Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (10).pdf/29

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ſhould know better things: know ye not, that he who gains the plea gains his expenses as well as the ſum, or be what it will. Yes, it muſt and ſhall be ſo, ſaid the judges. Then, ſaid George, This is all I want; which ſet the whole Court a-laughing, thinking he was a fool, and become an adverſary to the poor woman. Give over your ſport, gentlemen, ſays George, I have not done yet.—My lords, judges, you'll hear me in this, if the poor Woman made a bargain with this merchant, and the other two who was with him, for to keep that pack ſafely, and to deliver it to none of them, until they were all three preſent; now, let that man, who is here at the time, go and ſeek the other it, and they ſhall have their pack, for ſhe has the pack ſafe enough; but ſhe will keep by her firſt bargain. So I refer to you judges and gentlemen, if this poor Woman be not in the right. This made the judges look one to another, and the whole Court with one voice, declared the Woman to be in the right, and ordered the purſuer go and ſeek his two companions. No, no, ſays George, the poor Woman must first have her expences, or ſecurity for it. Then the judge cauſed the purſuer to be arreſted at the bar, until the Woman got ſatisfaction for all her trouble and expences. So George returned to London unknown, but for an advocate, whole fame was ſpread over all England, which cauſed many who had law-ſuits to ſearch through London for him, but could never find the advocate who had gained the Widow's law-plea.

George being one day in the country, and coming thro' a village, there came a great big 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 down and died upon the ſpot; 'tis well for thee, ſays George, that I killed thee before thou waſt brought to juſtice, for thou 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.

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 hearing the noiſe in the street, looked over the window but could not well ſee them; be began to ſtretch himſelf, making a long neck until he fell down out of the window,