Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchannan.pdf/12

( 12 ) as a murderer, and his defence was that he was a from fer of his houſe, until the truth was found out.

About this time, the French king ſent and demanded from the King of England, three men of different qualities, the one was to be mighty ſtrong man, the other a very wiſe man and the third a great fool, ſo that he might have none in all France to match them in their ſtations. So accordingly there were two men choſen, the one a ſtrong man, and the o er a wife than, but George was to act as a fool; nevertheleſs he was the teacher of the other two. And on their way to France, George aſked the ſtrong man, What will you anſwer the French king if he aſks if you be a ſtrong man? I will ſay I am. Then, ſays George, he'll get a ſtronger than than you, who may kill you and affront your country. What ſhall I ſay then, ſaid the ſtrong man? Why, ſays George, tell him you are ſtrong enough untried. Then Say George to the wile nian and wint will you lay to the Linge which he sees you if you be wil man? I will tell him I am, and anſwer all the queſtions I know. Very well ſays George, and what if he is you what you do not know, then you will affront your country, and be looked upon as a greater fool than me! What ſhall I anſwer then? ſaid the wiſe man. Why ſays George to him, he only a wiſe man who can take care of himſelf; and I ſhall come in after you, and take you off altogether. No ſooner were they come to the king's palace, than the king ſent for them to try them. The ſtrongman being firſt called for, in he goes, then the king aſked him to you a ſtrongman, Sir? To which he anſwered, 'O king, I am ſtrong enough untried.' Very good, ſaid the king. After him entered the wiſe man, to whom the king put the queſtion. Sir, are you a wiſe man? He is only a wiſe man that can take care of himſelf.'- Very good, ſays the king with that George puſhes up the door, and in he goes with loud laughter, piſſes directly in the king's face which blinded both his eyes, and ſet the whole court in amaze. Now, now, ſays the king, it is true enough the wiſe man ſays, for if I had taken care of myſelf, I needed not been piſſed upon by the Engliſh fool. O ho, ſays George, Fools always ſtrive to make fools of others, but wiſe men make fools of themſelves. The king imagined as much as he was made the greateſt fool, and charged then, with to go home, for he wanted no more of England's ſtrength, wiſdom, nor folly.

One night after this, a Highland drover chanced to have a drinking bout with an Engliſh captain of a ſhip, and at laſt the Engliſh captain and he came to be very beauty over their to they called in their ſervants to have a ſhare of their the drover's ſervants looked like a wild man, ng w breeches, ſtockings, or ſhoes, not ſo mu