Cowley. Denham. Milton. Butler. Rochester. Roscommon. Otway. Waller. Pomfret. Dorset. Stepney. J. Philips. Walsh

Ver. 751.] Turn death of nature to thy work. In the two first editions of 1663.

Ver. 781-783.] This, and another paffage in this Canto, are the only places where deities are introduced in this Poem: as it was not intended for an Epic Poem, confequently none of the heroes in it needed fupernatural affiftance: how then comes Pallas to be ufhered in here, and Mars afterwards? Probably to ridicule Homer and Virgil, whofe heroes fcarce perform any action (even the most feasible) without the fenfible aid of a deity; and to manifeft that it was not the want of abilities, but choice, that made our Poet avoid fuch fubterfuges. He has given us a fample of his judgment in this way of writing in the paffage before us, which, taken in its naked meaning, is only, That the Knight's piftol was, for want of ufe, grown fo, rufty, that it would not fire; or, in other words, that the ruft was the caufe of his difappointment.

By cunning fleight; for had it hit
The upper part of him, the blow
Had fit as fure as that below.

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Ver. 784.] Stand fliff, as if 'twere turn'd t' a frock. In editions 1674, 1684, 1689, 1694, 1700, 1704. Restored 1710.

Ver. 786.] Smote the Knight. In the two edi. tions of 1664.

Ver. 787, 788.]

And he with rusty pistol held-
To take the blow on like a fhield.

Thus altered 1674, 1634, 1689, 1694. 1700. Re-
ftored 1704.

Ver. 797. But when bis rugged fword was out. In the two firft editions of 1663.

Ver. 798] Courageously, 1674 to 1704, inclufive.

Meanwhile th' incomparable Colon,

To aid his friend, began to fall on ;
Him Ralph encounter'd, and straight grew
A difmal combat 'twixt them two;

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Th' one arm'd with metal, th' other with wood,
This fit for bruife, and that for blood.
With many a stiff thwack, many a bang,
Hard crab-tree and old iron rang,
While none that faw them could divine
To which fide conqueft would incline;
Until Magnano, who did envy
That two fhould with fo many men vy,
By fubtle ftratagem of brain

Pei form'd what force could ne'er attain;
For he, by foul hap, having found
Where thiftles grew on barren ground,
In hafte he drew his weapon out,
And having cropt them from the root,
He clapp'd them underneath the tail
Of steed, with pricks as fharp as nail:
The angry beaft did ftraight refent
The wrong done to his fundament,
Began to kick, and fling, and wince,
As if he 'ad been befide his fenfe,
Striving to difengage from thistle,
That gall'd him forely under his tail;
Instead of which, he threw the pack
Of Squire and baggage, from his back;
And blundering ftill, with fmarting rump,
He gave the Knight's fteed fuch a thump

The Bear, upon whofe foft fur-gown
The Knight with all his weight fell down,
The friendly rug preferv'd the ground,

And headlong Knight, from bruife or wound: 870
Like feather-bed betwixt a wall,

And heavy brunt of cannon-ball.

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830

As Sancho on a blanket fell,
And had no hurt, our's far'd as well
In body, though his mighty fpirit,
Being heavy, did not fo well bear it,
835 The Bear was in a greater fright,
Beat down, and worfted by the Knight;
He roar'd, and rag'd, and flung about,
To shake off bondage from his fnout:
His wrath inflam'd, boil'd o'er, and from
840 His jaws of death he threw the foam;
Fury in ftranger postures threw him:
And more than ever herald drew him:
He tore the earth, which he had fav'd
From fquelch of Knight, and ftorm'd and rav'd,
845 And vex'd the more, because the harms
He felt were 'gainst the law of arms:
For men he always took to be
His friends, and dogs the enemy;
Who never fo much hurt had done him:

830 As his own fide did falling on him:
It griev'd him to the guts that they,
For whom he 'ad fought fo many a fray,
And ferv'd with lofs of blood fo long,
Should offer fuch inhuman wrong;
Wrong of unfoldier-like condition,

As made him reel. The Knight did stoop, 855 For which he flung down his commiffion;

And fat on further fide aflope.

