POPULAR BOOKS.
Of books there were probably very few at the house in Henley Street. Some of those mentioned by Vincent were popular with all classes. The story of Guy of Warwick had been told repeatedly in prose and verse from the twelfth century down to Shakespeare's day, and some of the books and ballads would be likely to be well known in Stratford, which, as we have seen, was in the immediate vicinity of the hero's legendary exploits. The Four Sons of Aymon was the translation of a French prose romance, the earliest form of which dated back to songs or ballads of the 13th century. Aymon, or Aimon, a prince of Ardennes whose history was partly imaginary, and his sons figure in the works of Tasso and Ariosto, and other Italian and French poets and romancers.
The Hundred Merry Tales was a popular jest-book of Shakespeare's time, to which he alludes in Much Ado About Nothing (ii. 1. 134), where Beatrice refers to what Benedick had said about her: "That I was disdainful, and that I had my wit out of the Hundred Merry Tales."
The Book of Riddles was another book mentioned by Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor (i. 1. 205), in connection with a volume of verse which was equally popular in the Elizabethan age:—
"Slender. I had rather than forty shillings, I had my book of Songs and Sonnets here.—
Enter Simple.
How now, Simple! Where have you been? I must wait on myself, must I? You have not the Book of Riddles about you, have you?
Simple. Book of Riddles? why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Allhallowmas last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas?"
The title-page of one edition reads thus: "The Booke of Merry Riddles. Together with proper Questions, and witty Proverbs to make pleasant pastime. No lesse usefull than behoovefull for any yong man or child, to know if he bee quick-witted, or no."
A few of the shortest riddles may be quoted as samples:—
"The li. Riddle.—My lovers will
I am content for to fulfill;
Within this rime his name is framed;
Tell me then how he is named?
Solution.—His name is William; for in the first line is will, and in the beginning of the second line is I am, and then put them both together, and it maketh William.
The liv. Riddle.—How many calves tailes will reach to the skye? Solution.—One, if it be long enough.
The lxv. Riddle.—What is that, round as a ball,
Longer than Pauls steeple,
weather-cocke, and all?
Solution.—It is a round bottome of thred when it is unwound.
The lxvii. Riddle.—What is that, that goeth thorow the wood, and toucheth never a twig? Solution.—It is the blast of a horne, or any other noyse."
A bottom of thread was a ball of it. The word occurs in The Taming of the Shrew (iv. 3. 138), where Grumio says, in the dialogue with the Tailor: "Master, if ever I said loose-bodied gown, sew me in the skirts of it, and beat me to death with a bottom of brown thread; I said a gown." The verb is used in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (iii. 2. 53):—
"Therefore, as you unwind her love from him,
Lest it should ravel and be good to none,
You must provide to bottom it on me."
This old meaning of bottom doubtless suggested the name of Bottom the Weaver in the Midsummer-Night's Dream.