But we, who only do infuse

The rage in them like boute-feus,

"Tis our example that inftils

In them th' infection of our ills.

For, as fome late philofophers

Have well obferv'd, beasts that converse
With man take after him, as hogs

785

Get pigs all th' year, and bitches dogs.
Juft fo, by our example, cattle
Learn to give one another battle.

790

We read in Nero's time, the Heathen,

795

When they destroy'd the Christian brethren,

They few'd them in the skins of bears,

And then fet dogs about their ears;

From whence, no doubt, th' invention came

First, for the name; the word Bear-baiting

805

Is carnal, and of man's creating;

For certainly there 's no fuch word

In all the Scripture on record;
Therefore unlawful, and a fin;
And fo is (fecondly) The thing:
A vile affembly 'tis, that can

No more be prov'd by Scripture, than
Provincial, Claffic, National,

Mere human creature-cobwebs all.

810

Thirdly,

Thirdly, It is idolatrous;

815

For when men run a-whoring thus

With their inventions, whatsoe'er
The thing be, whether Dog or Bear,
It is idolatrous and Pagan,
No lefs than worshiping of Dagon.
Quoth Hudibras, I fmell a rat;

Ralpho, thou doft prevaricate:

820

For though the thefis which thou lay'st
Be true ad amuffim, as thou fay'st;

825

(For that bear-baiting should appear

Jure divino law fuller

Than Synods are, thou doft deny
Totidem verbis, fo do I)

Yet there's a fallacy in this;

For if by fly homœofis,

830

Tuffis pro crepitu, an art

Under a cough to flur a f―t,

Thou wouldst fophiftically imply

Both are unlawful, I deny.

And I, quoth Ralpho, do not doubt

835

But Bear-baiting may be made out,

In gofpel-times, as lawful as is

Provincial or Parochial Claffis;

And that both are so near of kin,

And like in all, as well as fin,

840

Ver. 831, 832.] Thefe two lines left out in the editions

1674, 1684, 1689, 1700, and restored 1704.

And

That, put them in a bag, and fhake them,
Yourself o' th' fudden would mistake them,

And not know which is which, unless
You measure by their wickedness;

For 'tis not hard t' imagine whether

845

O' th' two is worst, though I name neither.
Quoth Hudibras, Thou offer'ft much,

But art not able to keep touch.

Mira de lente, as 'tis i' th' adage,

Id eft, to make a leek a cabbage;

850

Thou wilt at beft but fuck a bull,

Or fhear swine, all cry, and no wool;

For what can fynods have at all,

With Bear that 's analogical?

Or what relation has debating

Of Church affairs with Bear-beating?

A just comparison still is

Of things ejufdem generis:

And then what genus rightly doth

855

Include and comprehend them both?

860

Ver. 851] This and the following line thus altered 1674,

Thou canft at beft but overstrain

A paradox, and thy own brain.

Thus they continued in the editions 1684, 1689, 1700. Reftored in 1704, in the following blundering manner,

Thou 'It be at beft but fuch a bull, &c.

and the blunder continued in all the editions till Dr. Gray's. Ver. 860. Include, &c.] In the two first editions of 1663, Comprehend them inclufive both.

If animal, both of us may

As juftly pafs for bears as they;

For we are animals no lefs;
Although of different fpeciefes.
But Ralpho, this is no fit place,
Nor time, to argue out the cafe:
For now the field is not far off,

Where we muft give the world a proof
Of deeds, not words, and such as fuit

Another manner of difpute:

A controverfy that affords

Actions for arguments, not words;

Which we muft

manage at a rate

Of prowefs and conduct adequate

865

870

To what our place and fame doth promise,

875

And all the Godly expect from us.

Nor fhall they be deceiv'd, unless

We're flurr'd and outed by success;
Succefs, the mark no mortal wit,
Or fureft hand, can always hit:
For whatfoe'er we perpetrate,
We do but row, w' are steer'd by Fate,
Which in fuccefs oft difinherits,
For fpurious caufes, noblest merits.
Great actions are not always true fons
Of great and mighty refolutions;
Nor do the bold'st attempts bring forth
Events ftill equal to their worth;

Ver. 862.] As likely, in the two first editions.

880

885

But

But fometimes fail, and in their stead
Fortune and cowardice fucceed.

890

Yet we have no great cause to doubt,

Our actions ftill have borne us out;

Which though they 're known to be so ample,

We need not copy from example;

We're not the only person durst

895

Attempt this province, nor the first.
In northern clime a valourous knight
Did whilom kill his Bear in fight,
And wound a Fiddler: we have both

Of these the objects of our wroth,

And equal fame and glory from
Th' attempt, or victory to come.
"Tis fung there is a valiant Mamaluke,
In foreign land yclep'd;

To whom we have been oft compar'd

900

905

For perfon, parts, addrefs, and beard;

Both equally reputed ftout,

And in the fame cause both have fought;

910

He oft in fuck attempts as these

Came off with glory and fuccefs:
Nor will we fail in th' execution;
For want of equal refolution.

Ver. 904.] The writers of the General Historical Dictionary, vol. vi. p. 291, imagine, "That the chafm here is to be filled "with the words Sir Samuel Luke, because the line before it is ❝ of ten fyllables, and the measure of the verse generally used "in this poem is of eight."

Honour