I would fay Eye, for h' had but one,
As moft agree, though fome fay none.
He was well stay'd, and in his Gate
Preferv'd a Grave, Majeftick State.
At Spur or Switch no more he skipt,
Or mended Pace, than Spaniard whipt:
And yet fo fiery, he would bound,
As if he griev'd to touch the Ground :
That Cafar's Horfe, who, as Fame goes,
Had Corns upon his Feet and Toes,
Was not by half fo tender hooft,
Nor trod upon the Ground fo foft.
And as that Beast would kneel and ftoop,
(Some write) to take his Rider up:
So Hudibras his ('tis well known)
Would often do, to fet him down.
We shall not need to fay what lack
Of Leather was upon his Back :
For that was hidden under Pad,
And Breech of Knight full gall'd as bad,
His ftrutting Ribs on both fides show'd
Like Furrows he himself had plow'd ;
C
For underneath the Skirt of Pannel,
Twixt every two there was a Channel.
His dragling Tail hung in the Dirt,
Which on his Rider he would flurt;
Still as his tender Side he prickt,
With arm'd Heel, or with unarm'd, kickt;
For Hudibras wore but one Spur,
As wifely knowing, could he ftir
To active Trot one fide of's Horse,
The other would not hang an Arse.
A Squire he had, whofe name was Ralph, That in th' Adventure went his half.
Though Writers, for more ftately Tone,
Do call him Ralpho, 'tis all one :
And when we can with Meter safe,
We'll call him fo, if not, plain Raph 5
(For Ryhme the Rudder is of Verses,
With which,like Ships,they fteer their Courses.)
An equal stock of Wit and Valour
He had laid in, by Birth a Taylor.
The mighty Tyrian Queen that gain'd
With fubtle Shreds, a Tract of Land,
Did leave it with a Caftle fair
To his great Ancestor, her Heir;
From him defcended cross-legg'd Knights,
Fam'd for their Faith and Warlike Fights
Against the bloody Canibal,
Whom they deftroy'd both great and fmall.
This sturdy Squire, he had, as well
As the bold Trojan Knight, feen Hell,
Not with a counterfeited Pafs
Of Golden Bough, but true Gold-Lace.
His Knowledge was not far behind
The Knight's, but of another kind,
And he another way came by't:
Some call it Gifts, and fome New Light.
A liberal Art, that cofts no Pains
Of Study, Industry, or Brains,
His Wit was fent him for a Token,
But in the Carriage crackt and broken.
Like Commendation Nine-pence, crookt
With to and from my Love, it lookt.
He ne'er confider'd it, as loth
To look a Gift-Horfe in the Mouth
And very wifely would lay forth
But as he got it freely, fo
He spent it frank and freely too.
Of Gifts that coft ti.. nothing, free.
By means of this, with Hem and Cough,
Prolongers to enlightned Stuff,
He could deep Myfteries unriddle,
As eafily as thread a Needle
For as of Vagabonds we say,
That they are ne'er befide their Way:
What e'er Men fpeak by this New Light,
Still they are fure to be i'th' right.
'Tis a dark-Lanthorn of the Spirit,
Which none fee by but thofe that bear it:
A Light that falls down from on high,
For Spiritual Trades to cozen by:
An Ignis Fatuus that bewitches
And leads Men into Pools and Ditches,
To make them dip themselves, and found
For Christendom, in dirty Pond;
To dive like Wild-fowl, for Salvation,
And fish to catch Regeneration.
This Light infpires, and plays upon
The Nofe of Saint, like Bag-pipe Drone,
And speaks through hollow empty Soul,
As through a Trunk, or whifp'ring Hole,
Such Language as no mortal Ear
But Spiritual Eaves-droppers can hear.
So Phabus, or fome Friendly Mufe
Into Small Poets Song infufe;
Which they at fecond-hand reherfe
Through Reed or Bag-Pipe, Verfe for Verfe.
Thus Ralph became infallible,
As three or four legg❜d Oracle,
The Antient Cup, or modern Chair
Spoke Truth point-blank, though unaware.
For Myftick Learning, wondrous able
In Magick Talifman, and Cabal,
Whose primitive Tradition reaches
As far as Adam's firft green Breeches:
Deep fighhted in Intelligences,
Idea's, Atomes, Influences;
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