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Last updated 22/10/2024

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'Table Talk', a selection of sayings attributed to John Selden by his amanuensis, Richard Milward, first published posthumously in 1689, included the words:

'Religion is made a Juggler's paper; now 'tis a Horse; now 'tis a Lanthorn; now 'tis a Boat; now 'tis a Man. To serve Ends, Religion is turned into all Shapes.'

which sounds very like a reference to Troublewit, except that Troublewit as we know it cannot form the figures of a horse or a man. This may therefore be a reference to another form of Troublewit which is otherwise unknown to us, or to the known form of Troublewit but somewhat enhanced by the author's imagination.

This information is taken from an 1898 edition of the work edited by' I. G.' The 'Bibliographical Note' gives the publication history and footnote 131 on page 166 states that, while 'boat' was written in the original MSS, EP (Editio Princeps ie the editor of the 1689 first edition) misread it as 'boar'. Many other editions of the work follow this reading and give 'boar' not 'boat'. Inmy view 'Boat' makes much better sense in the context of a folding paper.

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