Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (15).pdf/9

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Wagers were laid thereon, and three of the Engliſh clergy were choſen and ſent away to Scotland, to diſpute it with the ſhepherds, accompanied with ſeveral gentlemen who were to bear witneſs of what they heard paſs between them. Now, George hearing what way they were gone, took another road, and came into the Scots bounds before them, made up his acquaintance with a ſhepherd at the border, whoſe paſture lay hard by the way-ſide, where the clergymen were to paſs, and here George mounted himſelf in a ſhepherd's dreſs, and when he ſaw the clergymen coming, he conveyed his flock to the road ſide, where he fell a ſinging a Latin ſong; and ſo to begin the quarrel one of them aſked him in French, 'What o'clock it was?' To which he anſwered in Hebrew, 'It is directly about the time of the day it was yeſterday at this time. Another asked him in Greek, What countryman he was?' To which he anſwered in Flemiſh, 'If you knew that, you would be as wiſe as myſelf. The third aſked him in Dutch, 'Where was you educate?' to which he anſwered in Earſe, 'Herding my ſheep betwixt this and 'Lochaber:' This they begged him to explain into Engliſh, which he accordingly did. Now ſaid they one to another, we need not go any farther. What, ſays George, are you butchers? I'll ſell you a few ſheep. To this they made no anſwer, but went away ſhamefully, ſwearing, that the Scots had gone thro' all the nations in the world to learn their language, or the devil had taught them it, for we have no ſhare here but ſhame. After George had ended the diſpute with the Engliſh clergymen, he ſtript off his ſhepherd's dreſs, and went up. through England with all the haſte imaginable, ſo that he arrived at the place from whence they ſet out, three days before them; and went every day, aſking if they were come, ſo that he might not be ſuſpected. Now, upon their arrival all that were concerned in the matter, and many more, to hear what news from the Scottiſh ſhepherds, came crowding in to know what was done. No ſooner had the three gentlemen declared what had paſt between the clergymen and the ſhepherds, whom they found on the Scots border, but the old biſhop made anſwer; And think you, ſaid he, that a ſhepherd could anſwer theſe queſtions? It has been none elſe but the devil: for the Scots miniſters