Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (4).pdf/7

 PART III.

TOM, being now turned to his own ſhifts, confiders with himſelf how to raiſe a little more money, gets a long ſtring as near as he could gueſs to be the length of his mother, and into Edinburgh he goes, to a wright who was acquainted with his father and mo- ther : the wright aſking him how he did; he anſwered him, very ſoberly, he had loft a good dutiful mother laſt night, and there's a meaſure for her coffin. Tom went out and ſtaid for ſome time, and then comes in again, and tells the wright he did not know what to do for his father had ordered him to get money from ſuch a man whom he named, and he was that day gone out of town; the wright aſked him how much he wanted to which he anſwered, a guinea and a half might do, o thirty ſhillings at the leaſt: ſo he gave him the guinea and the half: then Tom gave him ſtrict charges to be out on the morrow againſt 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 well while it laſted. Next morning, the wright and his two ladies went out with the coffin: and as they were going into the houſe, Tom's mother ſtands at the door, aſking'th matter how he did, and where he was going with that fine coffin ? he did not know well what to ſay, being ſo ſurpriſed to ſee her alive, but at laſt he told her, her foi brought in the meaſure the day before, and had got guinea and a half from him, which he ſaid was to buy ſome other neceſſaries for the funeral. ſaid ſhe, has he play'd me that: So the wright got hi 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 he went to th port amongſt the ſhearers, and there he hired about thir ty of them, and agreed to give them a whole week' ſhearing at tenpence a-day, which was two pence high O the rogue