Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (2).pdf/7

[ 9 ] her coffin. Tom went out and ſtayed ſome time and then comes in again and tells the wright he did not know what to do, for his father ad o dere him to get money from ſuch a man, whic he named, and was that day gone out of the town; the wright aſked him how much he wanted: to which he anſwered, a guinea an a half might do, or thirty ſhillings at leaſt; ſo he gave him the guinea and the ba ; then Tom gave him ſtrict charge to be out on the morning again eleven o clock with the coffin, and he ſhould have his money altogether. Tom ſet out for the ale houſe with the money, and lived ell white it laſted. Next morning the wright and his two lads goes out with the coffin, and as they were going into the houſe, Tom's mother was Randing t the door, and aſked the maſter how he did, and where he was going with the coffin? he did not know well what to ſay, being ſo ſurprised to ſee her alive; but at laſt he told her that it was made deſignedly for her, and that her ſon had come in the day before, and had got a guinea and a half from him, which he ſaid was to buy other neceſſaries for the funeral- O the rogue, ſaid ſhe, he has played me that; ſo the wright got his guinea and a half, and ſo much for his trouble, and had to take back his coffin with him again.

Tom being now ſhort of money again, began to think how he could raiſe a freſh ſupply; ſo be went to the port among the ſhoarers, and there hires about ſhirty of them, and agrees to give them a whole week ſhearing at ten-pence a day, which was two pence higher than they had got that year This made the poor ſhearers think that he was as honeſt, generous, gehteel a maſter, as ever they had got, for he took them into an ale houſe and gave them a hearty breakfaſt, till they could eat no more. Now, ſays he, when there are ſo many of you together, out of different parts, and unacquainted with