A MOST PRETTY Conceit, to know if two goe to warfare, and the one bee taken priſoner, to tell the other of all his beeing, if hee may ſee him that is at liberty, and thus it is.

IMagine that two Brothers went to warre, and before they entred battell, they concluded, that if any thing happened to the one, more then to the other, ſo that they were taken, or in priſon, that then the other that was impriſoned, ſhall declare his ſtate and abode by ſignes in this manner, out of the Chamber where he is, he ſhould take thrée firebrands, thrée burning candes, or whatſoeuer was eaſieſt to bée gotten, and theſe thrée ſhall be in ſtead of all the letters.

One candle when it is ſhewed out alone, ſhould ſtand for the ſeuen letters, A. B. C. D. E. F. G. two candles for H. I. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S. T. V. X. Y. Z. Now the variety is in the ſhewing of them: for if you ſhew one candle one time, it ſtandeth for A. if you ſhew it twice, it ſtandeth for B. if thrice, for C. if foure times, for D. if fiue times, for E. if ſixe times, for F. if ſeuen times, for G. In like manner if you ſhew out two candles once, it ſtandeth for H. if twice, for I. if thrice, for K, &c.

And ſo likewiſe if that the thrée lights bée ſhewed once it noteth P. if twice, Q. if thrice▪ R. and ſo forth: As for example, if you would certifie that your Brother is taken, you muſt ſhew one light twiſe, then for R. thrée lights thrice, for O. two lights ſeuen times, for T. you muſt ſhew thrée lights fiue times, for H. two lights once, for E. one light fiue times, and then againe from R. thrée lights thrice, and then haue you the whole word Brother certified, and ſo for the reſt, for it is ſet downe plaine and eaſie inough.

To make White Roſes Red.

TAke your White Roſes and hold them ouer the perfume or ſmoke of red Wine, and they will ſoone became red.

Of the nature of Beaſts.

THe Oxe is conſtant, the Aſſe flow, the Horſe luſty, the Wolfe not to be made gentle, the Foxe crafty, the Piſmeare painfull, the Bee ſparing, the Dogge prompt to friendſhip, the Lyon ſolitary, the Beare moſt ſluggiſh, the Panther moſt vehement.

To know whether ground be fat, or not.

BEſprinkle a turfe, or clod of that earth with freſh water, and if it be clammy or glewing together, and ſticking to the fingers, aſſure your ſelfe there is fatneſſe enough in it.

To make Wormes come out of any garden ground.

TAke walnut huſks while they are gréene, and infuſe them in water taken out of ſome pit, or ſéeth them, and with this water beſprinkle or moiſten your garden, & you ſhall perceiue an infinite number of wormes to come out of the ground.

Signes of long life.

TO vs crooked ſhouldred, large noſtrils, to haue aboue two and thirty teeth, ſhort fingred, thicke and cleare coloured.

Signes of ſhort life.

TO be thinne toothed, to haue long fingers, and a leady colour.

Mans life is likened to an apple, which when it is full ripe, falleth off the trée of his owne accord, or elſe by tempeſt of winde or other caſualty is beat downe, before it commeth to his due and perfect, ripeneſſe.

A rule of the Chaldees to know whether a man or his wife ſhall dye firſt.

TAke both their names as they were baptized, as neere as you can, and count the letters of both their names, whether they be euen or odde, for if they be euen, then the party that is elder ſhall dye firſt, if the letters be odde, then the younger ſhall dye firſt.

Whether a man ſhall liue or dye the yeere following.

LEt the party let one drop onely of his blood, either of his noſe or of his finger, or elſe-where, fall into a diſh full of faire water, and if it deſcend whole in one drop, without parting to the bottome of the diſh, it is a likelihood that he may liue that yeere, elſe not.

Sed hoc nemini, niſi ſolùm Deo cognitum eſt.

The common people in Flanders, of long time held opinion, that if twelue men or twelue women went together to a banket, that one of thoſe twelue ſhould dye within one yéere after.

To know what diſeaſe any ſicke body hath, by the day and houre of his falling ſicke.

IF any fall ſicke vpon a Sunday, ſay, and affirme, that his diſeaſe is of heate, and that of yellow choller, and that he is ſicke at the heart, and that all his members are grieued. And if it ſo happen that he fall ſicke in the houre of the Sunne, his body then is of an excéeding heate, and is pained at the heart and reines.

