once for doublet and breeches. [Footnote: This garb, which resembled the
dress often put on children in Scotland, called a polonie (i. e.
polonaise), is a very ancient modification of the Highland garb. It was,
in fact, the hauberk or shirt of mail, only composed of cloth instead of
rings of armour.] He observed great ceremony in approaching Edward; and
though our hero was writhing with pain, would not proceed to any
operation which might assuage it until he had perambulated his couch
three times, moving from east to west, according to the course of the
sun. This, which was called making the deasil, [Footnote: Old Highlanders
will still make the deasil around those whom they wish well to. To go
round a person in the opposite direction, or withershins (German
wider-shins), is unlucky, and a sort of incantation.] both the leech and
the assistants seemed to consider as a matter of the last importance to
the accomplishment of a cure; and Waverley, whom pain rendered incapable
of expostulation, and who indeed saw no chance of its being attended to,
submitted in silence.

After this ceremony was duly performed, the old Esculapius let his
patient's blood with a cupping-glass with great dexterity, and proceeded,
muttering all the while to himself in Gaelic, to boil on the fire certain
herbs, with which he compounded an embrocation. He then fomented the
parts which had sustained injury, never failing to murmur prayers or
spells, which of the two Waverley could not distinguish, as his ear only
caught the words Gaspar-Melchior-Balthazar-max-prax-fax, and similar
gibberish. The fomentation had a speedy effect in alleviating the pain
and swelling, which our hero imputed to the virtue of the herbs or the
effect of the chafing, but which was by the bystanders unanimously
ascribed to the spells with which the operation had been accompanied.
Edward was given to understand that not one of the ingredients had been
gathered except during the full moon, and that the herbalist had, while
collecting them, uniformly recited a charm, which in English ran thus:--

Hail to thee, them holy herb,
That sprung on holy ground!
All in the Mount Olivet
First wert thou found.
Thou art boot for many a bruise,
And healest many a wound;
In our Lady's blessed name,
I take thee from the ground.

[Footnote: This metrical spell, or something very like it, is preserved
by Reginald Scott in his work on Witchcraft.]

Edward