Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (4).pdf/16

 16 COMICAL TRANSACTIONS

butter to make it ready with. Then the lawyer goes to the court, where Ton is called upon: the lawyer an- ſwers firſt, who aſked the butchers, if they could tell the price of the calf or prove the bargain? they an- ſwered, no, but he ordered us to ſend out our lads and we would agree about it. Agree about it, ſaid the jud- ges? why do you come to ſue for a bargain and to agree about it yet! Ay, but ſaid they, we want twenty ſhil- lings a piece from him of the money we gave him. Tom is called upon, then ſaid the Judge, did you borrow twenty thilligns of any of theſe men ? Not l, my Lord, I came indeed aſking the loan of money from them, but they would lend me none, and then I came next day beg- gar ways and they were ſo generous as to give me twen- ty ſhillings the piece. But, ſaid the judge, was not you to give it back again! I never promiſed, nor never intended it at all, my Lord, for what is given to the poor is given gratis, and I appeal to this whole court, that whatever pence any of you have given to the poor, that you look not for any of it back again. Then Tom was freed at the bar, and the butchers loft and were laughed at. After the court, Tom and the Lawyer had a hearty bottle, and at parting the lawyer ſaid, now mind 'Tom, and ſend me in the calf to-morrow. O yes, fays Toni, bet you muſt firſt ſend me out forty ſhillings for it. What, ſays the lawyer, did you not promiſe me it and a ſtone of butter to make it ready with, for gaining your plea? But, ſays Tom, did not you tell me, that the on- ly point of the law was to deny? and you cannot prove it: ſo I'll fell my calf to them that will give moſt for it; and if you have learned me law, I have learned you roguery to your experience ; ſo, take this as a reward for helping me to cheat the butchers, and now I think I'm even with you both. And this was all the lawyer got off Tom.

FINIS.