If he fall ſicke vpon a Munday, and in the houre of the Moone, his diſeaſe is of cold and moiſture, and the paine lyeth on the right ſide, and without ſpeedy helpe he is in danger.

On Tueſday he that falleth ſicke, laboureth of ſuch diſeaſes as are hot and dry, as feuers, thoughts, burning in the reines. If in the houre of Mars, feuers feare, yellow choller, ſignifieth the things euill to be at hand, &c.

On Wedneſday the lungs are grieued, he draweth his breath with great paine, and all His whole body and ſenſes alſo are troubled very ſore. In the houre of Mercury he hath ſome ſwelling in his body, and paine in his loynes, being ſprung of a ſodaine great heate and taking cold after it.

On Thurſday, the diſeaſe is of aboundance of blood, of great heat of liuer, and vnder the Light about the right ſide, and that he hath a feuer. In the houre of Iupiter the liuer is not well, and the body is greatly troubled with a cold quiuering or ſhaking, yet the diſeaſe is not long to endure.

On Fryday, ſay the diſeaſe commeth of faintneſſe, or contraction about the loynes, reines, ſtones, backe-bone, and vnder the belly. If it be in the houre of Venus, ſaiy it is cold.

On Saturday, ſay the diſeaſe is of cold and drineſſe, and that the diſeaſe is like to continue long, ſprung in the milt, and that all their members are grieued, eſpecially the ſtomacke. In the houre of Saturne, the diſeaſe commeth by wind and cold, and the loynes and ſpléene are infected.

The houres of the Planets ſhall be ſet out in a Table for that purpoſe, God willing hereafter.

Why A. and E. be the formoſt vowels rather then the reſt.

A Is ſet formoſt, becauſe euery man-child when he commeth into this world, cryeth A, A, A, as who would ſay Adam, Adam.

E Likewiſe, next vowell to it, for that euery female child firſt cryeth E, E, as who would ſay, Eue, Eue.

A Is thought to bee the firſt letter of the row, becauſe by it we may vnderſtand Trinity, and Unity: the Trinity in that there bee thrée lines, and the Unity, in that it is but one letter.

And for that cauſe, in old time they vſed thrée prickes at the latter end of the Croſſe row, and at the end of their bookes which the • cauſed children to call tittle, tittle, tittle: ſignifying, that as there were thrée pricks, 〈…〉 and thoſe thrée made but one ſtop, euen ſo there were thrée Perſons, and yet but one God.

To cut a glaſſe aſunder.

TAke a wyre and buckle or bend the one end iuſt the compaſſe of the glaſſe, where you meane to haue it cut, then put the wyre into the fire, and make it red hot, and then put it ouer the glaſſe iuſt where it ſhould be cut, and it will cut it moſt finely.

Whether a iourney ſhall be proſperous or not.

ANd if thou wouldſt goe out of the towne, and wouldeſt know whether it be to thy profit or not, of the firſt man that thou meeteſt, after thou goeſt out of dores, aſke his name, and if his name begin with any of theſe letters, a, e, i, o, u, it betokeneth good profit, p, y, x, ioy, g, h, k, betokeneth heri • age, l, m, n, s, thou ſhalt not ſpéed, c, r, t, 〈…〉 ote harme, b, f, worſt of all. An old rule.

Whether a woman with child be with a ſonne or a daughter.

MIlke a drop of a womans milke vpon your thombe, or into a diſh of water, and if it ſpread abro • d and continue not in the forme that it fell, it is a girle, if it continue perfect without ſpreading, it is a boy.

Pretty queſtions.

THrée Minſtrels there were, who traueling in the Country with their thrée, wiues, made a conuenant amongſt themſelues, that if any of their wiues were out of the preſence of her owne huſband, with either of the other twaine, it ſhould be lawfull for that party with whom ſhe was, to make her huſband a cuckold. This bargaine concluded on, within a day or two after, it chanced that they came to a riuer, ouer which they muſt néeds paſſe, but there was neither bridge nor boate that could carry them all ouer. At length they chanced vpon a little boate which would carry ouer but two at once, and there was no body to row but themſelues, ſo that one muſt néeds bring backe againe the boate for the other. Now the queſtion is, how theſe might be brought ouer, and none of theſe be a Cuckold.

Anſwer.

