Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (15).pdf/17

 O F G E O R G E  B U C H A N A N.         telling him the reaſon for ſo extravagant a charge: That theſe eggs, had they been hatched, would have been chickens; and theſe laying more eggs, would have been more chickens; and ſoon multiplying the eggs and their product, till ſuch a time as their value ſhould amount to the ſum he charged. The man, reſuſing to comply with his demand, was charged before a judge, but in the mean, time made his affair known to George Buchanan his countryman, who promiſed to appear in the hour of cauſe; which he accordingly did, all in a ſweat, with a great baſket of boiled peaſe: which appearance ſurprized the judge, who aſked him what he meant by theſe boiled peaſe? ſays George, I am going to ſow them: When will they grow? ſays the judge. They will grow when ſodden eggs grow chickens, Which anſwer, convinced the judge of the extravagance of the Engliſhman's demand, and the Scotſman was aſſoilzied upon paying two pence half-penny. There was a bell at Dalkeith; which the Popiſh clergy made uſe of to extort confeſſion from the ignorant people, in the following manner: They told the perſons whom they ſuſpected guilty, that the bell would rive at the touch of a guilty perſon; but if not guilty, it would not; by theſe means they generally frightened the ignorant into confeſſion; for if the bell would rive, the perſon was then to be condemned to death: But they managed the matter ſo, that the bell was never put to the trial, till George did as follows, He was taken up for ſaying, 'That the Pope was fallible himſelf; and could not pardon the ſins of others.' George owned he ſaid ſo, but would refer to the bell  whether he was guilty or not. The prieſts, though unwilling, were obliged to comply. George touched the bell, repeating as before, 'The Pope is fallble, and cannot pardon ſin:' moreover added, the Pope and popiſh clergy are impoſtors;' and thereupon touched the bell, referring to it for the truth; but the bell not rending, the prieſts were diſgraced as impoſtor, and he was honourably   acquitted, and the bell was laid aſide. George deſired a member of the college of St. Andrews to lend him a book; the other told him, he could not poſſibly ſpare it out of his chamber, but if he pleaſed he might come there and read all the day long. Some time after, the ſame gentleman ſent to George to borrow