Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (3).pdf/23

 hearing this sentence past, he would not venture to jump over the window, and so the tailor got clear off.

After this, an English 'squire, who professed to be better versed in poetry than George, laid a wager with another gentleman, five guineas against one, that George would not metre the first words that he would say to him in the morning when slowly awaked out of his sleep; so the gentleman spent the night before and told George the story, he bade him be on his guard for in the morning they would certainly come, and that very early. At midnight if they will, says George, I will order my servant to let them in.

So the English squire sat up all night conferring with his friends whether to put a high verse to him, or mean simple words thinking that George would be sitting up all night meditating on an answer: so they all agreed, that mean and simple words he would not be thinking on, and have no answer provided for such: So away they came in the morning very early, with several gentlemen in company to hear the diversion. George's servant opened the door according to his master's orders. The squire entered the room first and awaked George out of his sleep, then said,

Rise up you madman and put on your clothes,
 * (To which George answered )

[O thou hast lost thy wad man, for I am none of those]

The 'squire confessed he was fairly beat, and could match with him no more. Then another gentleman would hold five guineas that he would give him a word or line which he could not metre for the first answer and to answer it directly as soon as he was done speaking: but George ordered him first to table the money, and then to proceed