Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (10).pdf/3

 elding would not ſtand the battle, but ran away, and threw is maſter to the ground, which cauſed all the spectators to augh, and ſay, the gentleman was more fool than George. he gentleman being ſo enraged at this ſecond affront, he would tight with George on foot; but his friends perſuaded im that it would be no honour for him to fight and kill the ing's fool, and far leſs to be killed by the fool, ſo they were adviſed both to agree; but the gentleman would try another exploit with George, for to have it ſaid he was ſtill the clevereſt man, to hold him a jumping-bout publicly the next day thereafter. With all my heart, ſays George, and we will end in and about where we began; they not know- ng his meaning in this. The place and hour being ſet where hey were to meet next morning, George in the night cauſ- d a deep pit to be made, and the earth of it carried away, afterwards fllied it up with dung from a privy, covered it ver with a green turf, ſo that it might not be known by the other ground; ſo, according to promiſe, they both met in the morning againſt the appointed time: now, George being the oldeſt man, and by them counted in greateſt fool, the young man permitted him to jump first, which he, according o order, performed; an jumped within a foot of the place where the ground was falſified: the young man ſeeing this, ade his performance afterwards with great airs and all his might, ſo that he jumped a foot over George, but to his xters among clean dung; whereat the whole multitude of pectators cried out with huzzas and laughter. Now, ſays George, I told you we would end in and about where we began, and that is in clean dirt.

On a time after this, the king and his court was going nto the country, and they would have George to ride before them in the fool's dreſs, whereunto be ſeemed unwilling, but it was the king's pleaſure. So George was mounted upon an old horſe, a pair of of riven boots, with the heels hanging down, a palmer coat patched over with pictures of divers kinds. George rode before them in this poſture, which cauſed great laughter and diverſion until they came to an nn, where they alighted to dine; and in the time they were at dinner George went into the ſtables, and with a knife cut all the horſes chaſts, not ſore, but ſo as they might bleed. Now, as ſoon as dinner was over, and they mounted on their horſes again, George riding before them as uſual, in his palmer coat and old boots, they began to make their game