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Ellwood, Thomas, 1639-1714?

"The History of Thomas Ellwood Written By Himself"


When we had lain there that month, I, with another, went to the
gaoler to demand our liberty, which he readily granted, telling us
the door should be opened when we pleased to go.
This answer of his I reported to the rest of my friends there, and
thereupon we raised among us a small sum of money, which they put
into my hand for the gaoler, whereupon I, taking another with me,
went to the gaoler with the money in my hand, and reminding him of
the terms upon which we accepted the use of his rooms, I told him,
that although we could not pay chamber rent or fees, yet inasmuch as
he had now been civil to us, we were willing to acknowledge it by a
small token, and thereupon gave him the money. He, putting it into
his pocket, said, "I thank you and your friends for it, and to let
you see I take it as a gift, not a debt, I will not look on it to
see how much it is."
The prison door being then set open for us, we went out, and
departed to our respective homes.
But before I left the prison, considering one day with myself the
different kinds of liberty and confinement, freedom and bondage, I
took my pen, and wrote the following enigma or riddle:-

Lo! here a riddle to the wise,
In which a mystery there lies;
Read it, therefore, with that eye
Which can discern a mystery.


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