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 .