He's mounted on a hazel bavin, A cropp'd malignant baker gave them; And to the largest bonfire riding, For as, in bodies natural, They've roafted Cook already' and Pride in; 1550 The government is call'd the Helm, On whom, in equipage and state, His fcarecrow fellow-members wait, And march in order, two and two, As at Thanksgivings th' us'd to do, But (what's more dreadful than the rest) As by the crackers plainly' appears; With which, like veffels under fail, 1600 1555 To whom the rudder of the rump is 1605 The fame thing with the ftern and compass. And commonwealth in Nature jump: 1565 1570 1575 1560 Refts with his tail above his head; 1610 1615 1620 1625 Than this rump-bone, the Parliament, For fymbols of State-myfteries, And as prodigious refurrections, Though fome fuppofe 'twas but to fhew How much they fcorn'd the Saints, the few, 1580 With new reverfions of nine lives, 1630 Who, caufe they 're wafted to the stumps, Are reprefented beft by rumps, But Jefuits have deeper reaches, But now, alas! they're all expir'd, In all their politic far-fetches, With which they other fires put out; And from the Coptic prieft Kircherus, 1585 Found out this myftic way to jeer us: For as th' Egyptians us'd by bees T'exprefs their antique Ptolomies, And by their ftings, the fwords they wore, Held forth authority and power; 1590 Condemn'd t' ungoverning diftrefs, 1635 1640 Because these fubtle animals We, who could lately, with a look, Bear all their interefts in their tails, Enact, establish, or revoke; Whose arbitrary nods gave law, And frowns kept multitudes in awe ; X595 Before the blufter of whole huff, 1645 All hats, as in a form, flew off: And when they 're once impair'd in that, Ver. 1550.] The wicked wretch, who acted as folicitor in the King's trial, and drew up a charge of high treafon against him, and had drawn up a formal plea against him, in cafe he had fubAt his mitted to the jurifdiction of the Court own trial he pleaded that what he did was as a He defervedly fuffered at lawyer for his fee. Tyburn as a Regicide. Ver. 1585. Kircherus.] Athanafius Kircher, a Jefuit, hath written largely on the Egpaan myftical learning. Kirkerus, in the two firit editions. Ador'd and bow'd to by the great, 1650 1655 1660 1680 1685 Ver. 1661, 1662.] This the Regicides, in general, would have done gladly, but the ringleaders of them were executed in terrorem. Those that came in upon proclamation were brought to the bar of the House of Lords, 25th Nov. 1661, to anfwer what they could fay for themselves why judgment thould not be executed against them? They feverally alleged, That, upon his Majesty's gracious Declaration from "Breda, and the votes of the Parliament, &c. "they did render themfelves, being advised "that they should thereby fecure their lives: and humbly crav'd the benefit of the procla"mation, &c." And Harry Martyn brinkly added, "That he had never obeyed any "proclamation before this, and hoped he fhould 66 not be hanged for taking the King's 'word "now." A bill was brought in for their execution, which was read twice, but afterward, dropt, and fo they were all fent to their feveral prifons, and little more heard of. Ludlow, and fome others, efcaped by flying among the Swifs Cantons. Ver. 1665, 1666.] When Sir Martyn came to this cabal, he left the rabble at Temple-bar; but, by the time he had concluded his difcourfe, they were advanced near Whitehall and Westminiter. This alarmed our caballers, and perhaps terrified them with the apprehenfion of being hanged or burned in reality, as fome of them that very inftant were in effigy. No wonder, therefore, they broke up fo precipitately, and that each endeavoured to fecure hhnfelf. The manner of it is defcribed with a poetical licence, only to embellish this Canto with a diverting catastrophe. PART III. CANTO III. THE ARGUMENT. The Knight and Squire's prodigious WHO WHO would believe what ftrange bugbean Mankind creates itself, of fears, That fpring, like fern, that infect weed, Equivocally, without feed, And have no possible foundation, Can fee with ears, and hear with nofes; Our Poet now refumes his principal fabrica and the reafon why he is fo full in the recapte lation of the laft adventure of our Knight Squire is, becaufe we had loft fight of our e for the pace of the longest Canto in the w poem: this refpite might