Or, like the devil, did tempt and sway 'em
To rogueries, and then betray 'em.
They'll search a planet's house, to know
Who broke and robb'd a house below;
Examine Venus and the moon,

Who ftole a thimble or a spoon:
And though they nothing will confefs,
Yet by their very looks can guefs,
And tell what guilty aspect bodes,
Who ftole, and who receiv'd the goods.
They'll queftion Mars, and, by his look,
Detect who 'twas that nimm'd a cloak ;
Make Mercury confefs, and 'peach

590

595

Thofe thieves which he himself did teach.

600

They'll find, i' th' phyfiognomies

O' th' planets, all mens deftinies;

Like him that took the doctor's bill,

And swallow'd it instead of th' pill;
Caft the nativity o' th' queftion,
And from pofitions to be guefs'd on,
As fure as if they knew the moment
Of native's birth, tell what will come on't.
They'll feel the pulfes of the ftars,
To find out agues, coughs, catarrhs;
And tell what crifis does divine

605

610

The rot in fheep, or mange in fwine;

In men, what gives or cures the itch;

615

What makes them cuckolds, poor or rich;
What gains or lofes, hangs or faves;
What makes men great, what fools or knaves;

But not what wife; for only of those

The stars, they fay, cannot difpofe,

No more than can the astrologians.

There they say right, and like true Trojans. 620
This Ralpho knew, and therefore took
The other course, of which we spoke.

Thus was th' accomplish'd Squire endu'd
With gifts and knowledge, per 'lous fhrewd.
Never did trufty fquire with knight,

Or knight with fquire, e'er jump more right.
Their arms and equipage did fit,

As well as virtues, parts, and wit.
Their valours too were of a rate,

625

And out they sally'd at the gate.

630

Few miles on horfeback had they jogged,

But fortune unto them turn'd dogged;

For they a fad adventure met,

Of which anon we mean to treat;
But ere we venture to unfold

635

Atchievements fo refolv'd and bold,
We should, as learned poets use,
Invoke th' affiftance of fome muse;
However critics count it fillier
Than jugglers talking to familiar.
We think 'tis no great matter which;
They're all alike; yet we shall pitch
On one that fits our purpofe moft;
Whom therefore thus we do accoft.

Thou that with ale, or viler liquors,
Didft infpire Withers, Pryn, and Vickars,
And force them, though it was in fpite
Of nature, and their stars, to write;
Who, as we find, in fullen writs,

And cross-grain'd works of modern wits, +D

640

645

650

With vanity, opinion, want,
The wonder of the ignorant,

The praifes of the author, penn 'd
B' himself, or wit-infuring friend;
The itch of picture in the front,
With bays and wicked rhyme upon't,
All that is left o' th' forked hill,
To make men fcribble without fkill;
Can't make a poet spite of fate,
And teach all people to tranflate,
Though out of languages in which
They understand no part of speech:
Affift me but this once, I'mplore,
And I fhall trouble thee no more.

In western clime there is a town,

Therefore there needs no more be said here,

655

660

665

To thofe that dwell therein well known;

We unto them refer our reader;

For brevity is very good

When w' are, or are not understood.

670

To this town people did repair

On days of market, or of fair;

And to crack'd fiddle, and hoarse tabor,

In merriment did drudge and labour :

But now a fport more formidable Had rak'd together village-rabble; 'Twas an old way of recreating,

675

Others derive it from the Bear
That's fix'd in northern hemifphere,
And round about the pole does make
A circle like a bear at ftake,

685

That at the chain's end wheels about,

And overturns the rabble-rout.

For after folemn proclamation

In the bear's name, (as is the fashion

690

According to the law of arms,

To keep men from inglorious harms),

That none prefume to come fo near;
As forty foot of stake of bear ;

If any yet be fo fool-hardy,

695

T'expose themselves to vain jeopardy,
If they come wounded off, and lame,

No honour's got by such a maim;

Although the bear gain much, b'ing bound

In honour to make good his ground,

700

When's he's engag'd, and take no notice,

If any prefs upon him, who 'tis;

But lets them know, at their own coft,
That he intends to keep his poft.

705

This to prevent, and other harms,
Which always wait on feats of arms,
(For in the hurry of a fray,

'Tis hard to keep out of harms way),
Thither the Knight his courfe did steer,
To keep the peace 'twixt dog and bear;
As he believ'd h' was bound to do
In confcience and commission too;
And therefore thus bespoke the Squire:
We that are wifely mounted higher

710

For fo of late men fighting name, Because they often prove the fame; (For where the firft does hap to be,

725

The last does coincidere);

Quantum in nobis, have thought good,

To fave th' expence of Chriftian blood, if we, by mediation

And try

Of treaty and accommodation,

Can end the quarrel, and compofe

The bloody duel without blows.

Are not our liberties, our lives,
The laws, religion, and our wives,
Enough at once to lie at stake

For cov'nant and the caufe's fake?
But in that quarrel dogs and bears,
As well as we, muft venture theirs?
This feud by Jefuits invented,
By evil counfel is fomented;
There is a Machiavilian plot,
(Though ev'ry nare olfact is not),
A deep defign in't to divide
The well-affected that confide,
By fetting brother against brother,
To claw and curry one another.

730

735

740

745