Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (17).pdf/21

( 21 ) labour in or about the houſe for it, except cooks, for what they vulgarly called a brownie, it did all itſelf and would ſuffer no fellow-labourer to work along with it.-On the next morning George got up pretty early and called for water to waſh himſelf; then directly comes the brownie with a baſon of water in one hand, and a clean cloth in the other. George perceiving him have ſuch a pale ghoſtly countenance, not to be an earthly creature; ſaid, Of what notion art thou? To which it anſwered in Galic or Ea ſe. A countryman of yours, ſir. The Ambaſſador finiſhed and joked George, telling him it was a devil, and how could it be a countryman of his? O ſays George, I'll ſhew you the contrary of that, for the devil dare not ſtay in our country. George having waſhed himſelf, it came to take away the baſon of water, then ſays George, And how long is it ſince you left your own country? About 200 and 50 years ago, ſays it. Then certainly, ſays he, thou are a devil and not an earthly creature. To which it anſwered, I am what I am, and a Chriſtian too. Then I am what I am, to conjure you ſays George; he taking a handful of water, and throwing it upon the old wrinkled face of it, rep ting the form of the words of baptiſm in Ea ſe, ſaying, If thou be a Chirſtian thou art old enough to be baptiſed. No ſooner had he done this, but it went off weeping and crying, O! let never a rogue put truſt in his own country men after me. Now, ſays George, I told you the devil dare not ſtay in my country, nor yet look a Scotſman in the face in his own. What! ſays the Italain Lord, do you imagine that this is the devil's own country? It appears ſo, ſays George for he is the oldeſt reſidenter in it I know; but my Lord, ſaid he, and if it pleaſe your Grace, I think the clergymen are very ſcant in this country when you have kept the devil ſo long for a chaplain. The nobleman to this gave no anſwer, but expreſſed his ſorrow to be very great for the loſs of his brownie.

Now the Ambaſſador having done his buſineſs in Italy they returned homeward, and on their way the Ambaſſador began to queſtion George how he thought to eſcape Paris without committing idolatry.. No, no, ſays George, I never did worſhip any image, and never ſhall, but I ſhall make them worſhip the worſt that is in my guts. No ſooner were they arrived in Paris, but George leaves the Ambaſſador, and goes directly to the Virgin Mary, jumped in over the railing to the holy ground, (as they termed it) whereon ſhe ſtood, where few durſt go but prieſts and friars; and there he looſed his breeches and made ſuch a gronaing eaſing himſelf, that he was heard