But all of Wood, by Pow'rful Spell
Of Magick made impregnable;
There's neither Iron-Bar, nor Gate,
Portcullis, Chain, nor Bolt, nor Grate;
And yet Men Durance there abide,
In Dungeon fcarce three Inches wide
With Roof fo low, that under it,
They never ftand, but lye, or fit ;
And yet fo foul, that whofo is in,
Is to the Middle-leg in Prifon,
In Circle Magical confin'd,

3

With Wall of fubtle Air and Wind,
Which none are able to break thorough,
Until th' are freed by Head of Borough.
Thither arriv'd th' advent'rous Knight
And bold Squire from their Steeds alight,
At th' outward Wall, near which there ftand
A Baftile, built t'imprifon Hands;

By ftrange Enchantment made to fetter

The leffer

parts, and free the greater;

For though the Body may creep through, The Hands in Grate are faft enough.

A

And when a Circle 'bout the Wrist

Is made by Beadle Exorcift,

The Body feels the Spur and Switch,

As if 'twere ridden Poft by Witch,
At twenty miles an hour pace,

And yet ne'er ftirs out of the place.
On Top of this there is a Spire,

On which Sir Knight first bids the Squire
The Fiddle, and its Spoils, the Cafe,
In manner of a Trophy, place.

That done, they ope the Trap-door-gate,

And let Crowdero down thereat.
Crowdero making doleful face,
Like Hermit poor in penfive place,
To Dungeon they the Wretch commit,
And the Survivor of his feet:

But th' other that had broke the Peace,
And Head of Knighthood, they release,
Though a Delinquent falfe and forged,
Yet b'ing a Stranger he's enlarged;

While his Comrade, that did no hurt,
Is clapt up fast in Prison for't.

So Fuftice, while she winks at Crimes,
Stumbles on Innocence fometimes.

D 99

The ARGUMENT of the THIRD CANTO

The Scatter'd Rout return and rally,
Surround the Place; the Knight does fally,
Andis made Pris'ner: Then they feize
Th' Inchanted Fort by Storm, release
Crowdero, and put the Squire in's Place.
I should have first faid, Hudibras.

A

CANTO

III.

H me! What Perils do inviron

The Man that meddles with cold Iron !

What plaguy Mischiefs and Mishaps
Do dog him ftill with after-Claps!

For though Dame Fortune feem to fmile
And leer upon him for a while;
She'll after fhew him, in the nick
Of all his Glories, a Dog-trick,

This

any Man may fing or fay

th' Ditty call'd, What if a Day;

For Hudibras, who thought h' had won
The Field as certain as a Gun,

And having routed the whole Troop,
With Victory was Cock-a-hoop;
Thinking h' had done enough to purchase,
Thanksgiving-day among the Churches,
Wherein his Mettle and brave Worth
Might be explain'd by Holder-forth,
And Register'd by Fame Eternal,
In Deathlefs Pages of Diurnal:
Found in few minutes to his Coft,
He did but Count without his Hoft;
And that a Turn ftile is more certain,
Than in events of War Daine Fortune.

For now the late faint-hearted Rout,
O'erthrown and fcatter'd round about,
Chac'd by the Horror of their Fear
From bloudy Fray of Knight and Bear,
(All but the Dogs who in purfuit,T
Of the Knight's Victory flood to't, (!!
And moft ignobly fought to get 11
The Honour of his Bloud and Sweat)

II

44.

Seeing