Page:Fun upon fun, or, The merry tricks of Leper the Taylor.pdf/17

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Satan! The lad ſays, What's the matter, Sir? What's the matter? Did not you hang yourſelf this morning? Lord forbid! ſaid the lad. The Laird ſays, If thou be an earthly creature, take that tankard and drink. Which he did. Then ſays lie to his maſter, Leper called me up, and ſaid you wanted me in all haſte. Ho, he! ſays the Laird, I find out the ſtory now; if I had Leper, I would run my ſword thro' him. But Leper, before that, was away for Glaſgow with his meal.

Leper was in uſe to give his lads their Sunday's ſupper, which obliged him to ſtay from the Kirk in the afternoon, he having neither wife nor ſervant-maid. So, upon a Sunday afternoon, when, at home cooking his pot, John Mucklercheeks and James Puff-and-blaw, two Civileers. having more zeal than knowledge, came upon him, and ſaid, What's the matter, Sir, you go not to the Kirk? Leper replied, I am reading my book, and cooking my pot, which I think is the work of neceſſity. Then ſays the one to the other, Don't anſwer the graceleſs fellow, we'll make him appear before his betters. So they took off the kail-pot, and puts a ſtaff thro the bowls, and bears it to the Clerk's Chamber. Leper, who was river at a loſs for invention, goes to the Principal of the College's houſe, no body being at home but a laſs roaſting a leg of