Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (15).pdf/3

 O F G E O R G E  B U C H A N A N, &c. 3

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 publickly the next day there after. With all my heart, ſays George, and we will end in and about where we began; they not knowing his meaning in this. The place and hour being ſet, where they were to meet next morning, George, in the night, cauſed a deep pit to be made, and the earth of it carried away, afterwards filled it up with dung from a privy, and covered it over 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 time appointed: Now George being the oldeſt man, and by them counted the greateſt fool, the young men permited him to jump firſt, which he, according to order, performed; and jumped within a foot of the place where the ground was falſified: The young man ſeeing this, made his performance afterwards, with great airs, and all his might, ſo that he jumped a foot over George, but to his oxters among clean dung; whereat the whole multitude of ſpectators cried out with huzzas and laughter. Now ſays George, I told you we would end in and about where we began, and that was in clean dirt. On a time after this, the king and his court were going into the country, and they would have George to ride before them in the fool's dreſs, whereunto he ſeemed unwilling, but it was the king's pieaſure; ſo George was mounted upon an old horſe, a pair of old 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 inn, where they alighted for to dine; and the time they were at dinner, George went into the ſtables, and with a knife cut all their horſes chafts, 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 of him; then George turned about suddenly, and clapping his hands with a loud laughter, the king aſked him what made him laugh ſo; laugh, ſays George, how can I but laugh, when horſes