LEt two of the wiues row themſelues ouer, and then let one of thoſe come ouer againe and feth the third wife, then muſt one of them come backe, and let two of the men come ouer to their wiues, and ſhe tarry on the hither ſide with her owne huſband, then ſhall a man and his wife come ouer againe, and leaue his wife with the other mans wife, and he and that other man ſhall goe ouer: then ſhall the wife that is there with them fetch one of thoſe women ouer, and then ſhall a man goe ouer and fetch his wife, and then are they all ouer and no man cuckold.

The ſecond queſtion of a man that had three daughters to marry.

THere was a poore man that had thrée daughters, and theſe were all to be marryed, and their father being but poore, had nothing to giue them but nine pipes of oyle, and in the firſt pipe there was but one gallon of oyle, in the ſecond two gallons, in the third thrée gallons, in the fourth foure gallons, and ſo euery pipe hauing a gallon more than the other, ſo that the laſt had nine gallons of oyle. Now this poore man is deſirous to beſtow theſe nine pipes vpon his thrée daughters, but ſo, that euery one might haue as much as the other, I demand how this may be?

Anſwer.

FIrſt you muſt know that there bée fort • fiue gallons in the whole, then to the firſt daughter ſhall be giuen thrée veſſels, to wit, the veſſell wherin is one gallon, the veſſell 〈◊〉 fiue gallons, and the veſſell of nine gallons, ſ • hath ſhe thrée pipes and fiftéene gallons of oyle. To the ſecond giue the pipes wherein are the two gallons, the ſixe and the ſeuen gallons, ſo ſhe hath alſo thrée pipes and fiftéene gallons. Then let the third daughter haue the reſt, that is, the veſſels of thrée▪ foure and eight gallons, and then are the 〈…〉 equally deuided.

The third queſtion of two men trauelling.

TWo men of acquaintance trauelling from London together, till they came to Sain • Albones, the buſineſſe of the one was ſuch that he muſt néeds goe beſide the commo • may, and ſo goe by Newport-pannell, th • other of force muſt goe by Stony-Stratford & yet both muſt come thorow Northampton▪ The first mans buſineſſe is ſuch, that the fir •• day he can goe but one mile, the ſecond b • two miles, the third day thrée miles, t •• fourth day foure, the fift day fiue, the ſixth day ſixe miles, and ſo euery day one mile further then he did the day before. The other mans buſineſſe is ſuch, that he can take eaſte iourneys, and therefore he would know how many miles he ſhould goe euery day to méete his fellow at Northampton, and how many dayes he ſhould be.

Anſwer.

FRom Saint Albons to Northampton are thirty and ſixe miles, and he that increaſeth his iourney euery day a mile, will be eight dayes ere he gets thither, then the other muſt goe euery day foure miles and a halfe to méet him at Northampton.

The fourth queſtion of three women that ſold Apples.

THrée women there were, which came to London with Apples, being all neigh • ours, and their huſbands commanded that • hey ſhould all ſit together, and euery one full • s many for money as another, and euery one • otwithſtanding to bring home as much mo • ey as the other, although the number was • nequall, for the firſt brought but thirtéene • pples to the market, the ſecond forty two, and the third thrée ſcore and one. Now I demand how this might be?

Anſwer.

THe firſt ſold ten Apples for a penny, ſo had ſhée thrée remaining.

The ſecond ſold forty for foure pence, and hath two left.

The third ſold thréeſcore for ſeuen pence, and had but one left.

Now the women ſéeing cuſtomers to preſſe about them for the Apples that were vnſold, made a bargaine betwéene themſelues to ſell euery Apple for thrée pence, of them that were vnſold: ſo the firſt who had thrée apples left, had nine pence for thrée, and a penny for her other, which made ten pence. The ſecond who had two left, ſold them for ſixe pence, which with the foure pence ſhée had receiued before, made her ten pence alſo. The third for thréeſcore had receiued ſeuen pence, and for the odde one thrée pence, which alſo made ten pence. So theſe women ſold ten for a penny, and then one for a penny, and ſo euery one of them ſold as good penny-worths as the other, and brought their huſbands iuſt as much money home one as the other.

The fifth queſtion of kinred.

TWo men marry each others mother that is to ſay, Iohn marrieth Williams mother, and William marrieth Iohns mother, and euery of theſe hath a child by his wife, I would know what kinne theſe children are?

