And at a riding handled worse,
With treats more slovenly and coarse :
Engag'd with fiends in stubborn wars,
And hot disputes with conjurers;
And when th' hadst bravely won the day,
Was fain to steal thyself away.
(I see, thought he, this shameless elf,
Would fain steal me too from myself,
That impudently dares to own
What I have suffer'd for and done.)
And now but vent' ring to betray,
Hast met with vengeance the same way.
Thought he, How does the devil know
What 'twas that I design'd to do?
With that he rous'd his drooping heart,
And hastily cry'd out, What art?
A wretch, quoth he, whom want of grace
Has brought to this unhappy place.
I do believe thee, quoth the knight,
Thus far I'm sure th'art in the right;
And know what 'tis that troubles thee,
Better than thou hast guess'd of me.
Thou art some paltry, black-guard spright,
Condemn'd to drudg'ry in the night;
Sir, quoth the voice, y' are no such sophi, 1423 As you would have the world judge of ye.
If you design to weigh our talents,
I' th' standard of your own false balance,
Or think it possible to know
Us ghosts, as well as we do you :
(Thought he, 'tis no mean part of civil
State prudence, to cajole the devil;
And not to handle him too rough,
When h' has us in his cloven hoof,)
'Tis true, quoth he, that intercourse
Has pass'd between your friends and ours:
Right, quoth the voice, and as I scorn
The cock crows, and the morn grows on,
When 'tis decreed I must be gone :
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 haste 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,
Came in t'assist him with its aid,
up his sinking vessel weigh'd.
No sooner was he fit to trudge,
But both made ready to dislodge:
The spirit hors'd him like a sack,
Upon the vehicle his back;
And bore him headlong into th' hall,
With some few rubs against the wall.
Where finding out the postern lock'd,
And th' avenues as strongly block'd,
H'attack'd the window, storm'd the glass,
And in a moment gain'd the pass;
Thro' which he dragg'd the worsted soldier's
Fore-quarters out by th' head and shoulders;
1577. The light space in the centre of the moon and the marks of light on Hudibras's body there, resemble broken glass.
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,
Ti'd 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 to 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 spurr'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.
The saints engage in fierce contests,
About their carnal interests:
To share their sacrilegious preys,
According to their rates of grace;
Their various frenzies to reform,
When Cromwell left them in a storm :
Till, in th' effigy of Rumps, the rabble
Burns all their grandees of the cabal.
The knight and squire's prodigious flight
To quit th' inchanted bow'r by night:
He plods to turn his amorous suit
T'a plea in law, and prosecute;
Repairs to counsel, to advise
'Bout managing the enterprize;
But first resolves to try by letter,
And one more fair address, to get her.
-DISGUIS'D in all the mask of night,
We left our champion on his flight,
* I insert no part of this Canto except the argument of it, from which it will appear to have relation to subjects which, for reasons already stated, I omit to notice.
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