Page:History of John Cheap, the chapman (8).pdf/11

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John Cheap the Chapman.
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money, which cauſed me to apply to the goodman for to get lodging, and it being upon a Saturday's night, was hard to be found, till very late in the night, I prevailed to get ſtaying in a great farmer's house, about two miles from Haddington; they were all at ſupper when I came in; I was ordered to ſit down behind their backs, the goodwife then took a diſh, went round the ſervants, and collected a ſoup out of every cog, which was ſufficient to have ſerved three men; the goodwife ordered me to be laid in the barn all night for my bed, but the bully-faced goodman ſwore he had too much fluff in it, to venture me there, the goodwife ſaid, I ſhould not lie within the houſe, for I would be owr near the laſſes' bed; then the lads ſwore I ſhould not go with them, for I was a forjeſket-like fellow, and (wha kens whether I was honeſt or not) be may fill his wallet wi' our cloaths, and gang his wa or day-light. At laſt I was conducted out to the ſwine's ſty, to ſleep with an old ſow and ſeven pigs, and there I lay for two nights. Here, now I began to reflect on the four fruits of drinking, and own all the miſery juſt that was come upon me. In the sight the young pigs cane cruzling about me very kindly, thinking I was ſome friend of their mother's come to viſit them; they gave me but little reſt, always coming kiſſing me with their cold noſes, which cauſed me to beat them off with my ſtaff, which made there to make a terrible noiſe, ſo that their old mother come up to argue the matter, running upon me with open mouth, but I gave her ſuch a rout over her long ſnout, as cauſed her to roar out in her own language, What alarmed the ſervants where they lay, who came to ſee what was the matter, I told them, their old ſow was going to ſwallow me up alive, bid them to go and bring her meat, which they did, and the brute became peaceable.