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 beast,
Tied to a pale, instead of rack,
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, steal away;
But, in a trice, advanc'd the Knight
Upon the bare ridge, bolt upright;
And, groping out for Ralpho's jade,
He found the saddle, too, was stray'd,
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 cudgell'd on amain;
While Hudibras, with equal haste,
On both sides laid about as fast,
And spur'd, as jockies use, to break,
Or padders to secure, a neck;
Where let us leave 'em for a time,
And to their Churches turn our rhyme;
To hold forth their declining state,
Which now come near an even rate.
At this the Knight grew resolute
As Ironside, or Hardiknute ;*
His fortitude began to rally,
And out he cried aloud, to sally :-
But she besought him to convey
His courage rather out o' th' way,
And lodge in ambush on the floor,
Or fortified behind a door;
That, if the enemy should enter,
He might relieve her in the' adventure.
Meanwhile they knock'd against the door,
As fierce as at the gate before;
Which made the renegado Knight
Relapse again to' his former fright.
He thought it desperate to stay
Till the' enemy had forc'd his way,
But rather post himself, to serve
The Lady for a fresh reserve.
His duty was not to dispute,
But what she 'ad order'd execute;
Which he resolv'd in haste to' obey,
And therefore stoutly march'd away,
And all he' encounter'd fell upon,
Though in the dark, and all alone;
Till fear, that braver feats performs
Than ever courage dar'd in arms,
Had drawn him up before a pass,
To stand upon his guard, and face:
This he courageously invaded,
And, having enter'd, barricadoed:
Insconc'd himself as formidable
As could be, underneath a table,
* Two famous and valiant princes of this country; the one a Saxon, the other a Dane.
Of petulant capricious sects,
The maggots of corrupted texts,
That first run all religion down,
And after every swarm its own.
For as the Persian Magi once
Upon their mothers got their sons,
That were incapable to' enjoy
That empire any other way;
So Presbyter begot the other
Upon the Good Old Cause, his mother,
Then bore them like the devil's dam,
Whose son and husband are the same;
And yet no natural tie of blood,
Nor interest for the common good,
Could, when their profits interfer'd,
Get quarter for each other's beard:
For when they thriv'd they never fadg'd,
But only by the ears engag'd;
Like dogs that snarl about a bone,
And play together when they 'ave none;
As by their truest characters,
Their constant actions, plainly' appears.
Rebellion now began, for lack
Of zeal and plunder, to grow slack;
The Cause and Covenant to lessen,
And Providence to be out of season:
For now there was no more to purchase
O' th' King's revenue, and the Churches,
But all divided, shar'd, and gone,
That us'd to urge the Brethren on;
Which forc'd the stubborn'st for the Cause,
To cross the cudgels to the laws,
That what by breaking them they 'ad gaîn'd,
By their support might be maintain❜d;
Like thieves, that in a hemp-plot lie,
Secur'd against the Hue-and-cry;
For Presbyter and Independent
Were now turn'd Plaintiff and Defendant;
Laid out their apostolic functions
On carnal Orders and Injunctions;
And all their precious Gifts and Graces
On Outlawries and Scire facias;
At Michael's term had many trial,
Worse than the Dragon and St. Michael,
Where thousands fell, in shape of fees,
Into the bottomless abyss.
For when, like brethren, and like friends,
They came to share their dividends,
And every partner to possess
His church and state joint-purchases,
In which the ablest Saint, and best,
Was nam'd in trust by all the rest
To pay their money, and, instead
Of every Brother, pass the deed,
He straight converted all his gifts
To pious frauds and holy shifts,
And settled all the other shares
Upon his outward man, and 's heirs;
Held all they claim'd as forfeit lands
Deliver❜d up into his hands,
And pass'd upon his conscience
By pre-entail of Providence;
Impeach'd the rest for Reprobates,
That had no titles to estates,
But by their spiritual attaints
Degraded from the right of Saints.
This being reveal'd, they now begun
With law and conscience to fall on,
And laid about as hot and brain-sick
As the' Utter-barrister of Swanswick ;*
Engag'd with money-bags, as bold
As men with sandbagst did of old,
That brought the lawyers in more fees
Than all unsanctified Trustees;
Till he who had no more to show
I' th' case, receiv'd the overthrow;
Or, both sides having had the worst,
They parted as they met at first.
Poor Presbyter was now reduc'd,
Secluded, and cashier'd, and chous'd!
Turn'd out, and excommunicate
From all affairs of Church and State,
Reform'd to' a reformado Saint,
And glad to turn itinerant,
To stroll and teach from town to town,
And those he had taught up teach down,+
And make those uses serve again
Against the New-enlighten'd men,
As fit as when at first they were
Reveal'd against the Cavalier;
Damn Anabaptist and Fanatic,
As pat as Popish and Prelatic;
And, with as little variation,
To serve for any sect i' th' nation.
Prynne was born at Swanswick, and used to style himself Utter-barrister; which seems to imply a champion as well as advocate. See Mincheu in voc.
+ A combat in a legal way, by knights and gentlemen, was fought with sword and lance; by yeomen, with sandbags fastened to the end of a truncheon.
The Independents urged the very same doctrines against the Presbyterians, which the latter had urged against the Bishops.
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