Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (5).pdf/9

9 Scotland sent up a great spokesman to the King and Parliament, for seducing of the church: George hearing of his coming went away and met him on the bridge, and the salutation that he gave him was, the cutting off his head, and throwing it over the bride! He then ran to the King with all his might, and fell down before him, pleading most heartily for a pardon, or without it he was a dead man. The King most seriously asked him what he had done now ? To which he answered, He had only thrown the Scotch bishop’s hat over the bridge, which made the King to laugh, to hear him ask pardon for such a small fault. But he had no sooner got the pardon sealed by the King, than he said, Indeed, my Sovereign, I threw his hat over the bridge, but his head was in it. Geordy, Geordy, says the King, thou wilt never give over till thou be hanged.

A nobleman in England agreed with the King how to put a trick upon George, to try his manly courage, in sending him to a certain place for a bag of money. On his way through St. James’s park, they caused a sturdy fellow attack him on the way and take the money from him. The fellow being armed with sword and pistol, came up briskly and attacked George with these words, You, Sir, deliver what money you have, or you are a dead man. To which George answered, Sir, I have some, indeed, but ’tis not my own, and therefore do not like to part with it; nevertheless, being determined as you seem to be, to exchange blows for it, pray do me the favour to fire your pistol through the flap of my coat, that the owners may see I have been in danger of my life before I parted with it; which he accordingly did. No sooner had he fired the pistol, than George whips out his hanger from below his coat, and with one