Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (2).pdf/20

[ 22 ] until I ſee more of it come to paſs. T. Pray, what buſineſs do you follow after at preſent? P. Arra, dear ſhoy, I am a fountain ſailor, and my petition is as follows:

PADY's HUMBLE PETITION.

GOOD Chriſtian people, behold me a man, who has come thro' a world of wonders, by a hell full of hardſhips, dangers by ſea and dangers by land, and yet I am alive. O! ſee, ſee my head crooked like a fools foot, and it is no wonder at all, conſidering my ſufferings and ſorrow: oh, oh, oh! good people, I was a man in my time, who had plenty of the gold, plenty of the ſilver, plenty of the clothes, plenty of the butter, the beer, the beef, and biſcuit; and now, now, I have nothing, being taken by the ſpaniards, lay ſixty days at the ſiege of Gibralter, got nothing to eat but ſea-wreck and raw muſſels then put to ſea for our ſafety, ca upon the Barbarian coſt, among the woful wicked Algerines, where we were taken and tied with tu and tedders, horſe, dogs, and cow chains then cut and caſtrate yards and teſticles quite away, if you wont believe, put in your hand and feel, how every female is made ſmooth by the ſhear bone, where nothing is to be ſeen but what is natural. Then we made our eſcape to the deſart wild wilderneſs of Arabia, where we lived among the wild aſſes upon wind, ſand, and ſapless ling. Afterwards put to ſea, in the hall of an old houſe, where we were toſſed above and below the clouds, being toſſed through thickets and groves by fierce, furious, coarſe, calm, and contrary winds; and, at laſt, being caſt away upon Siliſbury plain where our veſſel was daſhed to places againſt a cabbage ſtock. And now, my humble petition to you, good Chriſtian people, is for one hundred of your butter, one hundred of your cheeſe, another of your beef, a caſk of your