Page:Fun upon fun, or, The merry tricks of Leper the Taylor.pdf/13

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nature, for always when ſhe began to curl her noſe for the future, the taylor had no more to ſay but, O Maggy, Maggy, mind the bottle!

LEPER was working with a maſter taylor in Glaſgow, who hangered his men: And one morning juſt as the breakfaſt was ſet on the table, in comes a gentleman to try on a ſuit of clothes; the maſter being obliged to riſe; deſired the lads to ſay the grace themſelves; every one refuſed it, and put it to his neighbour, till Leper took it upon him, and ſaid as follows, with an audible voice, that the ſtranger gentleman might overhear him: "Oh, hoch, we are a parcel o poor beaſtly bodies, and we're as beaſtly guided; if we do not work, we get nothing to eat; yet we are always eating, and always fretting; fidging and half-faſting is like to be our fortune, fartings and ſcrapings are the moſt of our mouthfu's; we would fain thank thee for thy fulneſs, if ever it were ſo; but the rest of our benefactors are not worth the acknowledging.- Hech hey, Amen." Which made the gentleman laugh) til he held his ſides, and gave Leper half a crown to drink.

LEPER was not long done with his apprenticeſhip til he ſet up for himſelf, and got a journeyman and an apprentice, was coming into very good buſineſs, and had he refrained