Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (11).pdf/24

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hearing this sentence past, he would not venture to jump over the window, and so the tailor got clear off.

After this, George being sent with the British ambassador into Italy, by the way of Paris; as they were veiwing the beautiful statutes and large buildings in that spacious city, the King and many of his nobles in company, as they were walking through the King's garden, among the images of the saints, they came to the image of the virgin Mary, who stood in a melancholy posture with the babe in her arms. One of the noblemen says to the British ambassador, Do not you think but she looks angry? O yes, says George, she sees Englishmen and Frenchmen in friendship and unity one with another. No, no, says the French King, she loves nothing better than the reconciliation of enemies, peace and unity is her delight. Then George gets in below the statue, and looks up, O!

says George, I know what is the matter how, sombody has driven a great nail in her a--e: I see the head of it sticking out, it would vex any person living besides a piece of wood. At this the King was greatly enraged against George, for calling her a piece of wood: and nothing would satisfy the King, unless George would fall down and worship the virgin Mary, and crave mercy from her for the blasphemous reproaches wherewith he had reproached her. Then George cries out O may it please your majesty to omit it at this time, I dare not look her in the face, she frowns on me with such an angry countenance, this dutiful command of yours must be delayed until I return from Italy, and then 1 shall fulfil your demand in paying all dutiful respect and worship unto her, according to what she is. So here the ambassador stood bound for George, that he would perform this