[I cast mine eye and sawe ten eyes at once]
And for a further proofe of this Dames quicke understanding,
you shall now understande, that sone after this aunswere
of hirs, the same Aucthour chansed to be at a supper in hir
company, where were also hir brother, hir husband, and an
old lover of hirs by whom shee had bene long suspected.
Nowe, although there wanted no delicate viandes to content
them, yet their chiefe repast was by entreglancing of
lokes. For the Aucthour being stong with hotte affection,
coulde none otherwyse relieve his passion but by gazing.
And the Dame of a curteous enclination deigned (nowe
and then) to requite the same with glancing at him. Hir
olde lover occupied his eyes with watching: and her
brother perceiving all this coulde not abstaine from winking,
whereby hee might putte his Syster in remembraunce,
least she shoulde too much forget hir selfe. But most of
all her husbande beholding the first, and being evyll pleased
with the seconde, scarce contented with the thirde, and
misconstruing the fourth, was constrayned to playe the
fifth part in frowarde frowning. This royall banquet thus
passed over, the Aucthor knowing that after supper they
should passe the tyme in propounding of Ryddles, and
making of purposes: contrived all this conceipt in a Riddle
as followeth. The which was no soner pronoūced, but
shee coulde perfectly perceive his intent, and drave out one
nayle with another, as also enseweth.
His Ryddle.
I cast mine eye and sawe ten eyes at once,
All seemelye set uppon one lovely face:
Twoo gaz'd, twoo glanc'd, twoo watched for the nonce,
Twoo winked wiles, twoo fround with froward grace.
Thus everye eye was pitched in his place.
And everye eye which wrought eche others wo,
Saide to it selfe, alas why lookt I so?
And everye eye for jelousie did pine,
And sigh'd and sayde, I would that eye were mine.
Si fortunatus infœlix.
