'Tis ethnique and idolatrous,

From Heathenism deriv'd to us.
Does not the Whore of Bab'lon ride
Upon her horned Beast astride,
Like this proud Dame, who either is
A type of her, or she of this?
Are things of superstitious function,
Fit to be us'd in Gospel sunshine?

765

It is an antichristian opera,

Much us'd in midnight times of Popery;
Of running after self-inventions

770

Of wicked and profane intentions;
To scandalize that sex, for scolding,
To whom the Saints are so beholden.
Women, who were our first apostles,

775

Without whose aid we 'ad all been lost else;
Women, that left no stone unturn'd

In which the cause might be concern'd;
Brought in their children's spoons and whistles,
To purchase swords, carbines, and pistols:

780

v. 775. The women were zealous contributors to the Good Cause, as they called it. Mr. James Howel observes, "That unusual voluntary collections were "made both in town and country; the seamstress'brought in her silver thimble, the chambermaid her "bodkin, the cook her silver spoon, into the common "treasury of war.-.-And some sort of females were "freer in their contributions, so far as to part with "their rings and earrings, as if some golden calf were "to be molten, and set up to be idolized."

Their husbands' cullies, and sweethearts,
To take the Saints' and Churches' parts;
Drew several Gifted Brethren in,

That for the Bishops wou'd have been,
And fix'd 'em constant to the party,

785

With motives powerful and hearty :

Their husbands robb'd and made hard shifts

T'administer unto their Gifts

All they could rap, and rend, and pilfer,

To scraps and ends of gold and silver;

790

Rubb'd down the Teachers, tir'd and spent
With holding forth for Parl'ament;

Pamper'd and edify'd their zeal

With marrow puddings many a meal:

795

Enabled them, with store of meat,
On controverted points, to eat;

And cramm'd 'em, till their guts did ake,
With caudle, custard, and plumcake.
What have they done, or what left undone,
That might advance the Cause at London?
March'd rank and file, with drum and ensign,
T' intrench the City for defence in:

Rais'd rampiers with their own soft hands,
To put th' Enemy to stands;

800

From ladies, down to oysterwenches,

805

Labour'd like pioneers in trenches,

Fall'n to their pickaxes, and tools,
And help'd the men to dig like moles.
Have not the handmaids of the City
Chose of their Members a Committee,
For raising of a common purse,
Out of their wages, to raise horse?
And do they not as Triers sit,
To judge what officers are fit?
Have they---At that an egg let fly,
Hit him directly o'er the eye,

810

815

And running down his cheek, besmear'd,
With orange-tawny slime, his beard;
But beard and slime being of one hue,.
The wound the less appear'd in view.
Then he that on the panniers rode,
Let fly on the other side a load,

829

And quickly charg'd again, gave fully,

In Ralpho's face, another volley.

v, 807.] Full'n, in the three first editions; Fell, edit. 1684.

66

v. 813, 814. "The House considered, in the next "place, that divers weak persons have crept into places "beyond their abilities; and, to the end that men of greater parts may be put into their rooms, they appointed the Lady Middlesex, Mrs. Dunch, the Lady Foster, and the Lady Anne Waller, by reason of "their great experience in soldiery in the kingdom, tą "be a Committee of Triers for the business."

66

The Knight was startled with the smell,
And for his sword began to feel;
And Ralpho, smother'd with the stink,
Grasp'd his, when one that bore a link
O' th' sudden clapp'd his flaming cudgel,
Like linstock, to the horses' touch-hole;
And straight another, with his flambeau,
Gave Ralpho o'er the eyes a damn'd blow.
The beasts began to kick and fling,
And forc'd the rout to make a ring;
Thro' which they quickly broke their way,

And brought them off from further fray;
And tho' disorder'd in retreat,

825

830

835

Each of them stoutly kept his seat:

For quitting both their swords and reins,

They grasp'd with all their strength the manes, 840,

And, to avoid the foe's pursuit,

With spurring put their cattle to 't,

And till all four were out of wind,

And danger too, ne'er look'd behind.

After they 'ad paus'd a while, supplying

845

Their spirits, spent with fight and flying,
And Hudibras recruited force

Of lungs, for action or discourse;

Quoth he, That man is sure to lose That fouls his hands with dirty foes:

850

v. 839. Rains, in the four first editions.

For where no honour's to be gain'd,
'Tis thrown away in being maintain'd:
'Twas ill for us we had to do

With so dishon'rable a foe:

For tho' the law of arms doth bar

The use of venom'd shot in war,

855

Yet by the nauseous smell, and noisom,
Their case-shot savour strong of poison,

And doubtless have been chew'd with teeth
Of some that had a stinking breath;

867

Else when we put it to the push,
They had not given us such a brush:
But as those poltroons that fling durt
Do but defile, but cannot hurt;
So all the honour they have won,
Or we have lost, is much at one.
'Twas well we made so resolute
A brave retreat without pursuit;
For if we had not, we had sped
Much worse, to be in triumph led;

865

875

v. 868.---without pursuit] T' avoid pursuit, in the two

first editions of 1654.