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incredible!" says she, "but I'll take care to secure him in the right way; or all my care will be to no purpose." Well, the family are all soon acquainted with this threatening warning. The person determined to be the sacrifice is already nine-and-twenty years old, and surely, they suppose, they can easily get over the other three years, when all shall go well with their kinsman. But what avails all the precautions of mankind?)This same son obtains a commission of a ship, goes to sea, and, acting quite contrary to his orders, turns pirate, and, in an encounter, happens to kill a man, for which, on his return to his native country, he is tried, condemned, and hanged. What think you of this, venerable brother? Is not he a sad instance of an over-ruling influence of the stars? But not to prolong too much time on a dis-course of this nature, let us come to the purpose. You are now, as I cannot do it myself, to tell me my fortune, and this old woman is to confront you if you tell me a lie. There is no excuse to be made in the matter; for by heavens, on your refusal, I'll ease this room of your damnable trumpery, and send you packing to the devil after them."
These words were enough to frighten any man out of his senses; nor could Peterson well discover the intention or drift of his talkative and uneasy visitant.
"What would you be at?" says the astrologer.
"Why, do not you see, what a terror you have put that good woman into, who trembles like an aspin-leaf?"
"I am not used, friend, to have persons come into my house, and tell me to my face, that I am to be hanged, and then to confirm it, as you pretend, tell mean old woman's story of a cock and a bull, of a young man that went to sea, and was banged for robbing, for which he certainly deserved the punishment he met with. As for telling your fortune, I'll be so plain with you, that you'll swing in a halter as sure as your name is Sawney Cunningham."
"Sawney Cunningham," quoth the nurse, who, straightway throwing her arms about his neck, began to kiss him very eagerly, and looking earnestly in his face, cried aloud, 'And art thou Sawney Cunningham! why I thought thou would'st come to be a great man, thou wast such a Scotty lad."
"Do you see now," says Sawney, "what a lie you have told me, in impudently acquainting me that I shall be hanged, when my good prophetess here tells me, I am a great man, for great men never can be hanged.".
"I don't care for what she says, nor you neither, for hanged you'll be, and that in a month's time, or else there never was a dog hanged in Scotland."
"Pray, brother, how came you to know this without consulting my horoscope?"
"Know itwhy your very condition tells me you have deserved hanging this dozen years, but the laws have been too favourable to you, else Mr. Hamilton's death had been revenged before this