Q ü e r n -
GR I N D I NG .
th e ir h an 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 t h j
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 f o r the fanJ
p u r p o f e , a n 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 tinil
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 fo n g r i f e l
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 , t h a t w i th o u t b r e a c h o f c b a r i l
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 hav e b e e l
a f iem b le d .
T h e y f in g in th e fam e m a n n e r w h en th e y a r e c u t t in g d o w n th fl
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 thè f o u l
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 lyrij
d u r in g v in t a g e in th è d a y s o f H om e r * . T h e fu b j e f t o f t h f l
fo n g s a t th e L u a g h a d h , th e Q u ern , a n d o n th is o c c a f io n , are foraeB
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 é a r fa l o f t i l l
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 flo w a n i
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 lìn e e th e in troduc i
t io n o f w a t e r -m il ls . T h e la ird c a n o b l ig e his te n a n ts , as in EngianM
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 l
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 i 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 i l
le g i f la t u 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 ills ,- fo p re ju l
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 i
1 2 8 4 , in th e t im e o f A lexa n d e r I I I . i t w a s p r o v id e d , th a t ‘ na mam
‘ fa l l p r e fum e to g r in d q u b e it, m aijh loch , o r r y e , w i th h an d m y ln e l
‘ e x c e p t h e b e c om p e l le d b y f to rm , o r b e in la c k o f m ills quhilkl
* Iliad, xviii. line 570,
r r
y ' T A L X S K I H