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
Henry, Duke of Buccleugh, was greatly beloved by his numerous
tenantry. One of them yclept Jamie Howie, had a son about four
ears of age, who having heard much of a great Duke of Buccleugh,
was very anxious to see him. Honest Jamie, in a few days, being
honoured with a visit from the Duke, doffed his bonnet, made a
profound, reverential bow, and said, “O, my lord, ye maunna be
angry wi’ me, but it’s a Heeven’s truth, my lord, there’s a daft
wee callant o’ mine that canna rest nor let ithers rest nicht nor
day, he has ta’en in his head sic a notion o’ seein’ what like you
are, gude sake, my lord; I dinna think he has ony yedeea ye are a
man at a’, but some far-awa, outlandish, ower-the-sea creature.”
The Duke, mightily tickled with this fancy, desired Jamie to
bring the youngster into his presence forthwith. Out comes the
juvenile inquisiter with his finger in his mouth, and cautiously
reconnoitres the personage before him. At last quoth the urchin,
“Can ye soom?” “No, my little fellow,” replied his Grace, “I canna
soom.” “Can ye flee?” “No, I canna flee.” “Well, man, for as
muckle’s ye’re, I wadna gi’e ane o’ ma fayther’s dukes for ye; for
they can baith soom an’ flee!”
PARAGRAPH ON PARRITCH.
Once upon a time, a worthy tradesman who had his “wonn” in
a certain populous city “i’ the wast,” was in the habbit of
nightly indulging a predilection for a comfortable lounge in an
auction-room, where he managed to procure a fund of ease and
amusement sufficient to dissipate the effects of the dry details
of the day. On one occasion, while paying a tribute of more than
ordinary attention to a string of elaborate eulogia on the merits
of some article of sale, delivered by the eloquent lips of him of
the hammer, his ears were suddenly assailed by the well known voice
of his son, a boy of five years of age, who had been charged with a
message of special importance from the guidwife, to the frequenter
of the nocturnal howff. “Fayther!” vociferated the unceremonious
rascal, “yer parritch is ready!” Honest Thomas looked certain
“unutterable things,” as the eyes of a hundred individuals were
simultaneously directed first to the quarter whence the salute
proceeded, and then to the subject of the address. He cleared
the mob in one step--bolted from the threshold in another, and
finished a third with a smart application of a weighty tacketted
shoe to the astonished retreater’s seat of honour, while he
grinned out, “Ye deevil’s Jawcobeet! the next time ye come wi’ sic
an eerand, say a Gentleman’s waitin on me.” An opportunity soon
occurred for a display of the urchin’s new-acquired politesse;--two
evenings afterwards he was observed popping in his antiquated
phiz, and magnanimously bawling the intelligence regarding the
gentleman in waiting. He was answered with a complaisant “Vera
weel,” and a promise of immediate attendance. A new turn in
the business of the lounge, banished the circumstance from the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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