Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (15).pdf/8

 8     T H E  W I T T Y  E X P L O I T S 'fays he: Well, I will tell you, ſays George,'he was ſuch a terror to the Engliſhmen when he was alive, that a fight of him yet makes them beſhite themſelves.' The Engliſh took this anſwer as a great affront, and forthwith cauſed Wallace's picture to be taken out of that place. There was a young Engliſh girl in love with a Scotſman, and petitioned him ſeveral times to marry her, which he refuſed, and upon revenge thereof, ſhe went to a juſtice, and ſwore a rape againſt him, which is death by the law. George hearing this, went into the priſon where the young man was; and instructed him how to behave before the judge. So in the time of the trial George came in, while the judge was crying to the man, but never a word he could get him to anſwer, or tell whether he was guilty or not: After the judge had given him over to be deaf and dumb; others fell a ſhouting in his ears, but never a word he would ſpeak. Then the judge perceiving George, called him, ſaying, George, do you know what is the matter with this man? Yes, I do very well: What is it, ſays the judge? Why, ſays George, the woman made ſuch a noiſe and crying when he was raviſhing her, it has put the poor man quite deaf, I aſſure you. Is it ſo, ſays the Judge! No, no, ſays the woman, my lord Judge, you may believe me, I lay as mute as a lamb, and never ſpoke a word all the time. Very well confeſſed, ſaid the judge, and you have ſworn a rape againſt him! Go, take the whore to Newgate, and ſet the poor man about his buſineſs, and ſo it ended.

P A  R  T    II.

GEORGE happened one night to be in company with a biſhop, and ſo they fell to argumenting 'anent religion, wherein George got the better of him, and the biſhop himſelf found he was wrong: then one of the company addreſſed himſelf to George in theſe words, 'Thou Scot, ſaid he ought not to have left thy country; 'For what, ſays George, Becauſe thou haſt brought all the knowledge in it along with thee: 'No, no, ſays George, The ſhepherds in Scotland will argument with any biſhop in England and exceed the mighty far in knowledge.' the Engliſh clergy took this as a great affront, and ſeveral noblemen affirmed it to be as George had ſaid,