John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, ClassifiedGraham, Dougal
General
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
All that day I travelled the country west from Haddington, but
could get no meat; when asked if they had any to sell, they told me
they never did sell any bread, and I found, by sad experience, they
had none to give for nothing. I came into a little country village,
and went through it all, house after house, and could get neither
bread nor ale to buy. At last I came into a poor weaver’s house,
and asked him if he would lend me a hammer: Yes, said he: what are
ye going to do with it? Indeed, said I, I am going to knock out
all my teeth with it, for I can get no bread to buy in all the
country, for all the stores and stacks you have in it. What, said
he, was you in the minister’s? I know not, said I, does he keep an
alehouse? O no, said he, he preaches every sunday; and what does he
preach? said I, is it to harden your hearts? haud well together?
have no charity? hate strangers? hunger the poor? eat and drink all
yourselves? better burst your bellies than give it to beggars, or
let good meat spoil? If your minister be as haughty as his people,
I’m positive he’ll drive a louse to London for the hide and tallow.
Here I bought the weaver’s dinner for twopence, and then set out
again, keeping my course westward. It being now night, I came to a
farmer’s house south from Dalkeith; the goodman being very civil,
and desirous of news, I related the whole passages of the two days
and nights by-past, whereat he was greatly diverted, and said, I
was the first he heard of, that ever that man gave quarters to
before, though he was an elder in the parish. So the goodman and I
fell so thick, that he ordered me to be laid on a shake-down bed
by the fire, where I lay more snug than among the swine. Now there
were three women lying in a bed in the same apartment, and they
not minding that I was there, first one of them rose and let her
water go below the chimney grate, where I had a perfect view of her
bonny thing, as the coal burned so clearely all the night; and then
another rose and did the same; last of all got up the old matron,
as she appeared to be, like a second handed goodwife, or a whirled
o’er maiden, six times overturned, and as she let her dam go, she
also, with full force, when done, let a f--t like the blast of a
trumpet, which made the ashes on the hearth stone to fly up like
dust about her buttocks, whereat I was forced to laugh out, which
made her to run for it, but to smother the laughter I stapt the
blankets in my mouth; she went to bed and awakened the other two,
saying, O dole! what will I tell you? yon chapman body has seen
a’ our a--ses the night! Shame fa’ him, said they, for we had nae
mind he was there; I wat weel, says one of them, I’se no rise till
he be awa’: but said the old woman, gin he has seen mine, I canna
help it, it’s just like other folk’s, an’ feint a hair I care. On
the morning the old matron got up first, and ordered up the house,
then told me to rise now, for chapmen and every body were up; then
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account