Quoth he, Th' Infernal Conjurer
Purfu'd' and took me Prisoner;
And knowing you were here about,
Brought me along, to find you out.
VVhere I, in Hugger-mugger hid,
Have noted all they faid and did,
And though they lay to him the Pageant,
I did not fee him, nor his Agent ;
VVho plaid their Sorceries out of fight,
T'avoid a fiercer, fecond Fight.
But, didft thou fee no Devils then?
Not one, quoth he, but Carnal Men,
A little worse than Fiends in Hell,
And that She-Devil, Jezebel;
That laugh'd and teh-he'd with Derifion,
To see them take your Depofition.
VVhat then (quoth Hudibras) was he, That plaid the Devil t' examine me! A Rallying VVeaver in the Town, That did it in a Parfon's Gown: VVhom all the Parish takes for gifted, But, for my part, I ne'er believ'd it;
you told them all your Feats,
Your Confcientious Frauds and Cheats,
Deny'd your Whipping, and confefs'd
The naked Truth of all the reft,
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 under-write.
What made thee, when they all were gone, 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,
And frame of Sp'rit, too obftinate,
To be by me prevail'd upon
With any Motives of my own:
And therefore ftrove to counterfeit
The Dev'l a while, to Nick your Wit:
The Devil, that is your conftant Crony,
That only can prevail upon ye;
Elfe we might ftill have been difputing,
And they with weighty Drubs confuting.
The Knight, who now began to find Th' had left the Enemy behind ;
And faw no farther Harm remain,
But feeble Weariness and Pain;
Perceiv'd, by lofing of their Way,
Th' had gain'd th' Advantage of the Day;
And by declining of the Road,
They had by chance their Rear made good;
He ventur❜d to dismiss his Fear,
That parting's' wont to Rant and Tear,
And gives the desperat'st Attack
To Danger ftill behind its Back.
For, having paus'd to recollect,
And on his paft Succefs reflect,
T' examine and confider why,
And whence, and how, he came to fly;
And when no Devil had appear'd,
What else, it could be faid, he fear'd?
It put him in fo fierce a Rage,
He once refolv❜d to re-engage;
Tofs'd like á Foot-ball back again,
With Shame, and Vengeance, andDifdain.
Quoth he, It was thy Cowardife
That made me from this Leaguer rife;
And when I had half reduc'd the place,
To quit it infamously base.
Was better cover'd by the New
Arriv'd Detachment, than I knew:
To flight my new Acquefts, and run
Victoriously, from Battels won.
And reck'ning all I gain'd or loft,
To fell them cheaper than they coft.
To make me put my felf to flight;
And Conqu❜ring, run away by Night,
To drag me out, which th' haughty Foc,
Durft never have prefum'd to do.
To mount me in the dark by force,
Upon the bare Ridge of my Horfe,
Expos'd in Querpo to their Rage,
Without my Arms and Equipage
Left, if they ventur'd to purfue,
I might th' unequal Fight renew;:
And, to preferve thy outward Man,
Affum'd my Place, and led the Van
All this quo' Ralph, I did, 'tis true,
Not to preserve my felf, but you.
You who were damn'd to bafer Drubs,
Than Wretches feel in Powd'ring Tubs;
To mount two-wheel'd Carroches, worfe
Than managing a Wooden Horse :
- Dragg'd out thro' ftraiter Holes, by th' Ears, Eras'd or Coup'd for Perjurers.
Who, tho' th' Attempt had prov'd in vain,
Had had no reason to complain;
But fince it profper'd, 'tis unhandsome
To blame the Hand that paid your Ranfome
And refcu'd your Obnoxious Bones,
Form unavoidable Battoons.
The Enemy was re-inforc'd,
And we disabled, and unhors'd,
Difarm'd, unqualifi'd for Fight;
And no way left but hafty Flight.
Which, tho' 'twas desperate in th' Attempt,
Has given you Freedom to condemn't.
But were our Bones in fit Condition
To re-inforce the Expedition,
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