COLLECTED AMONG THE COTTAGERS IN THE South of Scotland. BY JAMES HOGG, AUTHOR OF “THE QUEEN'S WAKE," &c. &c. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. "In rangles round afore the ingle's lowe, Frae Gudame's mouth auld-warld Tales they hear, O' Warlocks loupin' round the Wirrikow, O' Ghaists that won in glen and kirk-yard drear, Whilk touzles a' their tap, an' gars them shake wi' fear."-Fergusson. EDINBURGH: PRINTED FOR OLIVER & BOYD, HIGH-STREET; AND LONDON. WINTER EVENING TALES. THE RENOWNED ADVENTURES OF BASIL LEE.* I HAVE for these twenty years been convinced of the truth of the proverb, that a fool can best teach a wise man wit; and that it is, in fact, on the egregious misconduct of the thoughtless and foolish part of mankind that the wise and prudent calculate for their success, and from these that they take their lessons of perseverance and good management. It is on this principle that the following sheets are indited, that others may be warned from the rock on which I have split; I therefore conceal nothing, but relate uniformly the simple truth, though manifestly to my disadvantage. I have not * The original of this extraordinary journal was lodged in my hands in the summer of 1810, by an old man, having the appearance of a decayed gentleman. It was when I commenced publishing THE SPY, that it was given in to me, for the purpose of being revised and published in that paper. A small portion of it was published, but, owing to the freedom with which the writer expressed himself, it gave offence, and was therefore cut short and discontinued. The writer, it is probable, had been offended at this, for I never saw him again; but I have since been informed, that his name is Basil Lee, and that he was alive in 1817. He never, in all these memoirs, mentions his family name, and it is evident that he wishes to conceal it. His friends will therefore excuse me for having subjoined it, for the sake of giving interest to the narrative; and if he himself is still in life, I shall be glad to hear from him. The large portion that I have been obliged to cancel, it was surely better not to appear. A |