O'th'fudden clapp'd his flaming cudgel,
Like linftock, to th'horfe's touch-hole;
And straight another, with his flambeaux,
Gave Ralpho o'er the eyes a damn'd blow.
The beasts began to kick and fling,

And forc'd the rout to make a ring;
Through which they quickly broke their way,
And brought them off from further fray.
And though disorder'd in retreat,
Each of them ftoutly kept his feat:

For quitting both their swords and reins,
They grafp'd with all their strength the manes,
And, to avoid the foes purfuit,

With fpurring put their cattle to't;
And till all four were out of wind,
And danger too, ne'er look'd behind.
After th'had paus'd a while, supplying
Their spirits spent with fight and flying,
And Hudibras recruited force

Of lungs for action, or difcourfe:

Quoth he, That man is fure to lose,
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
With fo difhonourable a foe:
For though the law of arms doth bar
The ufe of venom'd fhot in war;
Yet by the naufeous fmell, and noifom,
Their cafe-fhot favours ftrong of poifon;

And doubtlefs has been chew'd with teeth
of fome that had a stinking breath;
Elfe when we put it to the push,
They had not giv'n us such a brush:
But as those pultroons that fling dirt,
Do but defile, but cannot hurt;
So all the honour they have won,
Or we have loft, is much at o e.
'Twas well we made fo refolute
A brave retreat, without pursuit;
For if we had not, we had sped
Much worse, to be in triumph led;
Than which the antients held no ftate
Of man's life more unfortunate.

But if this bold adventure e'er

Do chance to reach the widow's ear,
It may, b'ing deftin'd to affert
Her fex's honour, reach her heart.
And as fuch homely treats, they say,
Portend good fortune, fo this may.
Vefpafian being daub'd with dirt,
Was deftin'd to the empire for't;
And from a fcavenger did come
To be a mighty prince in Rome:
And why may not this foul addrefs

Prefage in love the fame fuccefs?

Then let us straight, to cleanfe our wounds,

Advance in queft of nearest ponds;

And after, as we first design'd,

Swear I've perform'd what she injoin'd.

CANTO III.

THE ARGUMENT.

The knight, with various doubts poffeft,
To win the lady goes in queft

Of Sidrophel the Roficrucian,

To know the deft'nies refolution;

With whom b'ing met, they both chop Logic

About the science aftrologic;

Till falling from difpute to fight,
The conj'rer's worsted by the knight.

DOUBTLESS the pleasure is as great
Of being cheated, as to cheat:
As lookers-on feel most delight,
That least perceive a juggler's flight;
And still the less they understand,
The more th'admire his flight of hand.
Some with a noise, and greasy light,
Are fnapt, as men catch larks by night,
Infnar'd and hamper'd by the foul,
As noofes by the legs catch fowl.
Some with a med'cine, and receipt,
Are drawn to nibble at the bait;
And though it be a two-foot trout,
'Tis with a fingle hair pull'd out.

I

Others believe no voice t'an organ
So fweet as lawyer's in his bar-gown;
Until with fubtle cobweb-cheats,

'They're catch'd in knotted law, like nets:
In which, when once they are inbrangled,
The more they stir, the more they're tangled;
And while their purfes can difpute,
There's no end of th'immortal fuit.

Others still gape t'anticipate

The cabinet-designs of fate;
Apply to wizzards, to foresee

What shall, and what shall never be.
And as thofe vultures do forbode,
Believe events prove bad or good.
A flamm more fenfelefs than the rog'ry
Of old arufpicy and aug'ry,

That out of garbages of cattle

Prefag'd th'events of truce, or battle;
From flight of birds, or chickens pecking,
Succefs of great't attempts would reckon :
Though cheats yet more intelligible,
Than thofe that with the stars do fribble.
This Hudibras by proof found true,
As in due time and place we'll shew:
For he with beard and face made clean,
B'ing mounted on his steed agen;
(And Ralpho got a cock-horse too
Upon his beaft, with much ado,)
Advanc'd on for the widow's house,
T'acquit himself, and pay his vows;

When various thoughts began to bustle,
And with his inward man to justle.
He thought what danger might accrue;
If the should find he swore untrue::
Or if his fquire or he should fail,
And not be punctual in their tale;
It might at once the ruin prove
Both of his honour, faith, and love.
But if he fhould forbear to go,

She might conclude h'had broke his vow;
And that he durft not now for shame:
Appear in court, to try his claim.
This was the pen'worth of his thought,
To país time, and uneasy trot

Quoth he, in all my past adventures,
I ne'er was fet fo on the tenters;
Or taken tardy with dilemma,
That every way I turn does hem mes
And with inextricable doubt,

Befets my puzzled wits about:

For though the dame has been my bail,
'To free, me from inchanted jail;
Yet as a dog, committed clofe

For fome offence, by chance breaks loose,
And quits his clog; but all in vain,
He still draws after him his chain:
So though my ancle fhe has quitted,
My heart continues ftill committed;
And like a bail'd and main-priz'd lover,
Although at large, I am bound over.