m in the river Avon below. In this pious design
the bogle was happily frustrated by the intervention of some trees which
grew on the precipice, and to which my unhappy grand-uncle clung with the
zeal of a drowning man. The enraged ghost, finding it impossible to
extricate him from those friendly trees, and resolving, at all events, to
be revenged upon him, fell upon maltreating the fiddler with his hands
and feet in the most inhuman manner.

"Such gross indignities my worthy grand-uncle was not accustomed to, and
being incensed beyond all measure at the liberties taken by Bogandoran,
he resolved again to try his mettle, whether life or death should be the
consequence. Having no other weapon wherewith to defend himself but his
_biodag_, which, considering the nature of his opponent's constitution,
he suspected much would be of little avail to him--I say, in the absence
of any other weapon, he sheathed the _biodag_ three times in the ghost of
Bogandoran's body. And what was the consequence? Why, to the great
astonishment of my courageous forefather, the ghost fell down cold dead
at his feet, and was never more seen or heard of."

THOMAS THE RHYMER.

Thomas, of Ercildoun, in Lauderdale, called the Rhymer, on account of his
producing a poetical romance on the subject of Tristrem and Yseult, which
is curious as the earliest specimen of English verse known to exist,
flourished in the reign of Alexander III. of Scotland. Like other men of
talent of the period, Thomas was suspected of magic. He was also said to
have the gift of prophecy, which was accounted for in the following
peculiar manner, referring entirely to the Elfin superstition.

As Thomas lay on Huntly Bank (a place on the descent of the Eildon Hills,
which raise their triple crest above the celebrated monastery of
Melrose), he saw a lady so extremely beautiful that he imagined she must
be the Virgin Mary herself. Her appointments, however, were those rather
of an amazon, or goddess of the woods. Her steed was of the highest
beauty, and at its mane hung thirty silver bells and nine, which were
music to the wind as she paced along. Her saddle was of "royal bone"
(ivory), laid over with "orfeverie" (goldsmith's work). Her stirrups,
her dress, all corresponded with her extreme beauty and the magnificence
of her array. The fair huntress had her bow in hand, and her arrows at
her belt. She led three greyhounds in a leash, and three raches, or
houn