probably occafion getfulness in fome readers, whofe attention d been fo long fufpended: it was therefore nece that a repetition fhould be made of the d adventure, and that it should be made clear and intelligible to the reader. The courage of the bravest daunt, And, when they're out of hopes of flying, 25 | And forc'd him from the foe t' escape, Had turn'd itself to Ralpho's fhape, So like in perion, garb, and pitch, 'Twas hard t' interpret which was which. For Ralpho had no fooner told 75 30 With too much, as too little fear; Will run away from death by dying; r turn again to ftand it out, and thofe they fled, like lions, rout. This Hudibras had prov'd too true, ho, by the Furies leít perdue, nd haunted with detachments, fent om Marfhal Legion's regiment, Was by a fiend, as counterfeit, eliev'd and refcued with a cheat; When nothing but himself, and fear, as both the imps and conjurer; shy the rules o' th' virtuofi, follows in due form of poefie. Diguis'd in all the marks of night, e left our champion on his flight, t blindman's buff, to grope his way, equal fear of night and day; ho took his dark and desperate course, anew no better than his horfe; id, by an unknown devil led, ie knew as little whither) fled, never was in greater need, r lefs capacity of speed ; fatted, both in man and beast, f and run away, his beft; The Lady all he had t' unfold, But the convey'd him out of fight, To entertain the approaching Knight; And, while he gave himfelf diverfion, T'accommodate his beast and person, 35 And put his beard into a posture At best advantage to accoft her, She order'd th' antimafquerade (For his reception) aforefaid: But, when the ceremony was done, 40 The lights put out, the Furies gone, And Hudibras, among the reft, Convey'd away, as Ralpho guefs'd, The wretched caitiff, all alone, (As he believ'd) began to moan, 45 And tell his ftory to himself, 50 The Knight mistook him for an elf; 95 1keep the enemy, and fear, tough he posted e'er fo faft, fear was greater than his hafte į thar, though fleeter than the wind beres 'tis always left behind. twhen the moon began t' appear, d faft t' another fcene his fear, fund his new officious fhade, at came fo timely to his aid, Ver. 36. Alluding to Stephen Marthal's bwing out treaton from the pulpit, in order ent the army of the Rebels, He was called Greva Bull. Ver. 88.] But he convey'd him, &c. First edit. 1678. Altered, 1684, to convey`d. Ver. 102, 103, 104.] Here is an amazing dif65covery opened. The Knight's dreadful apprehenfions vanish with night: no fooner does the day break, but with joy he perceives his miftake; he finds Ralpho in his company instead of an elf or a ghoft; upon this he is agreeably 70 furprifed, as he was before terribly affiighted. But let us examine whether this meeting, and the reconciliation that follows it, are naturally brought abo it, fince, the day before, they had mutually refolved to abandon each other. I think he bath judicioufly formed this incident for it is plain the Knight and the Squire were confcious they had wronged one another, the one by his bafe intentions, and the other by his treachery and grofs impofition; but fortunately they were ignorant of each other's designs, and, confequently, each thought himself the offender: it is, therefore, natural and probable that they fhould eafily come to a good understanding. The Knight compounds with the Squire for his impofition as a ghost, not only from a fenfe of his own base intentions, but for the happy escape from witches, fpirits, and elves, from which the Squire pretends to have freed him. Oa the other hand, the Squire is willing to re Ver. 67.] I have before olferved, that we ace our herces morning and night. This Pullar is always effential in poetry, to avoid ffon and difputes among the critics. How they have calculated the number of days in up in the Iliad, neid, and Paradife 4. if the poets had not been careful to lead into the momentous difcovery? Mr. Butler alter in this point as any of them: for, from g of thefe Adventures, every morning 4 light have been poetically defcribed; and wwe are arrived at the third day. Some bufy independent pug, Retainer to his fynagogue? 