Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchannan.pdf/29

( 29 ) refer to you judges and gentlemen, if this poor woman be not ine right." This made the judges look one to another; and the whole court with one voice, declared the woman was in the right, and ordered the purſuer to go and ſeek his two companions. No, no, ſays George, the poor woman muſt firſt have her expences, or ſurely for it. Then the judges cauſed the purſuer to be arreſted at the bar, until the woman got ſatisfaction for all her trouble and expenses. So George returned to London unknown but for an advocate, whoſe ſame was ſpread over all England; which cauſed y who had law ſuits, to ſearch through 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 dows and died on the ſpot; 'Tis well for thee, ſays George, that I killed thee before thou waft brought to juſtice, for th 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 he thought was the reaſon he left every law ſuit or plea he ſet his face to, though never ſo juſt a claim, the law went ſtill againſt him? George aſked him whom he employed? He told him that he was one of the beſt and ableſt attorney's 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 on guinea, give your adverſary's two; for thoſe attornies are much after the nature of an aſs, they wont ſpeak right if they 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 thercaiter, and heartily thanked George for his good advice, for he was not afraid w, but he could gais any plea he took in hand, whither 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 bearing a noiſe is the ſtreet, looked over the window, but could not well ſee them, he began to ſtretch himſelf, making a long neck, until be 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 L rt, but the old man on when he fell, died directly. His ſon cauſed