Did ftir his ftomach and the pain He had endur'd from her difdain, Turn'd to regret fo refolute,

That he refolv'd to wave his fuit, And either to renounce her quite, Or for a while play leaft in fight. This refolution being put on,

When Hudibras, about to enter Upon another-gates adventure, 365 To Ralpho call'd aloud to arm,

Not dreaming of approaching storm.
Whether Dame Fortune, or the care
Of angel bad, or tutelar,

But being brought fo nigh by Fate,

The victory he atchiev'd fo late
Did fet his thoughts agog, and ope
A door to difcontinued hope,
That feem'd to promife he might win
His dame too, now his hand was in ;
And that his valour, and the honour
He 'ad newly gain'd, might work upon her
These reasons made his mouth to water
With amorous longings to be at her.
Quoth he, unto himself, Who knows
But this brave conqueft o'er my foes

May reach her heart, and make that stoop,
As I but now have forc'd the troop?
If nothing can oppugn love,
And virtue invious ways can prove,
What may not he confide to do,
That brings both love and virtue too?
But thou bring'ft valour too, and wit,
Two things that feldom fail to hit.
Valour's a moufe-trap, wit a gin,
Which women oft are taken in:
Then, Hudibras, why shouldst thou fear
To be, that art a conqueror?
Fortune the audacious doth juvare,
But lets the timidous mifcarry:
Then, while the honour thou haft got
Is fpick-and-fpan new, piping hot,
Strike her up bravely thou hadst beft,
And trust thy fortune with the rest.
Such thoughts as these the Knight did keep,
More than his bangs, or fleas, from fleep;
And as an owl, that in a barn

Sees a mouse creeping in the corn,

Sits ftill, and fhuts his round blue eyes,
As if he flept, until he spies
The little beaft within his reach,
Then starts, and feizes on the wretch;
So from his couch the Knight did start,
To feize upon the widow's heart,
Crying with hafty tone, and hoarfe,
Ralpho, difpatch, to horse, to horse.
And 'twas but time; for now the rout,
We left engag'd to feek him out,
By fpeedy marches were advanc'd
Up to the fort where he enfconc'd,

430

Did arm, or thrust him on a danger,

That forefight might, or might not, blot The glory he had newly got;

435

Or to his fhame it might be faid, They took him napping in his bed, 375 To them we leave it to expound, That deal in sciences profound.

380

His courfer scarce he had beftrid,
And Ralpho that on which he rid,
When fetting ope the postern gate,
Which they thought beft to fally at,
The foe appear'd, drawn up and drill'd,
Ready to charge them in the field.
This fomewhat startled the bold Knight,
Surpriz'd with th' unexpected fight:

385 The bruifes of his bones and Aleth

He thought began to fmart afresh }
Till, recollecting wonted courage,
His fear was foon converted to rage,
And thus he (poke: The coward foe,
390 Whom we but now gave quarter to,
Look, yonder 's rally'd, and appears
As if they had out-run their fears;
The glory we did lately get,
The Fates command us to repeat;
395 And to their wills we muft succomb,
Quocunque trabunt, 'tis our doom.
This is the fame numeric crew
Which we fo lately did fubdue,
The felf-fame individuals that
Did run, as mice do from a cat,
When we courageously did wield
Our martial weapons in the field,
To tug for victory: and when
We fhall our fhining blades agen
Brandish in terror o'er our heads,

400

405

445

430

455

And all th' avenues had poffeft,

About the place, from eaft to west.

That done, a while they made a halt To view the ground, and where t' affault: Then call'd a council, which was beft, By fiege or onflaught, to invest

420

The enemy; and 'twas agreed

By ftorm and onflaught to proceed.

This being refolv'd, in comely fort

425

They now drew up t' attack the fort;

His piftol next he cock'd anew,
And out his nut-brown whinyard drew;
And, placing Ralpho in the front,
Referv'd himself to bear the brunt,
As expert warriors ufe; then ply'd,
With iron heel, his courfer's fide,
Conveying fympathetic speed
From heel of Knight to heel of steed.
Meanwhile the foe, with equal rage
And speed, advancing to engage,
Both parties now were drawn fo close,
Almoft to come to handy-blows,
When Orfin first let fly a ftone
At Ralpho; not fo huge a one
As that which Diomed did maul
Æneas on the bum withal;
Yet big enough, if rightly hurl'd,
T' have fent him to another world,
Whether above ground, or below,
Which faints twice dipt are deftin'd to.
The danger ftartled the bold Squire,
And made him fome few steps retire;
But Hudibras advanc'd to 's aid,
And rous'd his fpirits, half difmay'd:
He wifely doubting left the flot
Of th' enemy, now growing hot,
Might at a distance gall, prefs'd clofe,
To come pell-mell to handy-blows,
And that he might their aim decline,
Advanc'd still in an oblique line;
But prudently forebore to fire,

Till breaft to breast he had got nigher;
As expert warriors ufe to do,

When hand to haud they charge their foe.
This order the adventurous Knight,
Moft foldier-like, obferv'd in fight,

505 Ralpho prefs'd up to Hudibras,
And Cerdon where Magnano was,
Each striving to confirm his party
With ftout encouragements and hearty.
Quoth Ralpho, Courage, valiant Sir,
510 And let revenge and honour stir

Your spirits up; once more fall on,
The fhatter'd foe begins to run:
For if but half fo well you know
To use your victory as fubdue,

And for the foe began to ftickle.
The more fhame for her Goody ship
To give fo near a friend the flip.
For Colon, chusing out a stone,
Level'd fo right, it thump'd upon
His manly paunch with such a force,
As almost beat him off his horse.
He loos'd his whinyard, and the rein,
But laying faft hold on the mane,
Preferv'd his feat: and as a goose
In death contracts his talons close,
So did the Knight, and with one claw,
The tricker of his pistol draw.