Anſwer.

Either is others Vncle.

The ſixth queſtion is of three Marchants trauelling.

THrée Marchants there are in a ſtrange Country trauelling on foote, and theſe haue two packes to be carryed to the next Towne, which is three miles from them, and they cannot hire theſe packs to be carryed, ſo that of neceſſity they muſt carry their packes themſelues, and euery one of them grieueth to carry more then his fellowes, as alſo to carry them further, and thereupon they conclude together, that euery man ſhall beare one pack iuſt two miles. Now I demand how this may be?

Anſwer.

LEt two of them take vp the two packes and beare them one mile, and at the miles end, let one of them deliuer his packe to him that went empty, and let the firſt carry it his full two mile, ſo likewiſe he that tooke the burthen at the firſt miles end, let him carry it to the Towne, then let him that carryed the packe but one mile, take the firſt mans packe, and carry it to the iourneys end: ſo either of them hath carryed one packe two miles, and thus the queſtion is abſolued.

The ſeuenth queſtion is of Birds.

A Gentleman on a time being merrily diſpoſed, called his Steward, and deliuered vnto him thirty pence, commanding him to goe to the market and beſtow that money in Fowled, but in ſuch ſort, that he ſhould buy but thrée ſorts: to wit, Larkes, Woodcocks, and Ducks▪ Larks, at two a penny, Woodcocks a penny a péece, and Duckes at two pence apéece, and of all theſe thrée ſorts, he muſt bring thirty in number. The queſtion is to know how many of each ſort he muſt haue, to bring his money equall with the tale of Birds.

Anſwer.

FOuretéene Larks according to the rate before ſpecified, come to ſeuen pence▪ nine Woodcocks, nine pence: ſeuen Ducks come to fouretéene pence. So will there be thirty F • wles at the Maſters price, and the thirty pence iuſtly beſtowed.

The eighth queſtion of two men driuing ſheepe.

TWo men driuing ſhéepe in two ſeuerall parts, met together in Smith-field, whereputting them into ſeuerall pennes, it chanced that two of the ſhéepe belonging to the one man, ran omong the other mans ſhéepe. The man that lacked his ſhéepe, demanded his ſhéepe of the other: nay, quoth the other 〈…〉 pray thee let them be with mine, and then 〈…〉 number equall, the one of 〈…〉 hath no more then the other: Nay, rather, ſaid the other man, then it ſhould be ſo, giue me two of your ſhéepe and mine owne, and then ſhall I haue twice ſo many as you. I de • ire to know how many ſhéepe either of theſe 〈…〉 ▪

Anſwer.

ONe of them had tenne, and the other had fouretéene.

The ninth queſtion of fiſh.

A Woman went into fiſh-ſtréet to buy fiſh, and there ſhe bought thrée Plaice, which thrée together coſt her eight pence, at her returne home, her huſband demanded the price of them: They coſt me eight pence, quoth the good wife, tell me, gentle wife, ſaid the huſband, what is that apéece, for it ſéemeth to me that they are all of an equall goodnes. The woman making ſmall account of ſo ſmall a reckoning, began to ſay that it was two pence halfe penny, and a halfe penny ouer: that is true, ſaid the huſband, but I would know the very true price of each of them. The ſilly woman could not doe it, and therefore requeſteth all good women to helpe her.

Anſwer.

A Mite is the foure and twentieth part of a penny, wherefore twelue mites make an halfe-penny, and the third part of an halfe-penny is foure mites, therefore to conclude, each Plaice coſt two pence halfe-penny and foure mites, and the queſtion is abſolued.

Another.

A Poore man in the North Country being farre, from neighbours, but onely one poore woman within a quarter of a mile, came to this poore woman lacking drinke, to borrow two gallons of Ale. The poore woman was contented to lend her two gallons out of her ſtore, which was eight gallons, but they lacked a meaſure, for ſhée had two meaſures, the one of thrée gallons, and the other was of fiue gallons: I would know how with theſe two meaſures, I might meaſure out two gallons iuſtly?

Anſwer.

I Anſwer thus: fill the fiue gallons veſſell, and then out of that fiue gallons veſſell, powre out the thrée gallons veſſell full, and ſo will there be left two gallons in the fiue gallons veſſell.

Another queſtion.

