Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (15).pdf/27

                     O F  G E O R G E  B U C H A N A N.       27 a ſight of his library. What, ſays the biſhop, Have you no more books but theſe? No more, ſays George, but my Bible; juſt no more. O! ſays the biſhop, I wonder how you can either ſpeak plain, or write a perfect ſentence, when you have no other books than theſe. O! ſays George, think that I am a clergyman, to borrow other men's ſermons to beautify my works; no, no, not!! all that I write, I dite and meditate out of my own brain. This check concerning borrowing, put the biſhop in a cold ſweat, yet he concealed his paſſion.-- Then George called to his ſervant if dinner was ready yet; to which he anſwered, Come, Maſter, come, the pot is on the boil, get out the meal-pock; then George came into the room where his ſervant was, and ſet the wiſhop at the one ſide of the fire. and ſat down on the other himſelf; while his ſervant made a great bowl full of milk-broſe, and ſet them between the biſhop and George; then George deſired his Lordſhip to aſk a bleſſing to what they were to receive: the biſhop did not know what he meant by a bleſſing, it not being uſual for the Engliſh to do ſo: aſked at George, What it was? but George took up a great ram-horn ſpoon, and put it into the biſhop's hand, ſaying, There it is, my Lord. What I ſays the biſhop, call you that a bleſſing? We call that a ſpoon. O my Lord, ſays George, it is the beſt bleſſing you can aſk, if it does not come empty. Well, ſays the biſhop, and how do you call that ſcalded meal? Why, ſays George, we call it Scots broſe. O! Said the biſhop, I cannot eat it. O! ſays he, the thing we cannot eat we ſup, my Lord: Since you are in a Scotſman's houſe, you muſt partake of a Scotſman's victuals. Then, ſays the biſhop, I always thought the Scots had lived weil till now; I would not be a Scotſman for the world. O! ſaid George, if a Scotſman live twenty years, and get but nineteen years meat, he cannot be badly off. What! not badly off, and want a year's victuals ſaid the biſhop! upon my word of honour, if I wanted one day's victuals, I'd be ſure to die the next. O! ſays George, we drink water when we cannot do better, and that puts us in remembrance of wealth, for a diſh of contentment is good cheer. Then, ſaid the biſhop, I will drink water too, if it be good for the memory. Ay, do, ſaid George, and you will remember me when you do ſo. Now, after dinner.