Q u e r n -
g r i n d i n g .
th e ir h a n d s , f in g in g a t th e fam e t im e , as a t th e Q u ern : when the!
h a v e t i r e d th e i r h a n d s , e v e r y fem a le u fe s h e r fe e t fo r the fan*
p u r p o f e , an d f i x o r fe v e n p a i r o f n a k e d f e e t a r e in the m o l
v io l e n t a g i ta t io n , w o r k in g o n e a g a in f t th e o th e r : as b y this timi
th e y g r o w v e r y earned: in th e i r la b o r s , th e f u r y o f th e lo n g r ife *
a t l e n g t h i t a r r iv e s to fu c h a p i t c h , th a t w i th o u t b r e a c h o f c b a r it j
y o u w o u ld im a g in e a t r o o p o f fem a le d em o n ia c s to have beefj
a f ièm b le d .
T h e y f in g in th e fam e m a n n e r w h e n th e y a r e c u t t in g down t b l
c o r n , w h e n th i r ty , o r f o r t y jo in in c h o r u s , k e e p in g t im e to thefou'ncl
o f a b a g p ip e , as th e G recia n la lfe s w e r e w o n t t o d o to th a t o f a h;M
d u r in g v in t a g e in t h è d a y s o f H om e r * . T h e fu b je c t o f - J
fo n g s a t th e L m g h a d h , th è Q u ern , a n d o n th is o e c a f io n , are fome«
t im e s lo v e , fom e t im e s p a n e g y r i c , an d o f te n a reh c a r fa l c f J
d e e d s o f th e a n t ie n t h e ro e s , b u t c om m o n ly a l l th e tu n e s flow anil
m e la n c h o ly .
S in g in g a t th e Q u ern is n o w a lm o f t o u t o f d a t e frn c e th e introduca
t io n o f w a te r -m il ls . T h e la ird c a n o b l ig e h is te n a n ts , as in EnglrnM
to m a k e u fe o f th is m o r e e x p e d it io u s k in d o f g r in d in g • and em J
p o w e r s his m i l l e r to fe a r c h o u t an d b r e a k 'a n y Q u ern s h e can find, a s l
m a c h in e s th a t d e f r a u d h im o f th e t o l l . M a n y c e n tu r ie s paft, t'em
le g i f la tu r e a t tem p te d to d i f c o u r a g e th e fe a u k w a r d m i l l s , fo preju*
d i c ia l to th e la n d lo r d s , w h o h a d b e e n a t th e e x p e n c e o f others. In«
1 2 8 4 , in th e t im e o f A lex a n d e r I I I . i t w a s p r o v id e d , th a t ‘ na mani
fa l l p r e fum e to g r in d q u h e it, m a ijh loch , o r r y e , w i th h an d mylne,l
‘ e x c e p t h e b e c om p e l le d b y fto r r r i, o r b e in la c k o f m ills q u h ilk l
Iliad, xviii. line 570.