Page:History of John Cheap the comical chapman.pdf/18

 a lump of butter in them, they‘ll do very well for a aupper; I true lad, said she, ye ha'e some sense ; so the old woman put on the pot with her sowens, and went to milk her cows, leaving me to steer; the goodman her son, as soon as she went out took a great cup full of water and put it among the sowens and went out of the house, leaving me alone; I considered what sort of a pish the-bed supper I was to get if I lay there all night; I thought fit to set out, but takes up a pitcher with water, and fills the pot up till it was running over, and then took up my pack and came about a mile farther that night, leaving the honest woman and her son to sup their watry witch'd sowens at their own leisure.

I then turned towards the end, through a place called, and was lodged near a place called Tod's Lughts. Where there was a horn'd goodwife, but a very civil goodman : when I went in, she took up a bicker dish from the dog, wherein was a few he had left, and with a collection more from other cogs she offered them to me, which I refused; then, said she, ye're a lordly sort of a chapman indeed ; so I began to divert the goodman by telling him a deal of fine stories to make him laugh, but could not get near the fire, at last I said, O goodwife, I'll tell you news; ay chapman, what‘s that, said she; indeed, said I, my feet‘s unco cauld, whereat they all laughed heartily, but the good wife gloomed until the rest had done, and then took a laugh at herself; so the goodman ordered the Johnnies, Jamies, and Jennies to sit about with their wheels, then I was set beyond the fire and preferred to steer their sowens ; but when they were ready and put in dishes, the goodwife ordered a lad to take a pair of old blankets and two sacks and show me to the barn where I was to lye. Ho, ho, thinks I, there's no supper for me, but I'll remember to pay her stock for this, so I went to the barn and lay next morning