Page:History of John Cheap, the chapman (8).pdf/16

 mouth, and then ſtripped it through his teeth, and gave him a hearty blow upon his ear with my rung, which made him go tumbling towards his maſter's door, and when he got up, he could not fight any, his mouth being ſo full of prickles by the biting of the briar, which cauſed him go about yuling, and rubbing his mouth with his foot; the people of the houſe came running out to ſee what was the matter, I then ſhewed them the briar, and telling them the dog came running to bite me, but my briar had bitten him; they then called him in, and fell to picking the pricks out of his tongue.

On the Saturday night thereafter, I was like to be badly off for quarters, I travelled until many people were gone to bed; but at laſt I came to a farmer's houſe, aſked what they would buy, naming twenty fine things that I never had, and then aſked for quarters, which they very freely granted, thinking I was ſome gentle chapman with a rich pack, but I being weary with travel, could take but little or no ſupper; being permitted to lie in the ſpence beſide the goodman's bed, the goodwife being very hard of hearing, ſhe thought that every body was ſo, for when ſhe went to bed, ſhe cried out, "A how hearie is na yon a brave moderate chapman we had here the night, he took juſt ſeven ſoups o' our ſowens, and that filled him fu'; a dear Andrew man, turn ye about, and tak my cauld a--e in your warm lunchoch." On the morrow I went to the kirk with the goodman, and I miſſing him about the door, went into the middle of the kirk but could ſee no empty ſeats but one big furm, where none ſat but one woman by herſelf, and ſo I ſet myſelf down beſide her, not knowing where I was until ſermon was over, when the miniſter began rebuke her for uſing her Merry-bit, againſt law  licence; and then ſhe began to whinge and