A NEW RIDDLE BOOK, OR A WHETSTONE FOR DULL WITS. Of Merry Books this is the Chief, "Tis as a Purging FILL; To carry off all heavy Grief, And make you laugh your Fill. I Printed at Derby, for the Benefit of the Travelling Stationers. ( 2 ) A New Riddle-Book. QUESTION L INTO this World I came hanging, And when from the fame I was ganging, I was bitterly batter'd and fqueez'd, And then with my Blood they are pleas'd. Anfwer. Tis a Pipping pounded into Cyder. (\ I am white and ftiff it is well known, Likewife my Nofe is red ; Young Ladies will, as well as Joan, Offtake me to their Bed. A. // is a Candle. Q. A wide ( 3 ) A wide Mouth, no Ears or Eyes- No fcorching Flames I feel ; * I fwallow more than may mffice Full forty at a Meal. A. // is an Oisen. Q. Tho' of a • reat Age, I am kept in a Cage, Having a long tail aad one Ear; My Mouth it is round, And when Joys do abound, O then I fing wonderful clear. A, // is a Bell in a Steeple-, the Rope be tokens a Tail, and the wheel an Ear. Q; The ( 4 ; Q. The crreateft travellers that e'er was known By Sea and land were mighty Archers twain j No Armour proof, or fenced Walls of Stcwe, Could turn their Arrows, bulwarks was in vain Thro' Princes Courts, & kingdoms far & near, As well in foreign Parts as Chriftendom, Thefe travellers their weary Steps then freer, But to the Deferts do but ieldom come. Uv" ifV«" Salt, and Vinegar. Q. There is a precious Thing, That always is on Wing ; When on my Face it lies, You'll find how fwift it flics, ( II ) A. It is a Sun-Dial, which M vs pwiflntfs of Time. Q. Rich, yellow, and bright Lone, llender, and white, Both oae in another there are , Now tell unto me, What this Ri Idle may be, Then will I your Wiidom declare. A. A Diamond Ring on a Lady's Finger It has many Eyes, But never a Note, When down tr*m the Skies Wind bitterly blows, And likewife does fall Abundance of Rain, It faces them all, And fcarns to complain. A. A Lattice Window. ( 12 ) To cafe Men of their Carc e 1 do both rend and tear * Their Mother's Bowels ftiil : Yet tho' 1 do, 1 There are but few That feem to take it ill. A; '-Its a Plough, which breaks up the bowels of the Earth for the jowing of Com. Q. I liv'd and dy'd • thereafter death, Beieav'd fome Hundreds of their Breath, AHifted by a Man of Grief, To whom it yielded fome Relief. * A. : 'Tis Sampfons jaw Bone of an Hfs, with which he Jlew a thoufand Men, and was relieved him/elf by fVattr fpringing from the jame, when he was thirfiy. ( 13 ) Qi There's many Teeth, but never a Mouth, A thoufand at the Ieaft ; They are both Eaft, Weft, North, and South, But feldom at a Feaft. A. A Pair of Woollen Cards. Q. A Vifage fair, And Voice is rare, Affording pleafant Charms, Which is with us Mod ominous Prefaging future Harms. A. A Mermaid^ which betokens Befiruc- tion to Mariners. Q. A little Informer Cloath'd in bright Armour, Beloved by Men of Degree j ( 14 ) It goes fine and neat, Without Leg or Feet : Now tell me what this Riddle muft be ? A. A Watch in a Silver Cafe 5 the Hand Jhews Men the Hour, while the Silver betokens bright Armour. Q. By Sparks of fine Lawn I am luftily drawn, But not in a Chariot or Coach : I fly in a Word, More fierce than a Bird, That does the green Foreft approach. A. An Arrow drawn in a Bow, by a Gentleman Archer. Q. My Stomach they fit Sometimes with a Bit, They give, and I'm the Receiver ; And what I do take, Does commonly make My fair Face as hot as a Ftver. ( i5 ) A. A Box-Iron; the Heater betokens the Bit. Q; By the help of a Guide, I often divide What once in a green Foreft flood : Behold me, tho' I Have got but one Eye, When that is ftopt I do the mod good. A. A Hatchet, with which they cleave Wood ; 'till the E e is flopped with the Haft, it cannot perform Bufinefs. Q. I am punchen and thick. My Belly they prick With fharp pointed Spears, Tho' many a Head appears, There's no Eyes nor Ears. A. A Pin-Cufhion full of Pins, wh&fe Heads have no Eyes nor Ears. ( i6 ) My Ears they mn round about, And reach to the Ground, To the Admiration of Man ; The one part is dead, The other well fed ; This Riddle expound if you can. A. If is a Horje and Cart, the Wheels betoken Ears that reach the Ground ; the Horjc u fed ; the Cart is dead. Q. I am carry'd thro' the City, • Seeming mighty pretty, No Quairel or Wrangle 1 breed : My Body is taper, I fear not a Rapier, Tho' ftabb'u not a Drop do I bleed. A. 