ild at her back and one
or two at her feet; and who came to her, wanting her to speak to the Queen
of Fairy, and to strike and do battle with the said queen on her behalf.
The next day came "ane little woman," with a piece of a tree, or the root
of some herb, and she told her that so long as she kept the same she
should do well, and should attain all she might desire. So she spun at her
yarn, and found more yarn on the "pirn" than she thought to find; which
frightened her. This took place when she "keeped a school at Dalkeith, and
teached childering." She also rambled on about a fiery chariot in which
she and her brother had paid visits, and of his mysterious visitors and
his thornwood staff; and when nothing more was to be got out of her she
was hung, and the world was all the cleaner for the loss of so much folly
and wickedness from out the general mass.

THE DUMB GIRL OF POLLOK.[58]

On the 14th of October, Sir George Maxwell, of Pollok, and his household
were much agitated and disturbed. He had been taken suddenly and
dangerously ill, with pains which read like the pains of pleurisy; and
though he got partially well, had still some awkward symptoms remaining. A
young deaf and dumb girl, of unknown origin, signified that "there is a
woman whose son has broke his fruit yeard that did prick him in the side."
This was found to mean that Jennet Mathie, relict of John Stewart,
under-miller in Schaw Mill, had formed a wax picture with pins in its
side, which "Dumby" said was to be found in her house in a hole behind the
fire, and which she further offered to bring to them at Pollok, provided
certain two of the men servants might accompany her to protect her. The
young daughters of Sir George did not believe the story, but the two
servants, Laurence Pollok and Andrew Martine, professed themselves
converts, and insisted on seeing the thing to an end. So they went to
Jennet's house, and into the kitchen, all standing on the floor near the
fire; "when little Dumby comes quickly by, slips her hand into a hole
behind the fire, and puts into Andrew Martine's hand, beneath his cloak, a
wax picture with two pins in it," that in the right side very long, and
that in the left shorter: which corresponded with the severity of the
laird's pains. The picture was brought to Sir George; so was Jennet
Mathie, who was apprehended on the spot and whom Sir George then sent to
prison. When questioned, she denied all knowledge of the picture o