Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (17).pdf/2

( 2 ) The Witty and Entertaining EXPLOITS, &c.

MR. GEORGE BUCHANAN was a Scotſman born, and of mean parentage, made great progreſs in learning.- As for his underſtanding and ready wit, he exceeded all men then alive in that age, that ever propoſed queſtions to him. -He was ſervant or teacher to King James VI. as his privy counſellor, but publicly he acted as his fool.

It happened one day, that a young airy nobleman, went into the King's garden, to pull a flower for a young lady he fancied. George followed at a diſtance, and when the young man found the flower to his pleaſure, he would not pull it himſelf, but to find it again without further ſeeking, covered it with his hat, and went away for his ſweetheart, -No ſooner was he gone, but up goes George, lifts the hat, and pulls the flower, then eaſes himſelf on the ſpot, and covered it with his hat again, and away he goes.-In comes the young man, leading his ſweetheart to pull the flower below the hat; but as foon as he lifted the hat, and ſeeing what was below, he looked like a fool: the lady flies in a paſſion, and off ſhe goes, never to countenance him any more. The young man being fully vexed at this affront done to him by George, ſent him a challenge to fight him, appointed a day and place where they were to meet being to fight on horſeback, George gets an old ſtiff horſe, and for harneſſing covers him about with blown bladders, with a few little ſmall ſtones in each, withour either ſword or ſpear, and away to the field he goes, where the duel was appointed; ſo when George ſaw his enemy coming against him, all in glittering armour armed with ſword and ſpear, he rode up to his horſe, (as is ſaid) being all covered with bladders; the ſmall ſtones in them made ſuch a terible noiſe, that the gentleman's fine gelding would not ſtand the battle, but ran away and threw his maſter on the ground, which cauſed all the ſpectators to laugh, and ſay, the gentleman was more fool than George. The gentleman being ſo enraged at the ſecond affront, he would fight with George on foot; but his friends perſuaded him that it would be no honour to him to fight and kill the king's fool, and far leſs to be killed by the fool; ſo they were adviſed both to agree. But the gentleman would try another ex-