The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

154 T^f^^ Highland Monthly.
said, ' Put that water over the house, and over the food,
and over the drink of yourselves, and over the bed in the
wife's absence.' When he had done thus the wife gave
exceeding great love to him, so thai she could not keep
apart from him, even on one side of the house, but she was
always at one of his hands. He went one day on a
journey, and left his wife asleep. When the woman awoke
she rose up lightly, and went after the husband, and saw
him afar from her, with an arm of the sea between them.
She cried out to her husband, and said that she would go
into the sea unless he came to her."
In connection with the Love Charm and Philtre, a
sentence may be devoted to Eolas a Choiniiis already
mentioned. I have been unable to obtain this Eolas ; but
it may be stated that it is referred to in Pennant's Tour in
Scotland in 1772 (Vol. II., p. 265), where the unsuccessful
lover is presented as revenging himself on his rival by
charms potent as those of the shepherd Alphesibaeus
mentioned by Virgil. " Donald," we are told, " takes three
threads of different hues, and ties three knots on each
three times imprecating the most cruel disappointments on
the nuptial bed ;
but
the bridegroom, to avert the harm,
stands at the altar with an untied shoe, and puts a sixpence
beneath his foot." Stories illustrative of Eolas a! Choumis
are numerous throughout the Highlands.
A somewhat curious parallel is told in the part of the
Apocryphal New Testament called the " The Plrst Gospel
of the Infancy of Jesus." I cannot do better than quote
the opening verses of Chapter VII.:
"They" [i.e. the Virgin Mary and Jesus) "came afterwards
to another city, and had a mind to lodge there.
' Accordingly they went to a man':; house, who was
newly married, but by the influence of sorcerers could not
enjoy his wife.
" But they lodging at his house that night, the man was
freed of his disorder."
I will now give you
—
EOLAS A' CHEARTUIS,
a charm or incantation which was said when a Highlander
went to a Court of Justice. A Gaelic proverb says " Is caut