Though 'twas no table, some suppose,
But a huge pair of round trunk hose;
In which he carry'd as much meat
As he and all the knights could eat,

344

When, laying by their swords and truncheons,

They took their breakfasts, or their nuncheons. But let that pass at present, lest

We should forget where we digrest,
As learned authors use, to whom
We leave it, and to th' purpose come.
His puissant sword unto his side,
Near his undaunted heart, was ty'd;
With basket-hilt, that would hold broth,
And serve for fight and dinner both.

350

In it he melted lead for bullets,

355

To shoot at foes, and sometimes pullets,

To whom he bore so fell a grutch,

He ne'er gave quarter t' any such.

The trenchant blade, Toledo trusty,

For want of fighting, was grown rusty,
And ate into itself, for lack

360

Of somebody to hew and hack.

The peaceful scabbard where it dwelt
The rancour of its edge had felt;

For of the lower end two handful

365

It had devoured, 'twas so manful;
And so much scorn'd to lurk in case,
As if it durst not shew its face.

In many desperate attempts,

Of warrants, exigents, contempts,

370

It had appear'd with courage bolder

Than Serjeant Bum invading shoulder.
Oft had it ta'en possession,

And pris'ners too, or made them run.
This sword a dagger had

his page,

375

That was but little for his age;
And therefore waited on him so,

As dwarfs upon knights-errant do..

359. The capital city of New Castile, in Spain, with an archbishopric and primacy. It was very famous, amongst other things, for tempering the best metal for swords, as Damascus was, and perhaps may be still.

380

It was a serviceable dudgeon,
Either for fighting or for drudging.
When it had stabb'd, or broke a head,
It would scrape trenchers, or chip bread;
Toast cheese or bacon; tho' it were
To bait a mouse-trap, 'twould not care.
"Twould make clean shoes; and in the earth 385
Set leeks and onions, and so forth.
It had been 'prentice to a brewer,
Where this and more it did endure;
But left the trade, as many more,
Have lately done on the same score.

In th' holsters, at his saddle-bow,
Two aged pistols he did stow,
Among the surplus of such meat
As in his hose he could not get.

390

These would inveigle rats with th' scent, 395 To forage when the cocks were bent:

And sometimes catch 'em with a snap

As cleverly as th' ablest trap.

They were upon hard duty still,

And ev'ry night stood sentinel,
To guard the magazine i' the hose

From two-legg'd and from four-legg'd foes.
Thus clad and fortify'd, Sir Knight
From peaceful home set forth to fight.
But first with nimble, active force
He got on th' outside of his horse;
For having but one stirrup ty'd
T'his saddle, on the farther side,
It was so short h' had much ado
To reach it with his desp'rate toe:

400

405

410

But after many strains and heaves,

He got up to the saddle-eaves,

From whence he vaulted into th' seat,

With so much vigour, strength, and heat,
That he had almost tumbled over

415

With his own weight, but did recover,

By laying hold on tail and mane,

Which oft he us'd instead of rein.

389. Oliver Cromwell and Colonel Pride had been both brewers.

But now we talk of mountain steed,
Before we farther do proceed,
It doth behove us to say something
Of that which bore our valiant bumpkin.
The beast was sturdy, large, and tall,
With mouth of meal, and eyes of wall.
I would say eye; for h' had but one,
As most agree; tho' some say none.
He was well stay'd; and in his gait
Preserv'd a grave majestic state.
At spur or switch no more he skept,
Or mended pace than Spaniard whipt;
And yet so fiery he would bound
As if he griev'd to touch the ground:

420

425

430

That Cæsar's horse, who as fame goes

Had corns upon his feet and toes,

Was not by half so tender hooft,

435

Nor trod upon the ground so soft.

And as that beast would kneel and stoop

(Some write) to take his rider up,

So Hudibras his ('tis well known)

Would often do to set him down.

440

We shall not need to say what lack

Of leather was upon his back;

For that was hidden under pad,

And breech of Knight, gall'd full as bad.

His strutting ribs on both sides shew'd

445

Like furroughs he himself had plow'd;
For underneath the skirt of pannel,
'Twixt ev'ry two there was a channel.
His draggling tail hung in the dirt,

Which on his rider he would flirt,

450

Still as his tender side he prick'd,

With arm'd heel, or with unarm'd, kick'd;

For Hudibras wore but one spur;

As wisely knowing, could he stir

455

To active trot one side of 's horse,
The other would not hang an arse.

A squire he had, whose name was Ralph,

That in th' adventure went his half:

433. Julius Cæsar had a horse with feet like a man's. 'Utebatur equo insigni; pedibus prope humanis, et in modum digitorum ungulis fissis. Suet, in Jul. cap. 61.

Though writers, for more stately tune,
Do call him Ralpho; 'tis all one;
And when we can with metre safe,
We'll call him so; if not, plain Ralph.

460

For rhyme the rudder is of verses,

With which like ships they steer their courses. An equal stock of wit and valour

465

He had laid in; by birth a tailor.

The mighty Tyrian queen that gain'd

With subtle shreds a tract of land,
Did leave it with a castle fair

Of golden bough, but true gold-lace.

His knowledge was not far behind

The Knights, but of another kind,

480

And he another way came by't:

Some call it Gifts, and some New-Light;

A liberal art that costs no pains

Of study, industry, or brains.

His wit was sent him for a token,

485

But in the carriage crack'd and broken.
Like commendation nine-pence crook'd,
With-To and from my love-It look'd.
He ne'er consider'd it, as loth

To look a gift-horse in the mouth;
And very wisely would lay forth
No more upon it than 'twas worth.
But as he got it freely, so

He spent it frank and freely too.

490

467. Dido, queen of Carthage, who bought as much land as she could compass with an ox's hide, which she cu into small thongs, and cheated the owner of so much ground as served her to build Carthage upon.

476. Eneas, whom Virgil reports to use a golden bough for a pass to hell; and tailors call that place hell where they put all they steal.

For saints themselves will sometimes be,
Of gifts that cost them nothing, free.
By means of this, with hem and cough,
Prolongers to enlighten'd stuff,

He could deep mysteries unriddle
As easily as thread a needle.
For as of vagabonds we say,
That they are ne'er beside the way;

495

500

Whate'er men speak by this New Light,

Still they are sure to be i' th' right.

"Tis a dark-lantern of the spirit,

505

Which none see by but those that bear it:

A light that falls down from on high,

For spiritual trades to cozen by :

An ignis fatuus, that bewitches

And leads men into pools and ditches,

510

To make them dip themselves, and sound

For Christendom in dirty pond;

To dive like wild-fowl for salvation,

And fish to catch regeneration.
This light inspires and plays upon
The nose of saint like bag-pipe drone,
And speaks through hollow empty soul,
As through a trunk or whisp'ring hole,
Such language as no mortal ear
But spirit'al eaves-droppers can hear:
So Phœbus, or some friendly muse,

515

520

Into small poets' song infuse,

Which they at second-hand rehearse,

Thro' reed or bag-pipe, verse for verse.

Thus Ralph became infallible

525

As three or four-legg'd oracle,

The ancient cup, or modern chair;

Spoke truth point-blank, tho' unaware.
For mystic learning, wondrous able

In magic Talisman and Cabal,

530

526. Read the great Geographical Dictionary under that word.

530. Talisman is a device to destroy any sort of vermin, by casting their images in metal, in a precise minute, when the stars are perfectly inclined to do them all the mischief they can This has been experienced by some modern viriuosi upon rats, mice, and fleas, and found (as they affirm) to produce the effect with admiable success.

Raymond Lully interprets cabal, out of the Arabic, to