Page:History of John Cheap, the chapman (8).pdf/7

 fearfu' like face indeed, it would fright any living creature out o' their ſenſes.

I hearing the fear they were in, cried to them not to be frighted, for I was not the d---l, but a poor chapman who could not get quarters laſt night; a ſoul fa' thy carcase, Sir, for our Jock is through the midden-dib, dirt and a' the gither; he who went laſt came again, but the other ran into the house, and told what he had ſeen; the goodman and his wife came running, he with a grape in his hand, and her with the Bible, the one crying Sandy, Sandy, is't true the d---l was in the barn, Na, na, ſaid he, its but a chapman, but poor Jock has gotten a fright wi' him, They laughed heartily at the ſport, took me in to breakfaſt, and by this time poor Johnny was gone to bed very ſick.

After this I travelled up by the water of Clyde, near the foot of Timock hill, where I met with a ſweet companion, who was an older traveller than I, and who gave me more information how to blow the goodwife and ſleek the goodman: With him I kept company for two months, and as we travelled down Tweed towards the border, we being both hungry, and could get nothing to buy for the belly, we came unto a wife who had been kirning, but ſhe would give us nothing, nor ſell ſo much as one halfpenny's worth of her ſour-milk; Na, na, ſaid ſhe, i'll neither ſell butter, bread, nor milk, it's a' little enough to ſair my ain family: ye that's chapmen may drink water, ye dinna work fair. Ay, but goodwife, ſaid I, I hae been at Temple-bar, where I was ſworn ne'er to drink water, if I could get better: What do ye ſay, ſaid ſhe, about Temple bar? A town juſt about twa three miles and a bittock frae this: A thief one was to ſwear you there, an it waſna auld Willie Miller the cobler, the ill thief a neither miniſter nor magiſtrate ever was in't a'.