To a fifth of the wind, that pierces us most,
Add the name of a beast by shepherds oft lost,
The name of a river by Cambrians fam'd,
With the third of a name by Britons oft blam’ d;
Join the fifth of a name oft in pillory shown; --
These will instantly give you the name of my town.
Which American town is referred to in the riddle?
**** Originally contributed by 'Amelia' in "The American Magazine and Monthly Chronicle for the British Colonies" on December 1757.
The most piercing wind is the north wind. One fifth of the word "north" is the letter "n".
The beast could be a lamb or sheep or ram or ewe. If this last word, we'd have the beginning with the word New. It looks as if it were New England, but that's a region, not a town.
Cambria is another name for Wales, and three most famous rivers in Wales are the Severn, the Wye and the Dee. Wye or Dee could be interpreted as letters: Y or D. Can't think of any New Ed.... Maybe New Ey...
A Google search for part of the text confirms how well or ill the above fits. Perhaps it would have been easier for someone in 1757.
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Posted by Charlie
on 2014-11-21 12:24:00 |
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