Page:Merry humours, wise sayings, and curious adventures of George Buchanan.pdf/13

 No sooner had the three gentlemen declared what had passed between the bishops and the shepherds whom they found on the Scots border, when the old bishop made answer, and think you, said he that a shepherd could answer these questions? It has been none else but the devil; for the Scots ministers themselves could not do it; they are but ignorant of of such matters, a parcel of beardless boys. Then George thought it was time to take speech in hand. Well, my lord bishop, says George, you call them a parcel of ignorant beardless boys. You have a great long beard yourself, my lord bishop, and if grace were measured by beards, you bishops and the goats would have it all, and that will be quite averse to Scripture. What, says the bishop, are you a Scot? Yes, says George, I am a Scot. Well, says the bishop, and what is the difference between a Scot and a sot? Nothing at present, says George, but the breadth of the table, there being a table betwixt the bishop and George. So the bishop went off in a high passion, while the whole multitude were like to split their jaws with laughter.

About this time there was an act of parliament for the benefit of murderers, so that any person, who com. mitted murder, if they forfeited five hundred merks, which went under the name of kinboot, because, so much of this went to the murdered person's nearest relations, as the price of blood, the murderer got a remit. Now, George knowing this to be contrary to Moses' laws, was very much grieved to see so many pardons sealed by the king's hand for murder, almost one every week; it being so usual for the king to subscribe them, that he would not read them, nor enquire what they were; for which cause, George writes a writ to the crown, and sent it to the king to be subscribed,