This Talgol viewing, who had now

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By fleight efcap'd the fatal blow,

He rally'd, and again fell to 't;

For, catching foe by nearer foot,

He lifted with fuch might and strength,

As would have hurl'd him thrice his length,
And dath'd his brains (if any) out;
But Mars, that still protects the ftout,

In pudding-time came to his aid,
And under him the Bear convey'd;

Ver. 825.]

But now fierce Colon 'gan draw on,
To aid the diftrefs'd champion,

In the two first editions of 1663.

And laid about him, till his nofe

From thrall of ring and cord broke loose.
Soon as he felt himself enlarg'd,

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In hafte he fled, and fo did they,
Each and his fear a feveral way.

appointment. It was reafonable that the God of War fhould come in to his affiftance, fince a God, defs had interefted herself on the fide of his ene. mies (agreeably to Homer and Virgil). Had the

Ver. 838.] A fierce difpute. 1674 to 1704, in- Knight directly fallen to the ground, he had been

clufive.

probably difabled from future action; and confequently the battle would too foon have been deter

Ver. 844.] With prickles fharper than a nail. mined: befides, we may obferve a beautiful gra Edit. 1674, to 1704, inclufive.

Ver. 846.] And feel regret on fundament. In the two first editions of 1663.

Ver. 855.] That stagger'd him. Edit. 1674, to 1700, inclufive.

Ver. 864, 865.] I would here obferve the judgment of the Poet: Mars is introduced to the Knight's advantage, as Pallas had been before to his dif

Crowdero only kept the field,
Not stirring from the place he held,
Though beaten down, and wounded fore
Ith' Fiddle, and a leg that bore
One fide of him, not that of bone,
But much its better, th' wooden one.
He fpying Hudibras lie ftrow'd
Upon the ground, like log of wood,
With fright of fall, fuppofed wound,
And lofs of urine, in a fwound,

In hafte he snatch'd the wooden limb
That hurt i' th' ankle lay by him,
And, fitting it for fudden fight,

Straight drew it up, t' attack the Knight;
For getting up on stump and huckle,
He with the foe began to buckle,
Vowing to be reveng'd, for breach
Of Crowd and skin, upon the wretch,
Sole author of all detriment
He and his fiddle underwent,

But Ralpho (who had now begun
T'adventure refurrection
From heavy fquelch, and had got up
Upon his legs, with fprained crup)
Looking about, beheld pernicion
Approaching Knight from fell musician;
He fnatch'd his whinyard up, that fled
When he was falling off his fteed
(As rats do from a falling houfe),
To hide itself from rage of blows;
And, wing'd with speed and fury, flew
To refcue Knight from black and blue;
Which ere he could atchieve, his fconce
The leg encounter'd twice and once;
And now 'twas rais'd to finite agen,
When Ralpho thrust himself between ;
He took the blow upon his arm,
To fhield the Knight from further harm,
And, joining wrath with force, beftow'd
On th' wooden member fuch a load,
That down it fell, and with it bore
Crowdero, whom it propp'd before.

To him the Squire right nimbly run, And fetting conquering foot upon

His trunk, thus fpoke: What defperate frenzy 95$
Made thee (thou whelp of Sin) to fancy

915 | Thyself, and all that coward rabble,

T'encounter us in battle able?

How durft th', I fay, oppofe thy Curship
'Gainft arms, authority, and worship,
And Hudibras or me provoke,

920 Though all the limbs were heart of oak,
And th' other half of thee as good
To bear out blows as that of wood?
Could not the whipping-poft prevail,
With all its rhetoric, nor the jail,

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925 To keep from flaying fcourge thy skin,
And ancle free from iron gin?

Which now thou fhalt-but firft our care

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Ver. 920.] Caft in fwound. In the two firft editions of 1663.

Ver. 923.] And lifting it, &c. In the two firft editions of 1663.

Ver. 924.1 to fall on Knight. In the two firft editions of 1663.

