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wordy o' her tho' she were better nor what she is, or e'er will be. His friends and her friends being in a mixed multitude, some took his part an some took her's, there did a battle begin in the clap of a hand, being a very fierce tumult, which ended in blood: they struck so hard with stones sticks, beetles, and barrow trams, pigs, pots, stoups, trenchers, were flying like bombs and granads.
The crook, bowls and tongs were all employed as weapons of war; till down came the bed with a great mu' of peets. So this disturbet their treading.
PART II.
The wonderful Works of our John, &c.
Now though all the ceremonies of Jockey and Maggy's wedding were ended, when they were fairly bedded, before a wheen rattling unruly witnesses, wha dang down the bed aboon them; the battle still increased, and John's work turn'd out to he very wonderful, for he made Janet, that was his mither's lass thc last year, grew like an elshin haft, and got his ain Maggy wi' bairn forby.
The hamsheughs were very great, until auld uncle Rabby came in to red them, and a sturdy auld fallow he was, stood stievely wi' a stiff rumple, and by strength of his arms rave them sundry, flinging the ane east and the ither west, until they stood a' round about, like as many breathless forsoughten cocks, and no ane durst steer anither for him, Jockey's mither was driven o'er a kist, and bragget a her hips on a round heckle, up she gat, and running to fell Maggy's mither wi' the ladle, swearing she was the mither of a' the mischief that happened; unele Rabby ran in between them, he ha'ing a great long nose like a trumpet, she racklessly came o er his lobster neb a drive wi the ladle, until the blood sprang out, and ran down his auld grey beard, and hang like snuff bubbles at it; O! then he gaed wode, and looked as waefu' like as he had been a Toplowrie com'd fre' worrying lambs wi' his bloody mouth. Wi' that he gets an auld flail, and rives away the supple, then drives them a' to the back o' the door, but yet nane wan out; then wi' chitten and chappen, down comes the clay hallen and the hen bawk wi' Rob Reid the fiddler, who crept up aside the hens for the preservation of his fiddle.
Ben comes the bride when she got on her coat, clappet Robby’s shoulder and hade him spare their lives, for there is blood enough shed in ae night, quoth she, and that my beard ean witness quoth he. So they all came in obedience to
