Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (17).pdf/31

( 31 ) jury gave it over to the judges, and the judges to the king. The king aſked Georges advice in this hard matter. Why, ſays George, I'll give you my opinion in a minute; you muſt cauſe the taylor ſtand in the ſtreet in the place where the old gentleman was when he was killed by the taylor, and then let the old gentleman's ſon, the taylors adverſary, go up to the window from whence the taylor fell and jump down and kill the taylor as he did his father, for I can do no more in it: you ſee, it was a great mercy for the taylor he had the old gentleman below him, or elſe he had been killed on the ſpot, and that it was the old gentleman's lot or misfortune to die there. The taylor's adverſary hearing this ſentence paſſed, he would not venture to jump over the window; ſo the taylor got clear off.

PART VI.

GEORGE being one night in company with ſome Engliſh nobleman in preſence of the king, they began to demonſtrate ſuch a fine place as England was, both for beautiful buildings and fruitful fields. One gentleman ſaid he knew, a place in England, though they ſhould crop the graſs even with the ground at night, and lay down a crown on it before an hundred witneſſes, and against to-morrow you would not know where to find it. This may ſeem very ſtrange to ſome, ſays George, but it is no mystery to me, knowing there would be enough of them who law the crown piece, laid down, ready enough to come and take it up before to-morrow. But ſays George, I know a place in the weſt of Scotland, where if you tether a horſe at night, againſt the next morning you will not ſee him. What a pox will take him away? ſays the Engliſh-man. Only ſuch people ſays George, as will take away your crown piece O! ſays the Engliſhman, you know what I mean.

Then, ſays George, you talk much of towns you have in England. I know three towns in poor Scotland for properties you have one ſuch. Pray, ſays the nobleman, what are theſe properties? Why, ſays George. I know one town where, there are an hundered bone bridges in it; another town where there are fifty draw bridges in it; another town where tho' a man commits murder, treaſon, or owes never ſo much money, if he runs to that town, gets in below a ſtair, no law nor juſtice can harm him. The nobleman ordered immediately to ſtake an hundred pounds that there were no ſuch towns in Europe, beſides in Scotland. They deſired George but to tell the naraes of theſe towns, for they would find them out, and now whether he was a liar or not; ſo he told their names, and two