Riddles from "A booke of Gilloflowers" 1560's
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errors are original. Letters in ( ) are implied by diacritic marks.
Riddle#1
A father once, as bookes expresse, Had sonnes twise sixe, nor more nor lesse:/ Ech sonne of children had scores three,/ Halfe of them sonnes, halfe daughters bee./ The sonnes are farre more white then snowe,/ The daughters blacker then a crow./ We see these children dayly die,/ And yet they liue continually.
Riddle #2
A mightie blacke horse, with gallant white winges,/Within his graund paunch beares many straunge things:/Hee oft doth trauayle at maysters auayle,/And caryes his bridle tyed fast to his taile./In going hee flyes twixt earth and the ayre,/And oft, where they would not, his riders doth beare:/Hee hath diuerse eies, and yet cannot see,/I pray you doe tell mee what may this beast bee?
Riddle#3
A certaine thing liueth in place neere at hande,/Whose nature is straunge, if it bee well scand:/It sees without eyes, it flyes without winges./It runnes without feete, it workes wondrous thinges./To places far distant it often doth rome:/Yet neuer departeth, but taryes at home./If thou doe it couet to feele or to see,/Thy labour is lost, for it may not bee.
Riddle #4
What am I that wanting both handes feete and head,/Of all them that see me, being deemed for dead./Of breath have great store,and moue to and fro,/Now up,and now downe,now hye,and now lowe./Alas what hard fortune doth to mee befall:/ That guiltlesse am spited of great and of small./They strike me,and push mee, South,West,North+East:/Yet doe I no harme to most,neither least./When as my breath fayling,I can doe no more,/They then giue mee ouer, and neuer before.
Riddle #5
I being the daughter of my uncles brother,/Am now of late become a mother:/And with my milke from my pappes which flowes,/I nourish a sonne, my mothers owne spowse,/Now tell what I am, declare mine estate,/For I giue him suck, that first me begate.
Riddle#6
None liueth more iocound in al the whole land,/Though head doth lye buryed in mucke and in sand:/My beard it is gray, though not very old,/The strong I make weepe, nor for heate, nor for cold:/Yet such is my state, that the poore loue me well./And stil I am forst with great men to dwell.
Riddle #7
From south and west commeth a straunge warlike nation,/Attired and appareld in wonderfull fashion:/In garments milke white,these people are clad,/Which strike and oppresse both good men and bad./But favour they shew in dealing their blowes,/And saue him from danger, ech on his way goes.//And on his backe caryes dead bodyes great store,/Which with their thicke buffets had beate them before,/Great furies are kindled at end of the fray:/ UUhich makes this straunge nation all vanish away.
Riddle#8
Long is it since to the world I came,/ Small Am I of body, poore, feeble, and lame/ Yet none in this worlde, nor one neyther other,/ In richesse and substance surpasse my mother./ Not long am I graunted this life to enjoy,/ So many there are that worke me annoy./ O Lord how they rent mee, it cannot bee told:/ What torments I suffer in heat and in cold./ One while I am drowned, such hap doth befal,/ Then next doe they rost me: yet this is not al./ When thus they have vsde me, They cannot forbeare me,/ Ere first being beaten, by peacemeale they teare me./ Then serue I the turne of euery estate,/ But one kinde of people mee deadly doth hate.
Riddle #9
Doe tell me my freinds, what creature is hee,/ That two times is borne, as all men may see,/ And liueth a space, though not very long:/ And often is killed, not hauing done wrong./ UUhen y(e) his breath fayleth, it liueth no more,/ It then is baptised, and neuer before./ Though many a one doe euill entreate it,/ They loue it right well, and often doe eate it.
Riddle#10
A certain dead creature in mine armes I take,/ With her back to my bosome, great glee doth she make./ As thus I doe hold her, she greatly doth cheere mee,/ And wel are they pleased, that see me and heare mee./ Whilst erst it remayned in forest and field,/ It silent remayning, no speech forth did yeeld./ But since she of life, by death was depriued,/ With language shee speaketh, mens sprites are reuiued.
Riddle#11
A father begat me, yet I haue no mother./ Nor uncle nor aunt, nor sister, nor brother./ Straight when I was born, I began to florish,/ For euery estate tooke care me to norish,/ Thus many score yeeres, they haue loued me full well:/ And eke entertaind me, amongst them to dwell,/ All partes of the world I viewd in short space:/ And still was bad welcome, in euery place./ Though many by me, reape losse, care, and woe,/ They neuer will licence me from them to goe.
Riddle#12
Hard fortun doth haunt me, by nature estranged/ From male into female, I often am chaunged./ And where as before I liud well contented,/ With pickings and punchings I am now tormented./ Now, more to accomplish their greedy desire,/ They cruelly heate mee, and scortch me with fire./ Though badly they use mee, so milde am I still:/ That I yeelde them life that thus doe mee kill.
Riddle#13
Amongst the firiendships rare,/ Of which old writers tell:/ This may bee plaste in highest roome,/ And doth deserue it well./ Whiles death with gaping throte/ Did gape for bloody pray,/ Life conquered death, and saued that life,/ Which death did seeke to slay./ That life which did this deede,/ As death would straight haue slaine:/ That life which late by him was saued,/ Preserude from death againe.
Riddle#14
Begot wi hout father, in earth I remaine,/ And oft I am turnd, to my mother againe./ By night and by day I labour alwaies,/ And with my sharp sauor both please + displease./ Thus heere in this earth my race out I runne: And neuer have issue, nor daughter, nor sonne.
Riddle#15
A female I by name,/ Am sister to a brother:/ In all the world may not bee found,/ Our like, nor one nor other./ For hee no sooner dies,/ But I straightwayes doe liue:/ And I oft yeelding vnto death,/ Still life to him do giue./ Oft after him I hie,/ And gladly would him stsy:/ But hee than arow from the bow,/ More swiftly flyes away./ Straightwayes hee folowes me,/ My presence to attaine:/ And as hee fled from me before,/ I flye from him againe./ Though straunge our state doth seeme,/ By proofe yee may it try:/ That both of vs are still aliue,/ Yet both doe dayly die./ That yee may better know,/ What straungers great wee bee,/ Wee day and night doe dine and sup,/ With men of ech degree.
Riddle#16
Two are we in name, though in substaunce but one,/ First framed by arte then finisht with mone./ Before we are ready for those that will buy,/ Through greatnesse of torment wee go into and wee cry./ Yet feele we no griefe, for all this anoy./ Great numbers by vs haue comfort and ioy./ Who when for their profits we haue done what wee may,/ They then do reiect vs, and cast vs away.
Riddle #17
Fayre art thou and **d, deseruing great praise,/ And all men thee reuerence, and honour alwayes,/ Whiles that thy white banner abrode still is spread,/ For then thou doest comfort both liuing and dead,/ But if thy blacke banner bee spread foorth in vew,/ All honour farewell, all gladnesse adew./ Such woe then thou bringest to more and to lesse,/ As pen cannot write it, nor tongue may expresse.
Riddle#18
Of thee (O my friend) a thing I doe craue,/ Which thou neuer hadst, nor neuer shalt haue./ If that for thy selfe thou purpose to gayne it,/ Thy labour is lost, thou mayst not obtayne it./ Although thou shouldst liue a whole thousand yeere,/ And seeke it, yet shouldst thou be nothing the neere./ Now if thou doe loue me, euen so as thou sayest,/ Doe geue it. For truely, I know that thou mayst.