Page:History of John Cheap the chapman (3).pdf/15

 I met on the way a poor beggar with a boy, who was both of them bitten in different places by a big mastiff dog; they persuaded me to turn back; but I said that I should first see him: so up I goes to the side of a hedge, and cuts a long bramble full of prickles, which I carried in my left hand with my sturdy staff in the right; and I came near the house, Mr. Youffer came roaring upon me like a lion, he being a tyke of such a monstrous size, frighted me so that I ran back; but he pursued me so hard, I was forced to face about, and holding out the briar to him, which he gripped in his mouth, and then I 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 yuliugyuling [sic] 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 their dog came running to bite me, but my brier 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 of 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 which 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 ly in the spence beside the goodman's bed, the goodwife being very hard of hearing, she thought that every body was so, for