The First and Second Parts.

Written in the Time of the

Late Wars.

CORRECTED & AMENDED,

With

Several Additions and Annotations.

LONDON:

Printed by T. N. for John Martyn and Henry
Herringman, at the Bell in St. Pauls Church-
yard, and at the Anchor in the Lower
Walk of the New Exchange, 1678.

HUDIBRAS.

The ARGUMENT of the First

CANTO.

Sir Hudibras his passing worth,
The manner how he sally'd forth :
His Arms and Equipage are shown;
His Horse's Vertues, and his own.
Th' Adventure of the Bear and Fiddle
Is sung, but breaks off in the middle.

W

CANTO I.

Hen civil fury first grew high,

And men fell out they knew not why,
When hard Words, Jealousies, and Fears,
Set Folks together by the Ears,

And made them fight, like mad or drunk,
For Dame Religion as for Punk,

Whose honesty they all durst swear for,

Though not a man of them knew wherefore:
When Gospel-Trumpeter surrounded,
With long-ear'd rout to Battel sounded,
And Pulpit, Drum Ecclesiastick,
Was beat with fist, instead of a stick:
Then did Sir Knight abandon dwelling,
And out he rode a Colonelling.

A Wight he was, whose very sight wou'd
Entitle him Mirror of Knighthood;

That never bent his stubborn knee
To any thing but Chivalry,

Nor put up blow, but that which laid
Right worshipful on Shoulder-blade:
Chief of Domestick Knights and Errant,
Either for Chartel or for Warrant:

Great on the Bench, Great in the Saddle,
That could as well bind o'er, as swaddle.
Mighty he was at both of these,
And styl'd of War as well as Peace.
(So some Rats of amphibious nature,
Are either for the Land or Water)
But here our Authors make a doubt,
Whether he were more wise, or stout.
Some hold the one, and some the other:
But howsoe'er they make a pother,
The difference was so small, his Brain
Outweigh'd his Rage but half a Grain:
Which made some take him for a Tool
That Knaves do work with, call'd a Fool.
And offer to lay wagers that

As Mountaigne playing with his Cat,
Complains she thought him but an Ass,
Much more she would Sir Hudibras.
(For that's the Name our valiant Knight
To all his Challenges did write.)
But they're mistaken very much,
'Tis plain enough he was no such.
We grant, although he had much wit,
H' was very shie of using it,
As being loath to wear it out,
And therefore bore it not about.
Unless on Holy-days, or so,
As Men their best Apparel do.

Beside, 'tis known he could speak Greek,

As naturally as Pigs squeek:

That Latine was no more difficile,

Than to a Black-bird 'tis to whistle.

Being rich in both, he never scanted
His Bounty unto such as wanted;
But much of either would afford,
To many that had not one word.
For Hebrew Roots, although th' are found
To flourish most in barren ground,
He had such plenty as suffic'd

To make some think him circumcis'd:
And truely so perhaps, he was
'Tis many a Pious Christians case.

He was in Logick a great Critick,
Profoundly skill'd in Analytick.
He could distinguish, and divide

A Hair 'twixt South and South-West side:
On either which he would dispute,
Confute, change hands, and still confute.
He'd undertake to prove by force
Of Argument, a Man's no Horse.
He'd prove a Buzard is no Fowl,
And that a Lord may be an Owl,
A Calf an Alderman, a Goose a Justice,
And Rooks Committee-men, and Trustees;
He'd run in Debt by Disputation,
And pay with Ratiocination.

All this by Syllogism, true

In mood and Figure, he would do.

For Rhetorick he could not ope

His mouth, but out there flew a Trope:
And when he hapned to break off
I'th' middle of his speech, or cough,
H' had hard words, ready to shew why,
And tell what Rules he did it by.
Else when with greatest Art he spoke,
You'd think he talk'd like other folk,
For all a Rhetoricians Rules,
Teach nothing but to name his Tools,
His ordinary Rate of Speech

In loftiness of sound was rich,