565

570

As you have given them, face us now;
But from fo formidable a foldier
Had fled like crows when they fmell powder.
Thrice have they seen your fword aloft

575

520 Wav'd o'er their heads, and fled as oft;
But if you let them recollect
Their fpirits, now dismay'd and checkt,
You'll have a harder game to play,
Than yet ye 'ave had, to get the day.

580

525

The gun went off; and as it was

Still fatal to ftout Hudibras,

In all his feats of arms, when least

He dreamt of it to profper beft, So now he far'd: the hot, let fly At random 'mong the enemy,

As Ralpho might, but he with care Of Hudibras his hurt forbare.

Ver. 548.] In 1674, Hudibras bis wound, to 1704, exclufive.

Ver. 551. He bad with Cerdon, &c. Editions 1674 to 1704, exclufive.

Ver. 553.] So defperately. 1674, &c.

Ver. 560.] And force their fullen rage to part. Thus altered 1674 to 1704, exclufive.

As well he might; for Orfin, griev'd
At th' wound that Cerdon had received,
Ran to relieve him with his lore,
And cure the hurt he gave before.
Meanwhile the Knight had wheel'd about
To breathe himself, and next find out
Th' advantage of the ground, where beit
He might the ruffled foe infest.
This being refolv'd, he fpurr'd his steed,
To run at Orfin with full speed,
While he was bufy in the care

Of Cerdon's wound, and unaware ;
But he was quick, and had already
Unto the part apply'd remedy;
And feeing th' enemy prepar'd,
Drew up, and stood upon his guard:
Then like a warrior right expert
And fkilful in the martial art,

The fubtle Knight straight made a halt,
And judg'd it best to stay th' affault,
Until he had reliev'd the Squire,
And then (in order) to retire;
Or, as occafion fhould invite,
With forces join'd renew the fight.
Ralpho, by this time difentranc'd,
Upon his bum himfelt advanc'd,
Though forely bruis'd; his limbs all o'er
With ruthlefs bangs were ftiff and fore;
Right fain he would have got upon
His feet again, to get him gone,
When Hudibras to aid him came.

Quoth he (and call'd him by his name)
Courage, the day at length is ours,
And we once more, as conquerors,
Have both the field and honour won;
The foe is profligate and run:
I mean all fuch as can, for fome

This hand hath fent to their long home;
And fome lie fprawling on the ground,
With many a gath and bloody wound.
Cæfar himself could never fay
He got two victories in a day,
As I have done, that can fay, twice I
In one day vesi, vidi, aici.

The foe's fo numerous, that we
Cannot so often vincere,
And they perire, and yet enow
Be left to itrike an after-blow;
Then, left they rally, and once more
Put us to fight the bufinefs o'er,
Get up, and mount thy fteed; difpatch,
And let us both their motions watch.
Quoth Ralph, I fhould not, if I were
In cafe for action, now be here;
Nor have I turn'd my back, or hang'd
An arfe, for fear of being bang'd.
It was for you I got these harms,
Adventuring to fetch off your aims.
The blows and drubs I have receiv'd,
Mave bruis'd my body, and bereav'd
My limbs of strength; unless you stoop,
And reach your hands to pull me up,
I fhall lie here, and be a prey
To those who now are run away.

695

That thou shalt not (quoth Hudibras;) We read, the Ancients held it was More honourable far fervare Civem, than flay an adverfary; The one we oft to-day have done, The other fhall dispatch anon: And though thou 'rt of a different church, 700 1 will not leave thee in the lurch.

This faid, he jogg'd his good fteed nigher, And steer'd him gently towards the Squire, Then bowing down his body, ftretch'd His hand out, and at Ralpho reach'd; 705 When Trulla, whom he did not mind, Charg'd him like lightening behind. She had been long in fearch about Magnano's wound, to find it out, But could find none, nor where the fhot That had fo ftartled him was got: But having found the worst was paft, She fell to her own work at laft, The pillage of the prifoners, Which in all feats of arms was her's;

710

715 And now to plunder Ralph the flew,
When Hudibras his hard fate drew
To fuccour him; for as he bow'd
To help him up, fhe laid a load

Of blows fo heavy, and plac'd fo well, 720 On th' other fide, that down he fell.

Yield, fcoundrel base, (quoth she) or die;
Thy life is mine, and liberty;

But if thou think 'ft I took thee tardy,
And dar'ft presume to be so hardy

725 To try thy fortune o'er afresh,
I'll wave my title to thy flesh,
Thy arms and baggage, now my right,
And, if thou haft the heart to try 't,
I'll lend thee back thy felf a while,

730 And once more, for that carcase vile,
Fight upon tick.-Quoth Hudibras,
Thou offer'ft nobly, valiant lafs,
And I shall take thee at thy word.
First let me rife and take my fword;
735 That fword which has fo oft this day
Through fquadrons of my foes made way,
And fome to other worlds difpatcht,
Now with a feeble fpinfter matcht,
Will blush, with blood ignoble ftain'd,
740 By which no honour 's to be gain'd:
But if thou 'It take m' advice in this,
Confider, whilft thou may'st, what 'tis
To interrupt a victor's course,
B' oppofing fuch a trivial force:
745 For if with conqueft I come off,
(And that I fhall do fure enough)
Quatter thou canst not have, nor grace,
By law of arms, in fuch a cafe;