Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (10).pdf/12

 in all France to match them in their ſtations. So accordingly there were two men choſen, the one a ſtrong man, and the other a wiſe man, but George was to act as a fool: nevertheleſs, he was the teacher of the other two. And on their way to France, George aſked the ſtrong man, what will you anſwer the French king, if he aſks if you be a ſtrong man? I'll ſay I am. Then, ſays George, he'll get a ſtronger man than you, who may kill you and affront your country. What ſhall I ſay then? ſaid the ſtrong man. Why, ſays George, tell him you are ſtrong enough untried. Then ſays George to the wiſe nan, and what will you ſay to the king, when he aſks if you are a wiſe man? I'll tell him I am, and anſwer him all the queſtions I know. Very well, ſays George, and what if he aſk you what you do not know, then you'll affront your country, and be looked on as a greater fool than me. What ſhall I anſwer then? ſaid the wiſe man: Wiry, ſays George, tell him, he is only a wiſe man that can take care of himſelf; and I ſhall come in after you, and take care of you all together. No ſooner were they come to the king's palace, than the king ſent for them to try them. The ſtrong man being firſt called for, he goes; then the king aſked him, Are you a ſtrong man, ſir? to which be answered, O king, I am ſtrong enough untried: very good, ſaid the king. After him entered the wiſe man, to whom the king put the queſtion, ſir, are you a wiſe man? to which he anſwered, He is only a wiſe man that can take care of himſelf: very good, ſays the king. With that George puſhed up the door, and in he goes with loud laughter, piſſes directly in the king's face, which blinded both his eyes, and ſet the whole court in amaze. Now, now, ſays the king, it is true enough the Wiſe man ſays, for if I had taken care of myſelf, I need not been piſſed upon by the Engliſh fool. O no, ſays George, fools always ſtrive to make fools of others, but Wiſe men make fools of themſelves. The king imagined as much as he was mode the greateſt fool, and charged them forthwith to go home, for he wanted no more of England's ſtrength, wiſdom, or folly.

One night after this, a Highland drover chanced to have a drinking bout with an English captain of a ſhip, and at laſt the Engliſh captain and him came to be very hearty over their cup; ſo they called in their ſervants to have a ſhare of their liquor; the drover's ſervant looked like a wild man, going without breeches, ſtockings or ſhoes, not ſo much as