Ver. 935, 936.] Looking about, bebeld the Bard, -To charge the Knight entranc'd prepar'd. Thus the editions 1674, 1684, 1689, 1694, 1700, 1704. Reftored 1710.

Ver. 944.] The skin encounter'd, &c. In the two first editions.

Ver. 947.] on fide and arm. Two editions of 1663.

Look'd out, but yet with fone amazement. 980
This gladded Ralpho much to fee,

Who thus bespoke the Knight. Quoth he,
Tweaking his nofe, You are, great Sir,

A felf-denying conqueror;

As high, victorious, and great,

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As e'er fought for the Churches yet,
If you will give yourself but leave
To make out what y' already have;
That 's victory. The foe, for dread
Of your nine-worthiness, is fled,
All fave Crowdero, for whofe fake
You did th' efpous'd Caufe undertake;
And he lies prifoner at your feet,
To be difpos'd as you think meet,
Either for life, or death, or fale,
The gallows, or perpetual jail;
For one wink of your powerful eye
Muft fentence him to live or die.
His Fiddle is your proper purchase,
Won in the fervice of the Churches;
And by your doom must be allow'd
To be, or be no more, a Crowd:
For though fuccefs did not confer
Just title on the conqueror;
Though difpenfations were not strong
Conclufions whether right or wrong:
Although Out-goings did confirm,
And Owning were but a meer term;
Yet as the wicked have no right
To th' creature, though ufurp'd by might, 1010

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Ver. 1009.] It was a principle maintained by

Ver. 948.] To field the Knight entranc'd from the Rebels of thofe days, that dominion is founded barm. In the two first editions.

on grace, and therefore if a man wanted grace

The property is in the faint,

From whom they' injuriously detain 't;

Of him they hold their luxuries,

Their dogs, their horfes, whores, and dice,
Their riots, revels, masks, delights,
Pimps, buffoons, fiddlers, parafites;
All which the faints have title to,

And ought t' enjoy, if they 'd their due.
What we take from them is no more
Than what was ours by right before:
For we are their true landlords ftill,
And they our tenants but at will.
At this the Knight began to rouze,
And by degrees grew valourous :
He ftar'd about, and feeing none
Of all his foes remain but one,

He fnatch'd his weapon that lay near him,
And from the ground began to rear him,
Vowing to make Crowdero pay
For all the rest that ran away.
But Ralpho now, in colder blood,
His fury mildly thus withstood:

Great Sir, quoth he, your mighty spirit
Is rais'd too high; this flave does merit
To be the hangman's bufinefs, fooner
Than from your hand to have the honour
Of his deftruction; I that am
A Nothingness in deed and name,
Did fcorn to hurt his forfeit carcafe,
Or ill entreat his Fiddle or cafe:
Will you, great Sir, that giory blot
In cold blood, which you gain'd in hot?
Will you employ your conquering (word
To break a Fiddle, and your word?
For though I fought and overcame,
And quarter gave, 'twas in your name:
For great commanders always own
What 's profperous by the foldier done.
To fave, where you have power to kill,
Argues your power above your will;
And that your will and power have lefs
Than both might have of felfishness,
This power which, now alive, with dread
He trembles at, if he were dead
Would no more keep the flave in awe,
Than if you were a Knight of straw:

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(in their opinion) if he was not a faint or a godly man, he had no right to any lands, goods, or cattles. The Saints, as the Squire fays, had a right to all, and might take it, wherever they had a power to do it.

Ne'er to bear arms against him more. Ralpho difpatch'd with speedy haste, And having ty'd Crowdero fast,

Ver. 1084.] When the Rebels had taken a prifoner, though they gave him quarter, and promifed to fave his life; yet if any of them afterwards thought it not proper that he fhould be faved, it was only faying it was revealed to him that such a one would die, and they hanged him up, notwithftanding the promises before made. Dr. South obferves of Harrison the Regicide, a butcher by profeffion, and preaching Colonel in the Parlia ment army, "That he was notable for having "killed feveral after quarter given by others, "ufing these words in doing it; "Curfed be he "who doth the work of the Lord negligently!”

