Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (17).pdf/12

 length of a whole long cold winter night, after he had got his bones all beat and bruiſed: ſo the one purſued the other as a murderer, and his defence was, that he was a cheat and a ſcouſer of his houſe, until the truth was found out.

About this time, the French King ſent and demanded from the King of England, three men of different qualities, the one was to be a mighty ſtrong man, the other a very wiſe man, and the third a great fool, ſo that he might have none in all France to match them in their ſtatoins. So accordingly there were two men choſen, the one a ſtrong man, and the other a wiſe man, but George was to act as a fool; nevertheleſs he was the teacher of the other two. And on their way to France George aſked the strong man, What will you anſwer the French king if he aſkes you if you be a ſtrong man? I will ſay I am. Then, ſays George, he'll get a ſtronger man than you, who may kill you, and affront your country. What ſhall I ſay then, ſaid the strong man? Why ſays George, tell him you are ſtrong enough untired. Then ſays George to the wiſe man, and what will you ſay to the king, when he aſks you if you be a wiſe man? I will tell him I am, and anſwer all the queſtion I know. Very well, ſays George, and what if he aſks you what you do not know then you will affront your country, and be looked upon as a greater fool than me! What ſhall I answer then? ſaid the wiſe man. Why ſays George to him, he is only a wiſe man who can take care of himſelf; and I ſhall come in after you and take you off altogether: No ſooner were they come to the king s palace, then the king ſent for them to try them. The he ſtrong man being firſt called for, in he goes: then the king aſked him, are you a ſtrong man ſir! To which he anſwered, 'O king, I am ſtrong enough untried.' Very good, ſaid the king. After him entered the ſe man; to whom the king put the queſtion, Sir, are you a wiſe man? He is only a wiſe man that can take care of himſelf.'- Very good, ſays the king; with that George puſhes up the door, and in he goes, with loud laughter, piſſes directly in the king's face, which blinded both his eyes, and ſet the whole court in amaze. Now, now, ſays the king, it is true enough the wiſe man ſays, for if I had taken care of myſelf I needed not been piſſed upon by the Engliſh fool. O ho, ſays George, fools always ſtrive to make fools of others but wiſe men make fools of themſelves. The king imagined as much as he was made the greater fool, and charged