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17th c. manuscript comment in English book

This comment has been left on the endpaper of a copy of William Prynne's Philanax Protestant, or Papists discovered to the King as guilty.... (1663). I have done my best to transcribe and translate it and it seems to be some kind of saying, joke or riddle (with a question and answer) - potentially a rude one? But I can't be sure, and not speaking Dutch myself I'd be grateful for another pair of eyes to help identify what is happening here. 

Thank you, 

Eva.

Reacties (2)

Otto Vervaart zei op di, 04/28/2026 - 18:00

Dear Eva, you guessed it right, it is a question and answer with a rude ending, it concerns Catholics (called papen), papists, and Protestants, called geuzeni, gueux):

Vrage

Seg papen als apen, sonder bedwank?
waerom verbie je meer de spijs als den drank?

Antwoord

Gij Geusen met u neusen, gij moet weeten
't is beter in 't bed gepist dan erin gescheeten.

Hey papists like apes, you have no control?
Why do you forbid food more than drinks?

You gueux like noses, you should know
it is better pissed in bed than to fart in it.

 

Eva zei op wo, 04/29/2026 - 14:56

Dear Otto, 

Thank you so much! That is incredibly helpful - and a funny note for them to have left in this book. 

Eva

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