John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, ClassifiedGraham, Dougal
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John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, Classified
Graham, Dougal
Chapbooks, Scottish; English literature -- 18th century; Graham, Dougal, 1724-1779; Popular literature -- Scotland
4. About this time, the French king, in order to pick a quarrel
with the court of Britain, sent a letter to the king, desiring it
to be read before the parliament: and the writing was as follows;
“Will I come? Will I come? Will I come?”--This letter being read
before the king and his courtiers, they all concluded that the
French king designed to invade England; therefore they ordered
an answer to be wrote, upbraiding him with the breach of peace,
and putting him in mind of the last treaty. The answer being read
before the king and his nobles, they all agreed that it should be
sent off. But George, smiling, and shaking his head, cried out,
Many men, many minds,
Who knows what he designs?
Then they asked George what the French king meant by such a letter?
to which he answered, I suppose he wants an invitation to come
over to dine with you, and then return in a friendly manner; but
you are going to charge him with a breach of peace, before he has
given any signal of offence or war: his letter is indeed dark and
mystical, but send him an answer according to his question. Now,
George being ordered to write the answer, it was as follows:--“And
ye come--And ye come--And ye come.” This being sent to the French
king, he admired it beyond expression, saying, it was an answer
more valiant and daring than he expected. So the enmity he intended
was extinguished, and turned into love.
5. It happened once, that a malignant party in Scotland sent up a
great spokesman to the king and parliament, for the reducing of the
church; George hearing of his coming, went away and met him on the
bridge, and the salutation that he gave him was the cutting off his
head, and throwing it over the bridge! He then ran to the king with
all his might, and fell down before him, pleading most heartily for
a pardon, or without it he was a dead man. The king most seriously
asked him what he had done now? To which he answered, he had only
thrown the Scots Bishop’s hat over the bridge, which made the king
to laugh, to hear him ask pardon for such a small fault; but he had
no sooner got the pardon sealed by the king’s hand, than he said,
indeed my sovereign, I threw his hat over the bridge, but his head
was in it. O Geordie, Geordie, says the king, thou wilt never give
over till thou be hanged.
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