Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (11).pdf/29

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 He gave the woman more courage than any she had spoken to in London: for every one told her that all the attorneys in the world could not free her. So accordingly at the day appointed, George dressed himself like an attorney, with his gown, and every thing

as he had really been so.

 The court being assembled and the process read over, expences and value of the pack having amounted to above seven hundered pounds, was ordered to be put in decreet against the poor widow, which every one was bemoaning, but could give her no relief. Now George kept himself silent, hearing them all with great patience, until the very nick of time, when he thought proper to address himself to the judges as follows:
 'My Lords, Judges, and Gentlemen of this honorable court and company, I have come from London, gratis, out of pure pity to speak a word or two in favor of this poor woman, who hath exhausted all her means in defence of a false accusation against her; and now when her money is gone her speakers are dumb, and I saw none to plead the cause of this poor

widow: Now when sentence is upon the tapis to be pronounced against her, I earnestly desire this court to modify and drop the expences altogether, it is enough when the poor woman has the pack to pay; for you all know the woman was no way enriched by it when the other two got it away.'

                     Then the pursuer's attorney made answer, as
                                       follows:
                 'Sir, I would have thought that you who have
                come from London, and profess to be a doctor of law,