Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

ANECDOTES
149
a great gade1 of ending promiscuosly his sermons, as, for
example, he was telling on a tyme how the Beaver, being
purshued hotly by the hunters, used to bit of his stones, the
silly fellow, forgetting what he had to sy more, added, to
which end, good God, bring us, as if he had sayd to bit of our
stoons. He closed in that same sort once whow Judas hanged
himselfe. Once as he was exhorting the peaple to beware of
the Devil, who was a roaring and ramping lyon, etc., he added,
to whom wt the father and the holy ghost be all honnor and
glory for now and ever, amen.
One being asked whence came the antipathy that we find
betuixt some beasts, as the dog and the hare, the Lizard
(Ichneumon) and the crocodile, the sheip and the wolfe, and
he replyed that it began wt the flood of Noah when they ware
all in Ark together, that then the hare stol the dogs shoe from
him, and that theirfor the dog ever when he sies him since
runs efter him to get his shoe again.
The Mythologists gives 2 reasons whey they 2 bloody bat
flies under night, and compairs not on the day: the first is
because of his defections from the birds when they ware in
war wt the beasts; the 2d because beginning to marchandise
he played banque route, whence he dare never be sein in the
day for fear that his creditors take him wt caption.
This minds me of on at Edenborough, who being drouned
in debt durst never pipe3 out in the day light, but always
under night. On a tyme coming by the fleschstocks of the
Landmarket, a cleak i claughts a grip of his cloak, and holds
him. He immediatly apprehending that it was some sergent
or messenger that was arresting him, he cryes back as pitty-
fully, at whose instance, Sir; at whose, etc.
A Minister of Bamf (as Mr. Mowat when I was at dinner
once their reported it), being to give the communion, he had
caused buy as much win as would serve for his parishioners.
Whil the cup is going about, it falls to be ful on a strong,
sturdy cloun that used not to drink win oft, and who was wery
thristy; he gets the cup to his head ; he never rested tel he had
1 Probably for ‘gait,’ way.
. 2 Perhaps ‘ the.’ The ‘ y ’ is indistinct, as if it was intended to be erased.
3 Peep. 4 Hook.