Page:Fun upon fun, or, The merry tricks of Leper the Taylor.pdf/6

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Lepards ſame, for being one of the wiſelt and moſt couragious taylors that was in all the kingdom; and many ſhaking their heads, faid, "It was a pity he was a taylor, but a captain or general or an army, as the devil could not fear him.”

After this, a farmer in the neighbourhood, hearing the fame of Leper, how he had frighted the de'il frae being a bell-man, ſent for him to an ale-boufe, and drank with hin very heartily, and told him that he was ſadly born down with the ſpirit of jealouſy againſt his wife, on ſuſpicion of being too free with a ſervant-lad ſhe had before, and if he would keep it ſecret, and tearn him how to find it out, he would give his mother a load: of meal; to which Leper and him agreed, and he gave the poor ſuppoſed cucked inſtructions how to behave. So home he goes and feigns himſelf to be very ſick, and every day worſe and worſe: taking death to him, he called for his three ſmall children, bleſſed them, and charged his wife not to marry until his children could do ſomething for themſelves: This hypocritical woman takes the roaring, A-ha, marry! ſhe would never marry! No, no, there fhall never man ly by my ſide, nor kiſs my lips after thee, my lamb Johnny. Then he acted the dying man as well as poſſibly he could; the neighbours were called in, "and he's fair o'er ſeen," as the old ſaying is," before good neighbours;" the ſorrowful