He
often furnished them with medicines also, and seemed possessed, not only
of such as were the produce of the country, but of foreign drugs.
He gave these persons to understand, that his name was Elshender the
Recluse; but his popular epithet soon came to be Canny Elshie, or the
Wise Wight of Mucklestane-Moor. Some extended their queries beyond their
bodily complaints, and requested advice upon other matters, which he
delivered with an oracular shrewdness that greatly confirmed the opinion
of his possessing preternatural skill. The querists usually left some
offering upon a stone, at a distance from his dwelling; if it was money,
or any article which did not suit him to accept, he either threw it
away, or suffered it to remain where it was without making use of it.
On all occasions his manners were rude and unsocial; and his words, in
number, just sufficient to express his meaning as briefly as possible,
and he shunned all communication that went a syllable beyond the matter
in hand.
Pages:
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90