Gents Mag 1891 part 2 p.134
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Gentleman's Magazine 1891 part 2 p.134
[distri]bute the "beastings" (the first milk) to the surrounding farmers' wives. It was a most essential detail that the can or jug in which the milk was sent should be returned unwashed. But details were nothing if the original presentation was not made: the omission of this courtesy was a most unlucky error. The farmer to whom I refer, through some oversight or neglect, did not send the customary beastings to one of the neighbours, and, "as ill luck would have it," he was very soon visited by a series of disasters, which he attributed, with all the energy of heartfelt belief, to the witchcraft of the woman whom he had overlooked. We may still hear of the celebrated "barguest," or "guytrash" - the animal with great saucer-eyes, which walks on the tops of walls and jingles chains. Wonderful stories are yet told of these creatures, and descriptions are given as to how they walk round the house, and look in at the windows, while, for fear of their eyes, some will draw down the blinds as soon as darkness falls. Now that the animal itself has become extinct the name is applied to any ill-conditioned horse or beast. A personality less imaginary, but more illusive, than the last is the "Will-o'-the-wisp," or "Peggy-wi-th'-lantern." Thomson says: Drear is the state of the benighted wretch Who then, bewilder'd, wanders thro' the dark, Full of pale fancies, and chimaeras huge; Nor visited by one directive ray, From cottage streaming, or from any hall. Perhaps impatient as he stumbles on, Struck from the root of slimy rushes, blue, The wildfire scatters round, or gather'd trails A length of flame deceitful o'er the moss; Whither decoy'd by the fantastic blaze, Now lost and now renew'd , he sinks absorb'd, Rider and horse, amid the miry gulf. The case which I am about to mention is not so bad as this, but the light must in reality be very deceptive when it misleads the moorland farmers and shepherds. One of these men was out in a heavy, damp, foggy night, when he saw a light across the field which he took to come from the lamp of some poachers. He went towards it, but found it shifted its position rather rapidly. He thought it wiser, therefore, not to waste his breath by running, so he called out, "Now, you've no need to run, I see who it is"; but the poachers made no reply. Consequently, he "made after them" as fast as he could, to try and overtake them, but when he got near the fence the light seemed to make a circle round almost to the spot |
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