March'd Rank and File, with Drum and Enfign,
T'entrench the City for Defence in ?
Rais'd Rampiers with their own foft Hands,
To put the Enemy to ftands 3
From Ladies down to Oyfter-Wenches
Labour'd like Pioneers in Trenches,
Fell to their Pick-Axes and Tools,
And help'd the Men to dig like Moles ?
Have not the Handmaids of the City
Chofe of their Members a Committee,
For raifing of a Common Purfe
Out of their Wages to raise Horfe?
And do they not as Triers fit
To judge what Officers are fit?
Have they? At that an Egg let fly
Hit him directly o'er the Eye,
And running down his Cheek, befmear'd
With Orange tawny-flime his Beard,
But Beard and Slime being of one Hue,
The Wound the lefs appear'd in view.
Then he that on the Panniers rode
Let fly on t'other fide a Load
Ffa
And quickly charg'd again, gave fully
In Ralpho's Face anothet Volley.
The Knight was ftartled with the Smell,
And for his Sword began to feel
And Ralpho, fmother'd with the flink,
Grafp'd his; when one that bore a Link,
O' th' fudden clapp'd his flaming Cudgel,
Like Linftock, to the Horfe's touch-hole
And ftreight another with his Flambeaux,
Gave Ralpho o'er the Eyes a damn'd blow.
The Beasts began to kick and fling,er hi hol
And forc'd the Rout to make a Ring.
Thro' which they quickly broke their way,
And brought them off from farther fray;
And though diforder'd in Retreat,
Each of them ftoutly kept his Seat:
For quitting both their Swords and Reins,
They grafp'd with all their ftrength the Manes,
And to avoid the Foe's purfuit, r.
With fpurring put their Cattel to't;
And till all four were out of wind,
And Danger too, ne'er look'd behinda
After th' had paus'd a while, fupplying"}
Their Spirits, fpent with fight and flying,
And Hudibra's recruited force
Of Lungs for Action, or Difcourfe.
Quoth he, That Man is fure to lofe,
That fouls his Hands with dirty Foes:
For where no Honour's to be gain'd,
'Tis thrown away in b'ing maintain❜d.
'Twas ill for us, we had to do 1 cermat
With fo difhon'rable a Foe:non
For though the Law of Arms doth bar on Laka The use of .venom'd thot in War,
Leon f Yet by the nauseous fmell, and noifome, Their Cafe-foot favours ftrong of Poifon And doubtless has been chew'd with Teeth Of fome that had a ftinking Breath Elfe when we put it to the pufh, They had not giv'n us fuch a brush.} But as thofe Pultroons that fling Dirt, Do but defile, but cannot hurt So all the Honour they have won, Or we have loft, is much at one,
'Twas well we made fo refoluted i
A brave Retreat, without Purfuit;
For if we had not, we had fped...
Much worse, to be in Triumph Jed gr!
Than which the Ancients held no ftate
Of Man's Life more unfortunate.
But if this bold Adventure c'er
Do chance to reach the Widow's Ear,
Was deftin'd to the Empire fort;
And from a Scavinger did come
To be a mighty Prince in Rome:
And why may not this foul Addrefs.ri
Prefage in Love the fame Success m
Then let us ftraight to cleanfe dur Wounds,
Advance in queft of nearest Ponds
And after (as we first defign'd) SL.
Swear I've perform'd what she enjoyn'd.
The Knight, with various Doubts poffeft,
To win the Lady goes in Quest
Of Sidrophel, the Rofy-Crucian,
To know the Deft'nies Refolution 3
With whom being met, they both chop Logick,
About the Science Aftrologick;
Till falling from Difpute to fight,
The Conjurer's worsted by the Knight.
Oubtlefs the Pleafure is as great
Of being cheated, as to cheat;
As Lookers on feel moft Delight,
That least perceive a Jugler's Slight
And still the less they understand,
The more th' admire his Slight of Hand.
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