Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (17).pdf/30

( 30 ) o, ſays George, the poor woman muſt firſt have her expense, or ſurely for it. Then the judges cauſed the purſuer to be arreſted at the bar; until the women got ſatisfaction for all her trouble and expences. So George returned to London unknown but for an advocate whoſe fame was ſpread over all England'; which cauſed many who had law ſuits to ſearch thro' London for him, but could not find him who had gained the widow's law plea.

George being one day in the country, and coming thro' a village, there came a great maſtiff dog and gripped him by the leg until the blood followed his long teeth, George with one ſtroke of his cane came over his eyes until he fell down and died on the ſpot: 'Tis well for thee, ſays George, that I killed the before thou was brought to juſtice, for thou had certainly been hanged for what thou haſt done, and thy maſter ſeverely fined for keeping thee. The owner of the dog hearing George ſay ſo, went off without ſpeaking a word to George, for fear it had been ſo.

A country gentleman came one time and enquired at George what be thought was the reaſon he loſt every law ſuit or plea he ſet his face to, tho' never ſo juſt a claim, the law went ſtill againſt him? George aſked him whom he emcloyed? He told him, he was one of the beſt and ableſt attorneys in England. Yes, ſays George, I believe he may be ſo, but when you go to law again, if you have a mind to win it, when you give your own attorney one guinea, give your adveſary two: for thoſe attorneys are much after the nature of an aſs, they won't ſpeak right if you do not throw a multitude of angels before them, (meaning pieces of Engliſh money called angels by name,) The gentleman returned in a few weeks thereafter and heartily thanked George for his good advice, for he was not afraid now but he could gain any plea he took in hand, whether it was juſt or not.

Two drunken fellows one day fell a beating one another in the ſtreets of London, which cauſed a great crowd of people throng together to ſee what it was; a taylor being at work up in a high garret about three or four ſtories high, and he hearing a noiſe in the ſtreet looked over the window, but could not well ſee them, he began to ſtretch himſelf, making a long neck until he fell down out of the window, and alighted on an old man who was walking on the ſtreet. The poor taylor was more afraid than hurt, but the old man on whom he fell died directly. His ſon cauſed the taylor to be apprehended, and tried for the murder of his father. The jury could not bring it as a wilfu murder neither could they altogether acquit the taylor; the