He gave Sir Knight the end of cord, To lead the captive of his sword In triumph, whilft the fteeds he caught, And them to further fervice brought. The Squire, in ftate, rode on before, And on his nut-brown whinyard bore The trophee-Fiddle and the cafe, Leaning on fhoulder like a mace. The Knight himself did after ride, Leading Crowdero by his fide; And tow'd him, if he lagg'd behind, Like boat, against the tide and wind. Thus grave and folemn they march on, Until quite through the town they 'ad gone; At further end of which there stands An ancient calle, that commands Th' adjacent parts; in all the fabrick You fhall not fee one ftone or a brick, But all of wood, by powerful spell Of magic made impregnable : There's neither iron-bar nor gate, Portcullis, chain, nor holt, nor grate, And yet men durance there abide, In dungeon fcarce three inches wide; With roof fo low, that under it They never ftand, but lie or fit:

And yet fo foul, that whofo is in,

Is to the middle-leg in prifon;

In circle magical confin'd,

1115 The body feels the fpur and switch,
As if 't were ridden poft by witch,
At twenty miles an hour pace,
And yet ne'er ftirs out of the place.

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On top of this there is a fpire,

On which Sir Knight firft bids the Squire The Fiddle, and its fpoils, the cafe,

1165

In manner of a trophee place.
That done, they ope the trap-door gate,
And let Crowdero down thereat,

1125 Crowdero making doleful face,
Like hermit poor in penfive place,
To dungeon they the wretch commit,
And the furvivor of his feet;
But th' other, that had broke the pace,
And head of Knighthood, they releafe,
Though a delinquent falfe and forged,
Yet being a stranger, he's enlarged,
While his comrade, that did no hurt,
Is clapp'd up faft in prifon for 't:
1135 So Justice, while fhe winks at crimes,
Stumbles on innocence fometimes.

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HUDI BRAS.

With walls of fubtle air and wind,

Which none are able to break thorough,
Until they're freed by head of borough.
Thither arriv'd, th' adventurous Knight
And bold Squire from their steeds alight
Atth' outward wall, near which there stands
A Baftile, built t' imprifon hands;
By strange enchantment made to fetter
The leffer parts, and free the greater:
For though the body may creep through,
The hands in grate are fast enough:
And when a circle 'bout the wrist
Is made by beadle exorcist,

1155

Ver. 1122.] Plac'd on his boulder. Editions 1674, 1684, 1689, 1700. Leaning on shoulder, restored 1704.

Ver. 1130.] This is an enigmatical defcription of a pair of stocks and whipping-poft; it is fo pompous and fublime, that we are furprised fo noble a ftructure could be raised from fo ludicrous a fubject. We perceive wit and humour in the ftrongest light in every part of the description: and how happily imagined is the pun in ver. 1142! How ceremonious are the conquerors in difplaying the trophies of their victory, and imprifoning the unhappy captive! What a difmal gure does he make at the dark prospect before him! All these circumstances were neceffary to be fully exhibited, that the reader might commiferate his favourite Knight, when a change of fortune unhappily brought him into Crowdero's place. VOL. II.

THE ARGUMENT.

The fcatter'd rout return and rally,
Surround the place; the Knight does fally,
And is made prifoner: then they feize
Th' inchanted fort by form, releafe
Crowdero, and put the Squire in's place;
1 bould have firft faid Hudibras.

Y me! what perils do environ The man that meddles with cold iron! What plaguy mischiefs and mishaps Do dog him still with after claps ! For though Dame Fortune seem to smile, And leer upon him, for a while, She 'l after fhew him, in the nick Of all his glories, a dog-trick. This any man may fing or fay I' th' ditty call'd, What if a Day? For Hudibras, who thought he 'ad won The field, as certain as a gun, And having routed the whole troop, With victory was cock-a-hoop, Thinking he 'ad done enough to purchase Thank igiving-day among the Churches, Wherein his mettle and brave worth Might be explain'd by holder-forth, 3 [E]

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Cowley. Denham. Milton. Butler. Rochester. Roscommon. Otway. Waller. Pomfret ...