Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (15).pdf/2

                         W I T T Y  E X P L O I T S, &c.

MR.GEORGE BUCHANAN was a Scotchman Born, and though of mean parentage, made great progreſs in learning. As for his underſtanding, and ready wit, he exceeded all men then alive in that age, that ever propoſed queſtions to him. He was ſervant, or teacher to King James VI. as his private counſellor, but publickly he acted as a fool.

1. It happened one day, that a young airy nobleman went into the king's garden, to pull a flower for a young lady he fancied. George followed at a diſtance; ſo when the young man found a flower to his pleaſure, he would not pull it himſelf, but to find it again, without further ſearching, he covered it with his hat, and went away for his ſweet-heart: No ſooner was he gone, but up goes George, lifts his hat, pulls the flower, then eaſes himſelf on the ſpot, and covers it with the hat again, and away he goes. In comes the young man, leading his ſweet-heart to pull the flower below the hat: but as ſoon as he lifted the hat, and ſaw what was below; he looked like a fool. The lady flies in a paſſion, off he goes, and never would countenance him any more. The young man, being ſadly vexed at this affront done to him by George, ſent him a challenge to fight him, appointing day and place where they were to meet. Being to fight on horſeback, George gets an old ſtiff horſe, and for barneſſing covers him about with blown bladders, with a little ſmall ſtone in each, without either ſword or ſpear, away to the field he goes, where the duel was appointed: ſo when George ſaw his enemy coming againſt him, all in glittering armour, armed with ſword and ſpear, he rode up to him with all the ſpeed his horſe could carry him, and his horſe, as ſaid is, being all covered over with bladders, the small ſtones in them made ſuch a terrible noiſe, that the gentleman's fine gelding could not ſtand the battle, but ran away and threw his maſter to the ground, which cauſed all the ſpectators to laugh and ſay, The gentleman was more fool than George. The gentleman being ſo enraged at this ſecond affront, he would fight with George on foot; but his friends perſuaded him that it would be no honour for him to fight and kill the king's fool, and far