Have us'd all means to propagate
Your mighty interests of state,
Laid out our spiritual gifts to further
Your great designs of rage and murther:
For if the Saints are nam'd from blood,
We only ’ave made that title good ;
And, if it were but in our power,
We should not scruple to do more,
And not be half a soul behind
Of all Diffenters of mankind.

Right (quoth the Voice), and, as I scorn
To be ungrateful, in return
Of all those kind good offices,
I'll free you out of this distress,
And set

you down in safety, where
is no time to tell you here.
The cock crows, and the morn grows on,
When 'tis decreed I must be gone;
And, if I leave you here till day,
You 'll find it hard to get away:
With that the Spirit grop'd about
To find th’inchanted hero out,
And try'd with hafte to lift him up,
But found his forlorn hope, his crup,
Unserviceable with kicks and blows,
Receiv'd from harden'd-hearted foes,
He thought to drag him by the heels,
Like Gresham-carts, with. legs for wheels;
But fear, that soonest cures those sores,
In danger of relapse to worse,

3555

2560

1565 up

Came in t' affift him with its aid,
And his finking vessel weigh’d.
No sooner was he fit to trudge,
But both made ready to dislodge;

1970
The Spirit hors d him, like a sack,
Upon the vehicle his back,
And bore him headlong into th' hall,
With some few rubs-againit the wall.;
Where, finding out the postern lock’d,

1575 And th' avenues as strongly block’d, H' attack'd the window, storm'd the glass, And in a moment gain’d the pass; Through which he dragg'd the worsted soldier's Fore-quarters out by th' head and Shoulders, 1580 And cautiously began to scout To find their fellow-cattle out; Nor was it half a minute's quest, Ere he retriev'd the champion's beaft, Try'd to a pale, instead of rack,

1.585 But ne'er a saddle on his back, Nor pistols at the saddle-bow, Convey'd away, the Lord knows how.. He thought it was-no time to stay, And let the night, too, Iteal away ;

1590 But, in a trice, advanc'd the Knight Upon the bare ridge, bolt upright, And, groping out for Ralpho’s jade, He found the faddle, too, was Itray'd,

And

a

Ver. 1575.] Altered to the outer postern, edit. 1710.

1595

And in the place a lump of soap,
On which he speedily leap'd up;
And, turning to the gate the rein,
He kick'd and cudgeld on amain ;
While Hudibras, with equal haste,
On both sides laid about as fast,
And spurr'd, as jockies use, to break,
Or padders to secure, a neck :
Where let us leave them for a time,
And to their Churches turn our rhyme;
To hold forth their declining state,
Which now come near an even rate.

IGOG

5

1605

C O N T E N T S

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

HUDIBRAS, Part I. Canto 1.

I. Canto II,

I. Canto III.
Part II. Canto I.

II. Canto II.

II. Canto III.
An Heroical Epistle of Hudibras to Sidrophel
HUDIBRAS, Part III. Canto I.

153 189 223 268

274

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.