THE STRANGE ESCAPE OF THE KING'S JESTER
Being now free I did hasten to the house of a friend who
provided me with a horse and a disguise, with which I soon
succeeded in placing myself out of all fear of capture.
Through the goodly offices of divers persons at the king's court
I did at length obtain the royal pardon, though, indeed, I was never
restored to that full favour that was once my joy and pride.
Ofttimes have I been asked by many that do know me to set
forth to them the strange manner of my escape, which more than
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one hath deemed to be of a truth wonderful, albeit the feat was
nothing astonishing withal if we do but remember that from my
youth upwards I had trained my wit to the making and answering
of cunning enigmas. And I do hold that the study of such crafty
matters is good, not alone for the pleasure that is created thereby,
but because a man may never be sure that in some sudden and
untoward difficulty that may beset him in passing through this life
of ours such strange learning may not serve his ends greatly, and,
mayhap, help him out of many difficulties.
I am now an aged man, and have not quite lost all my taste for
quaint puzzles and conceits, but, of a truth, never have I found
greater pleasure in making out the answers to any of these things
than I had in mastering them that did enable me, as the king's jester
in disgrace, to gain my freedom from the castle dungeon and so
save my life.
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