'Tis the Scabbard of a Sword, My Skin is black, my Blood is Tweet, My Heart relembles Wood, In which there's fomething may be eat, Tho' not exceeding good. A. A Biack Cherv. t >7 ) Q. My Back is broad, my Belly's thin, Arid I am fent to pleafure Youth Where mortal Man has never been, Tho' ftrange, it is a naked truth. A. A Paper Kite, which mounts the lo fly Air. Q. 'Tis neither Fiefa nor Bone Yet it partes on By which is fairly (hewn The length and breadth of Man. A. A Man's Shadow, ivhiljl Jit i) walking in the Sun, Q. From five Feet high. Up to the Sky, It reaches, tho' 'tis round : Now try your Whs, If Fancy hits, This Riddle you'll expound, A. The Sight of a Man** Eye. line r is ) * * * **#**********#** Neve follow feveral comical (hie/lions. Question r. IF fix Shillings and a Farthing fhall be paid by a'feJed: Number of Men, each paying an equal mare, how many (hall there be to difcharge the fame ? Answer. Seventeen, each paying four- pence Farthing. Qj 2. How may a Straw be laid upon the Ground, that it may not be jumped over ?— ~ They to whom you propoie this Queftion, will th : nk it eafy to be done : If it fhal! come to a Wager, Jay your Straw clofe to the Wall on the Ground, and they will foon fee it im- poflibie to be done. So yielding the Wager loft, it may occafion fome laughter. Q. 3. If a Butcher fends his Servant to Market, and orders him, with twenty Shil- lings, to buy twenty Head of fmall Cattle of feveral Prices $ that is to fay, Weathers at four Shillings a Piece, Ewes at Twelve-Pence, and Lambs at a Groat; and to lay out all the Twenty Shillings, and to have twenty Head, neither more or lefs, how many of a Sort muft ( 19 ) there be to compleat the Number of the afbre- faid Money ? A. Two Weathers, nine Ewes, and nine Lambs. Q. 4. To lay a Man's right Hand upon Hirnfelf, where he cannot touch it with his left, will ieem ftrange to thole who are un- acquainted with the Trick ; and when they have tried and find they can reach all Parts about them, fome will be ready to bet ; then" take their ngili Hand, and lay it upon the backfide of their Elbow, and they will foon be obliged to yield the Wager loih Q. 5. How to make two Calves and an Ape dance in the middle of a Room before Comoany. When you propofe to do this, fome'will fay you have the Art of Conjuration and that your'going to a£t the fecond Part of Dr. Fauftus : Others will be curious to fee what may be done in it ; and the better to bring it about, will be apt to lay fome fmall Wager, that you cannot perforin what was promifed. Now the Wager being laid, rife from your Seat, and whereas you promifed to make two Calves and an Ape dance, dance round the Room yourfelf ; and the Calves of your Legs and the Nape of your Neck will dance with you, which are what were men- tioned, Here I 20 ] 4> *§> #. # ^ 4. Here follows merry T ales and comical J efts, IN the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, the County of Lancafter was much peftered with Witches, and whereupon the Queen fent her Judges down to try them : This being refolved to try the old Men and Women, whe- ther or no they were Witches. Now one, among many, was a poor Man, who having a Sort of Wart on his Side, doubting that he was a Witch, defired his Wife to let him go to the Place, which was about thirty Miles, there to be refolved of his Doubt. His Wife being a very civil Woman, gave him Leave. Now after long travel, coming to the Court, which was then fitting, he rufhed in amongft them, and the Cryer of the Court obferving it, demanded Silence, and bid him give an Account to the Court of what he had to fay : Marry, quoth he, they fay thefe Gentlemen can tell whether a Body be a Witch or not ; having a Wart on my Side, I am afraid I am, fo I pray you'd refolvc me. The Cryer per- ceiving his Ignorance, faid, Alas ! Man, thou art no Witch ; thou looker! more like a Cuck- old than a Witch. Then making a Leg to the Court, he gave them Thanks, and fo re- turned home chearfully. His Wife mecrina; him at the Town's End, faid, Huiband, art thou [ 21 3 thou a Witch or no » Noa Wife they teli me I look like a Cuckold Hn