A Shippe being vpon the ſea, and in ieopardy, wherein are men to the number of thirty, whereof fiftéene are Chriſtians, and fiftéene Turkes: Now a tempeſt ariſing, neceſſity conſtraines that ſome muſt be caſt ouer-bodrd for the ſafety of the reſt, and the Chriſtians refuſe to be caſt ouer,▪ ſo doe the Turks, and in the end there was no remedy, but néeds they muſt be throwne ouer. To be briefe, the Maſter of the ſhip (as well to end the contention, as alſo to ſaue the Chriſtians) appointed that they ſhould be ſet in order, and that euery ninth man ſhould be caſt ouer. I demand how they ſhould be placed, that all the Chriſtians might be ſaued?

Anſwer.

FIrſt place foure Chriſtians, then fiue Sarazens, then two Chriſtians & one Turke, next thrée Chriſtians and one Sarazen, after them one Chriſtian and two Sarazens, then two Chriſtians and thrée Sarazens, next one Chriſtian and two Turks, then two Chriſtians and one Sarazen. You may doe this ſame at the Cards, by taking red Cards for the Chriſtians, and blacke for the Turks, or contrariwiſe.

The nature of the Rauen.

A Riſtotle affirmeth, that when the Rauen waxoth old and féeble, that then th • young ones helpe them, and beare them o • their ſhoulders. And the ſame Authour faith that the Rauens lay many egges, in ſomuc • that the Male breaketh ſome of them, and throweth them out of the neſt, the Female onely ſitteth on the brood, and the Male brings them meate all that time. And which is ſtrange (he ſaith) that the Rauen ſitteth her broode in the very heate of Summer, againſt the kind of other Birds or Fowles. Of which or the like opinion is Petronius, who ſaith, that the Rauen layeth when that fruits be ripe.

The nature of the Owle and of the Chough.

IN like caſe Ariſtotle ſaith, that the egges of Owles be ſmall, ſpeckled and brickle▪ ſhelled, containing little yolke and much white. The greateſt enemy that the Owle hath is the Cough, for all the day time he ſéeketh to breake her egges, euen as the Owle by night ſeeketh to ſpoile the egges of the Rhough, and therefore whenſoeuer they meete, they fight together.

A ſpeciall rule in Gardening.

LEt any Gardener, orplanter, or ſetter of hearbs, haue an eſpeciall care what • earbs or Plants they plant, ſet, or ſow together, for if they ſet ſuch as are enmity together, the one hindereth the proſperous increaſe of the other. Alſo if hearbs which be hote and dry of nature, be ſet or ſowne together, or the one néere the other, the one withdraweth the ſappe, moiſture, and nourriſhment of the other. A thing moſt true, yet ſeldome conſidered.

Seldome ſhall you ſée any vine planted by a day tree to proſper, or bring forth either ſtore of grapes, or any pleaſant grape, for that the vine deteſteth the bay, inſomuch as you ſhall neuer ſée a vine claſpe her ſelfe about the bay, but refuſing it, will rather grow on the ground without hold.

The Colwort is likewiſe an enemy to the vine, wherefore let Gardeners take héede how they plant any of theſe together.

When to dung land, that no herbage, or at the leaſt very little ſhall grow among the Corne.

BE ſure that you carry out your compoſt euer when the Moone is decreaſing in light, that is, in the wane of the Moone, and you ſhall find it true by your owne experience, that your Corne will not be full of wéeds.

Flaxe is very vnprofitable to land.

THough Flaxe be profitable to a Common-wealth, yet Flaxe is an enemy to euery good ground, and profiteth not, except it be ſowne in the fatteſt ground, and that is ſomewhat moiſt. The chiefeſt time to ſow the ſame (ſaith Collumella) is from the Kalends of October, to the ſeuen Ides of September, yet it is ſowed in February and March.

Tremellius ſaith, that Flaxe and the Cicers are hurtfull to good ground, becauſe the one is of burning nature, and the other ſalt.

Note that leane ground that is not dunged is of nature cold, and ground dunged ouermuch, is of a very hot burning nature.

How to make a verniſh to gild letters with.

TAke foure ounces of Linſéed oyle, two ounces of Rozen in the Pine, & one ounce of Aloes Cabalme and boyle all theſe together on the fire till all the ſuperfluities be conſumed, and it will be cleare and burne without cracking and then it is perfect.

FINIS.