Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (3).pdf/11

 ( 11 ) for a bottle of ale, and a dram, then taken the jaits or, aside, as if he had been going to borrow the money from him, and ſays to the jailor this man is a great thief; I and two others have been in Search of him theſe three days, and the other two men have the warrant with them, you fall have a guinea in reward yes, baid the jailor go, and l'il fis the rogue for you Tom goes out, leav- ing the innocent fellow and the jailor fruggling together and then let op for England directly.

PART III. TOM having now let his own native country, went into the country of Northumberland, and hired himſelf to an old miser of a farmer : and here be continued for ſeveral years, performing the duty in ſervice well enough, though ſometimes playing a roguiſh trick to thoſe about him ; his maſ- ter had a very naughty cuſtom, that he would al- low them no candle at night, to ſee with when at ſupper: Tom one night ſets himſelf next to his maſter, and as they were all about to fill on, Tom puts his ſpoon into the midſt of the diſh where the crowdy was botteſt and clapt a ſoonful into his maſter's mouth. A pox on you for a rogue cried his maſter, for my mouth is all burnt ; a pox upon you for a maſter, ſays Tom, for you keep a houſe as dark as purgatory I was going to my own mouth with that ſoup and miſt the way, it being ſo dark; don't think maſter. that I am ſuch a big fool as to feed you, while I have a mouth of my own. So from that night Tom burnt his matters mouth with the hot crowdie, they always got a candle to ſhew them light at supper; for his maſter would feed no more in the dark while Tom was preſent. There was a ſervant girl in the houſe, who al- ways when ſhe made the beds neglected to make