University of Virginia Library

Riddles / Aenigmata

61

[Ther was a ladie leaned her backe to a wall]

Ther was a ladie leaned her backe to a wall
He tokke vppe peticote smokke & all
He laid her legges vppon his knee

A shoon

It was a[s] white as white might bee
He took a thing that stiffe did stand
& hunched her & punched her & made great game
O godes bodie says she fie for shame
Yet he would not leave her so
But he did ease her & please her befor he would goo

62

[Two stones hathe yt or els yt is wrong]

Two stones hathe yt or els yt is wrong
with a bald hed & a tag somwhat long
& in the night when women lie awake

A clocke

wit ther conscience they doe yt take

63

[I haue a hole aboue my knee]

I haue a hole aboue my knee
& pricked yt was & pricked shalbe
& yet yt is not sore

sheath

& yet yt shalbe pricked more

64

[I haue a thing and roughe yt is]

I haue a thing and roughe yt is
& in th[e] middest a hole ther is
Ther cam a ȝong man with his gin

a gloue

& thrust yt even a handfull in

65

[Backe bent smocke rent]

Backe bent smocke rent
Slipperie yt was & in yt went
Thrust in stiffe standing

a test [?]

But comes out lither dropping
Stiff standing roughe handling
Between a womans legges in a morning

66

[Ther ys a thyng as I suppose]

Ther ys a thyng as I suppose
Which hath a face but never a nose
hath a mouthe but no toth therin

a placht

hath a bearde but never a chin

67. And′ Y com[pleyne]

Whane I compley[n]e ther is no Resone
yet incertayne all owte of seasone
to make my mone . ther is my most comforte
to lyue alone . ther I resorte
to rufullnes . for my solas
then may ye gesse wher euer I pas
no worly myrth . to my pore hart
for in my birth . ther is my smirte
for sumtyme I . with Jokone spryte
how can deny . truly ded sytte
euer as I wold in myrth & playe
as thowght ho shold then saye me naye
but on a tyme . Resone me abassyd′
as a deuyne my corage dassyd′
my byrth holy when he declaryd′
to leue foly on me he daryd′
with countenance of rufull chere
makyng semblance soberly dyd apere
& said my frende quyckly I the adwyse
marke the end for so do men wise
that loue gostly after the sely sole
& not bostly to turne ther the bole
the bredare ay of gloteny in dede
when dethrepaye then ther is no spede
of my felowe that callyd is grace
but to lowt low with avhan & dedly face
& passith ye sprite to his lyke vsage
for ther no wyt the nowghty abvsage
may then excuse in that strange passage
thowghe he refuse what that grete outrage
a byrth truly that very departing
coniecture I as thowght a martyng
spryte & body then departe in twene
as I dyd aspy admyxid with sore payne
with dofull face in maner of couert wise
tryppyd in trace of a late devyse
as thinges in smert only for that deceuer
o pore then hart truly ther is no leuer
to spend pondes frendes other ther to make
for so redondes the sowne of dedly lake
of mysery in this wrechyd lyffe
thyne enemy then is ther all ryfe
the folle couey will he to derknes
for abvsiggayne sey of thy gret goodnes
whyche very god hath well showyd the Set heyer at on lyl
by example hangyng on ye tre
saing a man what alith the nowe
the tell howe can mekely how I ded bowe
to ye plesure of god my father
wher no tresure then had me rather
in custody but euer dyd apply
how ca[n] deny my hole will truly
to his euer in all maner of poyntes
aye reuers of my tender Joyntes
in blasfemyng by this cursyd othis

68. For to Pente

ffor to pente
And after rep[e]nte
hyt were ffoly
Other wass then troyth
me wer ffull loyth
trewly
I sweyte ffor ffente
leste I be schent
To a pere
The rememberauns
Off my plesauns
Compyled here
Off a starre
Wyth owte comparre
Be lykenesse
In the beyme
That hyt ys En
most off swettnesse
And more orryaund
And pwere gloryaund
In bewte
Off all othere
hyt ys the modere
In my nee
In a cloud off blewe
hyt Dyd never remewe
The spere
But euere in on
bryght hyt Shon
Stremeyn clere
But Euere me mente
On me hyt blentte
wyth laughyng′ chere
hyt to be hold′
Was I never′ a cold′
The lonsom lere
Eke stremes ther off
A way Droffe
Euere the rake
A wykyd wynde
rosse be hende
At my bake
hyt was so lowde
hyt blew a clowd
vp ryght
hyt was so blake
hyt dyd over lape
my seght
But Euer I pray
Boyth nygh and day
Whell I mey speke
The Clowd sso dem
A way to Swym
In pesyss breke
That I mey se
The starre so ffre
shynyng′ brygh[t]
In the weste
That goyth to reste
Euerry nyght