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And first he draws a circle round,
Then utters many a magic sound
Of words, part Latin, Greek, and Dutch;
Enow to fright a very witch.
That done, he says, “Now, now, ’tis come,
“And in the boal beside the lum:
“Now set the board; gudewife, gae ben,
“Bring frae yon boal a roasted hen.”
She wadna gang, but Haby ventur’d;
And soon as he the ambry enter’d,
It smell’d sae weel, he short time sought it,
And, wond’ring, ’tween his hands he brought it.
He view’d it round, and thrice he smelt it;
Syne with a gentle touch he felt it.
Thus ilka sense he did convene,
Lest glamour had beguil’d his een:
They all, in an united body,
Declar’d it a fine fat how-towdy.
“Nae mair about it, (quoth the miller)
“The fowl looks well, and we’ll fa’ till her.”
Sae be’t, says James; and in a doup
They snapt her up baith stoop and roup.
Then utters many a magic sound
Of words, part Latin, Greek, and Dutch;
Enow to fright a very witch.
That done, he says, “Now, now, ’tis come,
“And in the boal beside the lum:
“Now set the board; gudewife, gae ben,
“Bring frae yon boal a roasted hen.”
She wadna gang, but Haby ventur’d;
And soon as he the ambry enter’d,
It smell’d sae weel, he short time sought it,
And, wond’ring, ’tween his hands he brought it.
He view’d it round, and thrice he smelt it;
Syne with a gentle touch he felt it.
Thus ilka sense he did convene,
Lest glamour had beguil’d his een:
They all, in an united body,
Declar’d it a fine fat how-towdy.
“Nae mair about it, (quoth the miller)
“The fowl looks well, and we’ll fa’ till her.”
Sae be’t, says James; and in a doup
They snapt her up baith stoop and roup.
“Neist, O! (cries Halbert) coud your skill
“But help us to a waught o’ ale,
“I’d be oblig’d t’ ye a’ my life,
“And offer to the deil my wife,
“To see if he’ll discreeter mak her,
“But that I’m fleed he winna tak her”
“But help us to a waught o’ ale,
“I’d be oblig’d t’ ye a’ my life,
“And offer to the deil my wife,
“To see if he’ll discreeter mak her,
“But that I’m fleed he winna tak her”
