Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (17).pdf/16

( 16 ) have been more chickens; and ſo multiplying the eggs and their product, till ſuch time as their value ſhould amount to the ſum he charged. The rest refuſing to comply with this demand, was charged before a judge but in the mean time made his affair known to George Buchanan his country-man, who promiſed to appear in the hour of cauſe; which he accordingly did all in a ſweat, with a great baſket of boiled peaſe; which appearance ſupriſed the judge, who aſked him, what he meant by theſe boiled peaſe, ſays George I am going to ſow them: When will they grow? ſays the judge.-They will grow when ſodden eggs grow chickens Which anſwer convinced the judge of the extravagance of the Engliſhman's demand, and the Scotſman was ff lz dd upon paying tow pence halfpenny.

There was a bell at Dalkieth, which the Popiſh clergy made uſe of to extort confeſſion from the ignorant people in the following manner. They told the perſon who they ſuſpected guilty, it would ring at the toung of a guilty perſon, but if not guilty, it would not by theſe means they generally frighted the ignorant into confeſſion; for if the bell would ring, the perſon was then to be condemned to death. But they managed the matter ſo, that the bell was never put to the trial, till George did as follows: He was taken up for ſaying. 'That the Pope was fallible himſelf; and could not pardon the ſins of others.' George owned he ſaid ſo, but would refer to the bell whether he was guilty or not. Then prieſts, though unwilling, were obliged to comply. George touched the bell, repeated as before, 'The Pope is fallible, and cannot pardon ſin, moreover added.

The Pope and popiſh clergy are impoſters, and thereupon he touched the hell, referring to it for truth; but the bell not ringing, the prieſts were diſgraced as impoſters, and he was honourably acquitted and the hell was laid aſide.

George deſired a member of the college of St Andrew's to lend him a book; the other told him, he could not poſſibly ſpare it out of his chamber, but if he pleaſed he might come and read there all the day long. Some time after, the gentleman ſent to George to borrow his bellows; but he ſent him word, he could not poſſibly ſpare them out of his kitchen, but he might come there and blow all the day if he would.

A ſcholar at the garmmar ſchool of St Andrew's coming into the room where his maſter had laid down a baſket of fine cherries for his own eating; the waggiſh boy takes them up