Avoiding it, the Force and Weight
He charg'd upon it, was fo great,
As almost sway'd him to the Ground,
No fooner fhe th' Advantage found,
But in fhe flew; and feconding
With home-made Thruft the heavy Swing,
She laid him flat upon his Side,
And mounting on his Trunk a-ftride,
Quoth fhe, I told thee what would come
Of all thy Vapouring, base Scum.
Say, will the Law of Arms allow
I may have Grace, and Quarter now?
Or wilt thou rather break thy Word,
And ftain thine Honour, than thy Sword?
A Man of War to damn his Soul,
In bafely breaking his Parole
And when before the Fight, th' hadft vow'd
To give no Quarter in cold Blood:
Now thou haft got me for a Tartar :
To make me 'gainst my Will take Quarter,
Why doft not put me to the Sword,
But Cowardly fly from thy Word?
Quoth Hudibras, the Day's thine own; Thou and thy Stars have caft me down: My Laurels are tranfplanted now, And flourish on thy Conq'ring Brow: My Lofs of Honour's great enough, Thou need'ft not brand it with a Scoff: Sarcafms may Eclipfe thine own, But cannot blur my loft Renown: I am not now in Fortune's Power, He that is down can fall no lower. The Ancient Heroes were illuftrious For being benign, and not bluftrous, Against a vanquifh'd Foe; their Swords Were sharp and trenchant, not their Words; And did in Fight but cut Work out T'employ their Courtefies about. Quoth fhe, altho' thou haft deferv'd, Bafe Slubbedegullion, to be ferv'd As thou didst vow to deal with me, If thou hadft got the Victory;
Yet I fhall rather act a part
That fuits my Fame, than thy Defert.
Thy Arms, thy Liberty, befide
All that's on th' outfide of thy Hide,
Are mine by Military Law,
Of which I will not bate one straw:
The reft, thy Life and Limbs, once more,
Though doubly forfeit, I restore.
Quoth Hudibras, it is too late
For me to treat or ftipulate;
What thou command'ft I must obey.
Yer those whom I expung'd to day,
Of thine own party, I let go,
gave them Life and Freedom too
Both Dogs and Bear, upon their parol,
Whom I took Pris'ners in this quarrel.
Quoth Trulla, Whether thou or they
Let one another run away,
Concerns not me; but was't not thou
That gave Crowdero quarter too?
Crowdero, whom in Irons bound,
Thou bafely threw'ft into Lob's Pound,
Where still he lies, and with Regret
His generous Bowels rage and fret.
But now thy Carcafs fhall redeem,
And serve to be exchang'd for him.
This faid, the Knight did ftreight fubmit, And laid his Weapons at her Feet.
Next he difrob'd his Gaberdine,
And with it did himself refign.
She took it, and forthwith divefting
The Mantle that fhe wore, faid jefting.
Take that, and wear it for my fake
Then threw it o'er his sturdy-back.
And as the French we Conquer'd once,
Now give us Laws for Pantaloons,
The length of Breeches, and the Gathers,
Port-Cannons, Perriwigs, and Feathers;
Juft fo the proud infulting Lass
Array'd and dighted Hudibras.
Mean while the other Champions, yerst
In hurry of the Fight difperft,
Arriv'd, when Trulla 'd won the day,
To fhare i' th' Honour and the Prey.
And out of Hudibras his Hide
With vengeance to be fatisfy'd,
Which now they were about to pour
Upon him in a wooden showr.
But Trulla thruft her felf between,
And ftriding o'er his Back agen,
She brandifh'd o'er her Head his Sword,
And vow'd they should not break her Word;
Sh' had giv'n him Quarter, and her Blood
Or theirs should make that Quarter good.
For fhe was bound by Law of Arms,
To fee him fafe from farther Harms.
In Dungeon deep Crowdero caft,
By Hudibras, as yet lay fast:
Where to the hard and ruthless Stones,
His great Heart made perpetual Moans:
Him the refolv'd that Hudibras
Should ranfom, and fupply his Place.
This ftopt their Fury, and the Bafting
Which toward Hudibras was hafting.
They thought it was but juft and right,
That what fhe had atchiev'd in Fight
She should dispose of how the pleas'd:
Crowdero ought to be releas'd :
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