy Lore— Lacteal 

 Libations on Fairy Knowes. 



In looking over some old papers the other day [October 1868] we 

 stumbled on some sheets of Gaelic MS. that had laio neglected for 

 years, and every existence of which, indeed, we had well-nigh for- 

 gotten. One of these sheets contained the original of the following 

 lines. It is in many respects a curious composition, written in a sort 

 of rhythmical alliterative prose rather than in verse, somewhat in the 

 manner of the conversational parts of the Gaelic Sgeidacfidan or 

 fireside tales of the olden time. Its tone throughout is gay and 

 lively, with an occasional admixture of humour and double entendre 

 that is very amusing, while its allusions to the manners and customs 

 and superstitious observances of a past age render it, to our think- 

 ing, extremely interesting. The sheet in our possession is only a 

 copy, the original, taken down from oral recitation, we believe, 

 being in a MS. collection of Gaelic poems and tales by Rev. Mr. 

 M'Donald, at one time minister of the parish of FortingaU, in 

 Perthshire. Having only internal evidence to judge from, it is 

 impossible with any confidence to assign even an approximate 

 date to such a production as this, but we are probably not far 

 wrong in placing it as early at least as the middle or close of tlie 

 last century. It bears no title in the original ; we may call it 



The Bewitched Bachelor Unbewitchsd. 



The gudeman mumbled and grumbled full sore 



Over the butter-kits, all through the dairy : 

 Over cheese, over butter, and miUc-pails, he swore 



" 'Tis the work, I'll be bound, of some foul witch or fairy. 



