the goodman and his mother, he being a young man and ⟨unmarried⟩, as I underſtood, and formerly their ſowens ⟨had⟩ been too thin; ſo the goodman being a ſworn birly ⟨man⟩ of that barony, came to ſurvey the ſowens before ⟨they⟩ went on the fire, and actually ſwore they were o'er ⟨thin,⟩ and ſhe ſwore by her conſcience they would be ⟨thick⟩ enough if ill hands and ill een baed awa frae them: ⟨A⟩ ſweet be here mither, ſaid he, do ye think that I'm ⟨a⟩ witch; witch here or witch there, ſaid the wife, ⟨ſwearing⟩ by her ſaul and that was nae banning, ſhe ſaid, ⟨they'll⟩ be good ſubſtantial meat a' what ſay ye chapman? ⟨Indead⟩ goodwife, ſaid I ſowens is but ſaft meat at the ⟨beſt⟩ but if ye make them thick enough, and put a good ⟨lump⟩ of butter in them, they'll do very well for a ſupper; ⟨I⟩ trow ſae lad, ſaid ſhe, ye hae ſome ſenſe; ſo the ⟨old⟩ woman put on the pot with her ſowens, and went to ⟨milk⟩ her cows, leaving me to ſteer; the goodman her ſon, ⟨as⟩ ſoon as ſhe went out, he took a great cag full of ⟨water⟩ and put it into the pot amongſt the ſowens, and ⟨then⟩ went out of the houſe, and left me alone: I conſidered what ſort of a piſh the bed ſupper I was to get if I ⟨ſtaid⟩ there, thought fit to ſet out, but takes up a pitcher ⟨with⟩ water, and fills up the pot until it was running over, ⟨and⟩ then takes up my pack and comes about a mile ⟨farther⟩ that night, leaving the honeſt woman and her ſon, to ⟨ſup⟩ their wa-tery witcht ſowens, at their own leiſure.
I then turned towards the eaſt, through a place ⟨called⟩ Slamannen, and was lodged one night near a place ⟨called⟩ Tod's Bughts, where there was a boulhorn'd ⟨goodwife,⟩ but a very civil goodman! when I went in ſhe took ⟨up a⟩ diſh from the dog, wherein was a few he had left, and with a collection more from other cogs, ſhe offered ⟨them⟩ to me, which I refuſed; 'm ſaid ſhe, ye're a lordly ⟨ſort⟩ of a chapman indeed; ſo I began to divert the goodman, by telling him a deal of fine ſtories to make ⟨him⟩ laugh, but could not get near the fire; at laſt I said, ⟨O⟩ goodwife, I'll tell you knews, ay chapman, what's ⟨that⟩,
