Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (11).pdf/19



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George being sent to Paris about some business, wont from thence to Versailles to see the French king's court; and being known there by several of the courtiers, who had been at the English court, one of them took occasion to tell the French king, that George was one of the wittiest men in England; upon which, the French king desired to see him; which he did, but George, it seems, was out of humor, or seemingly so, and spoke but little to the purpose, so that the French king told the nobleman who commended him for such wit, that he looked upon him as a very dull fellow; but the nobleman assured the king, whatever he thought of him, George was a very witty and ingenious man: whereupon, the king was resolved to make further trial of him, and took him into a large hall where there were a great mumber of fine pietures, and and among the rest he shewed him the picture of Christ on the cross, and asked him if he knew whom that was? but George made himself very ignorant, and answered no. Why, said the king, I will tell you, if you do not know:-- This is the picture of our Saviour on the cross, and that on the right hand is the pope's and that on the left is my own. Whereupon George replied, I humbly thank your majesty for the information, for tho' I have often heard that our Saviour was crucified between two thieves, yet I never knew who they were before.

George being one day travelling to London, and the weather being very cold and rainy, he alighted at an inn to refresh and warm himself, but the fire being surrounded with people he could scarcely see it: George finding this to be the case, calls to the hostler, and orders him to give his horse, at the door, half a peck of oysters: You mean oats, Sir: No, no, says George, it is oysters, and base is that horse that