105 Alas! quoth he, I'm none of thofe 115 Have brought you fare, where now you are; Quoth he, Th' infernal conjurer And, though they lay to him the pageant, I did not fee him, nor his agent; Who play'd their forceries out of fight, T'avoid a fiercer, fecond fight. But didft thou fee no devils then? Not one (quoth he) but carnal men, That laugh'd and tee-he'd with derifion, What then (quoth Hudibras) was he That play'd the devil to examine me? A rallying weaver in the town, That did it in a parfon's gown; Whom all the parish takes for gifted, But for my part I ne'er believ'd it: In which you told them all your feats, Your confcientious frauds and cheats; Deny'd your whipping, and confefs'd The naked truth of all the rest, More plainly than the reverend writer That to our Churches veil'd his mitre; All which they took in black and white, And cudgel'd me to underwrite. 120 125 130 What made thee, when they all were ga And none but thou and I alone, To act the devil, and forbear To rid me of my hellish fear? Quoth he, I knew your conftant rate, The Knight, who now began to find They 'ad gain'd th' advantage of the day, They had, by chance, their rear made good That partings wont to rant and tear, And whence, and how, he came to fly; 135 And, when no devil had appear'd, What elfe it could be faid he fear'd, 140 145 enter into the Knight's fervice, and to attend him once more in his peregrinations, when he found this fham meritorious action had deluded him into a fufpenfion of that refeutment which he might justly have exerted: thus are they fortunately reconciled, and thus are thefe momentous Adventures continued, to the fatisfaction of the reader, and applaufe of the Poet. Ver. 103.] Sprite, in all the editions to 1736, inclufive. Spright, edition 1739. Ver. 110.] Dunfhip, in all editions to 1710. Donship, in later editions. It put him in fo fierce a rage, He once refolv'd to re-engage; Tofs'd, like a foot-ball, back again With fhame, and vengeance, and difdain. Quoth he, It was thy cowardice That made me from this leaguer rife, And, when I'ad half-reduc'd the place, Was better cover'd by the new, place by Mr. Butler, He was fo bafe as nounce and abjure Epifcopacy, figning the ration with his own hand, at Breckne Strones, Feb. 11, 1639. To this remarkabl cident Bishop Hall alludes (Epiftle Deca prefixed to his Epifcopacy by Divine Rigi 1640, P. 1.) where he obferves, “T "craved pardon for having accepted his "copal function, as if he had thereby "mitted fome heinous offence." Upon he uses the following exclamation, "Good Co what is this I have lived to hear? T bifhop, in a Chriftian affembly, thou nounce his Epifcopal function, and cry M "for his now abandoned calling." 66 se me put myself to flight, to preferve thy outward man, who were damn'd to bafer drubs d out through ftraiter holes by th' ears, , or coup'd for perjurers ; 210 hough th' attempt had prov'd in vain, 215 ad no reason to complain; ince it profper'd, 'tis unhandsome me the hand that paid your ransom, efcued your obnoxious bones unavoidable battoons. 220 195 200 205 What victory could e'er be won, 265 270 275 hemy was reinforc'd, * ve difabled and unhors'd, And keep their governors from blame, Difperfe the news the pulpit tells, Confirm'd with fireworks and with bells; And, though reduc'd to that extreme, They have been forc'd to fing Te Deum; Yet, with religious blafphemy, 280 285 By flattering Heaven with a lye, n'd, unqualify'd for fight, 10 way left but hafty flight, a, though as desperate in th' attempt, 225 iven you freedom to condemn 't. , were our bones in fit condition nforce the expedition, ow unfeasonable and vain ink of falling on again: artial project to furprize wer be attempted twice, aft defign serve afterwards; mefters tear their lofing-cards. e, our bangs of man and beaft fit for nothing now but reft, for a while will not be able ally, and prove ferviceable: therefore I, with reafon, chofe ftratagem t' amufe our foes, make an honourable retreat, wave a total fure defeat; thofe that fly may fight again, ch he can never do that 's flain. ce timely running 's no mean part conduct, in the martial art: which fome glorious feats atchieve, citizens by breaking thrive, 230 And that which would not pafs in fights, Has done the feat with eafy Alights. Recover'd many a defperate campaign 295 With Bourdeaux, Burgundy, and Champaign; Reftor'd the fainting high and mighty With brandy-wine, and aqua-vitæ ; 235 And made them ftoutly overcome |