Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (17).pdf/22

( 22 ) at a diſtance by the prieſts and friars who were walking near by; and they perceiving this heinous abomination, run upon him like a pack of hounds, and carried him before the cardinals and father confeſſors, where he was allowed to speak for himſelf, wilch he did as follows:

"May it pleaſe your moſt excellent worſhips to hear my reaſons before you pronounce the ſentence to be put in execution against me. It was my misfortune to be paſſing thro? this city a few months ago with the British Ambaſſador on our way to Italy; and one day being walking in the King's garden, in preſence of the king and many of his Nobles, who can bear witneſs to the truth of the fame; I being ignorant of your traditions and rites of religion, fooliſhly offended reproaching the Virgin Mary to her face; and ever ſince the has plagued me with a boundneſs in my belly that I have avoided nought but clean ha ; ſo now on my return I went and implored her to open my fundament, and ſhe has done ſo; I being overjoyed with the miraculous healing in getting a paſſage in her perſence left it as a memorial of the miracle in that place." When hearing this, they all with one conſent lifted up their hands and bleſſed the Virgin Mary, for the wonderful miracle ſhe had done, and ordered George to go about his business, and declare unto all what was done unto him by the holy Virgin, for the confirmation of their religion. So all the devout Romans came to view his dung, and worſhip it in preſence of many people; and alſo cauſed a holy day to be obſerved throughout the king's dominions for the miraculous cure,

Now George being a long time abſent from Britain, he thought it fit to go and viſit the king and his court in diſguiſe. He meeting with an old man driving two old horſes loaded with coals to fell, George here made a bargain with the old man for the loan of his cloathes, his horſes and coal whip, and every thing to complete him as a real driver; ſo away he goes in his dreſs until he came before the king's palace, where he began to cry with an audible voice, Buy coals, buy coals; better buy than borrow Now the king being in company with his new chaplain who was a foundling, ſo that none knew his original, and had been ſoftened and educated out of charity by the king's father, yet he was become as proud as Lucifer and as gentle in his own conceit as the king himſelf. Now the king knowing George's voice though he was in a coalman's dreſs, deſired the chaplain to aſk the coalman why he called ſo loud, making ſuch a terrible noiſe. The chaplain open-