And put his beard into a posture
At best advantage to accost her,
She order'd th' antimafquerade.
(For his reception) aforesaid :
But, when the ceremony was done,
The lights put out, the Furies gone,
And Hudibras, among the reft,
Convey'd away, as Ralpho guess'd,
The wretched caitiff, all alone,
(As he believ'd) began to moan,
And tell his ftory to himself,
The Knight miftook him for an elf;
And did fo ftill, till he began

To fcruple at Ralpho's outward man,

And thought, because they oft agreed. in one another's ftead,

T' appear

And act the faint's and devil's part,

With undistinguishable art,

They might have done fo now, perhaps,
And put on one another's shapes;
And therefore, to refolve the doubt,
He ftar'd upon him, and cry'd out,
What art? My Squire, or that bold sprite
That took his place and shape to-night?

Ver. 88.] But he convey'd him, &c. First edit. 1678. Altered, 1684, to convey'd.

Ver. 102, 103, 104.] Here is an amazing difcovery opened. The Knight's dreadful apprehenfions vanish with night no fooner does the day break, but with

joy

joy he perceives his mistake; he finds Ralpho in his company instead of an elf or a ghoft: upon this he is agreeably furprized, as he was before terribly affrighted. But let us examine whether this meeting, and the reconciliation that follows it, are naturally brought about, fince, the day before, they had mutually refolved to abandon each other. I think he hath judiciously formed this incident: for it is plain the Knight and the Squire were confcious they had wronged one another, the one by his bafe intentions, and the other by his treachery and grofs impofition; but very fortunately they were ignorant of each other's defigns, and, confequently, each thought himself the offender: it is, therefore, natural and probable that they should easily come to a good understanding. The Knight compounds with the Squire for his impofition as a ghost, not only from a fenfe of his own bafe intentions, but for the happy efcape from witches, fpirits, and elves, from which the Squire pretends to have freed him. On the other hand, the Squire is willing to re-enter into the Knight's fervice, and to attend him once more in his peregrinations, when he found this fham meritorious action had deluded him into a fufpenfion of that refentment which he might juftly have exerted: thus are they fortunately reconciled, and thus are thefe momentous Adventures continued, to the fatisfaction of the reader, and applause of the Poet.

Ver. 103.] Sprite, in all the editions to 1726, inclufive, Spright, edition 1739.

But Ralph himself, your trufty Squire,

A

Who 'as dragg'd your Dunfhip out o' th' mire, 110 And from th' inchantments of a Widow,

Who 'ad turn'd you int' a beast, have freed you;

And, though a prifoner of war,

Have brought you fafe, where now you are;
Which you would gratefully repay,

Your conftant Prefbyterian way.

That 's franger (quoth the Knight) and stranger;

Who gave thee notice of my danger?

Quoth he, Th' infernal conjurer Pursued, and took me prisoner; And, knowing you were hereabout, Brought me along, to find

you

out.

Where I, in hugger-mugger hid,

Have noted all they said or did

115

120

And, though they lay to him the pageant,
I did not fee him, nor his agent;

125

Who play'd their forceries out of fight,
T'avoid a fiercer, fecond fight.

But didft thou fee no devils then?
Not one (quoth he) but carnal men,

130

A little worfe than fiends in hell,

And that she-devil Jezabel,

That laugh'd and tee-he'd with derifion,
To see them take your depofition.

What then (quoth Hudibras) was he
That play'd the devil to examine me ?

135

A rallying

Ver. 110.] Dunship, in all editions to 1710. Donhip, in later editions.

140

A rallying weaver in the town,
That did it in a parfon's gown;
Whom all the parish takes for gifted,
But for my part I ne'er believ'd it :
In which you told them all your feats,
Your confcientious frauds and cheats ;
Deny'd your whipping, and confefs'd
The naked truth of all the rest,
More plainly than the reverend writer
That to our Churches veil'd his mitre;
All which they took in black and white,
And cudgel'd me to underwrite.

What made thee, when they all were gone,

145

And none but thou and I alone,

To act the devil, and forbear

150

To rid me of my hellifh fear?

Quoth

Ver. 145, 146.] Though there were more than one in thofe times that this character would have fuited, yet it is probable that Mr. George Graham, Bishop of Orkney, is fneered at in this place by Mr. Butler. He was fo bafe as to renounce and abjure Epifcopacy, figning the abjuration with his own hand, at Breckness, in Strones, Feb. 11, 1639. To this remarkable incident Bishop Hall alludes (Epiftle Dedicatory prefixed to his Epifcopacy by Divine Right, &c. 1640, p. 1.) where he obferves, "That he craved pardon for having "accepted his Epifcopal function, as if he had thereby "committed fome heinous offence." Upon which he ufes the following exclamation, “ Good God! what is "this I have lived to hear? That a bishop, in a Chrif"tian assembly, should renounce his Epifcopal function, "and cry Mercy for his now abandoned calling."

Quoth he, I knew

your conftant rate,

And frame of spirit too obftinate,
To be by me prevail'd upon,
With any motives of my own;

And therefore ftrove to counterfeit
The devil a while, to nick your wit;
The devil, that is your constant crony,
That only can prevail upon ye;
Elfe we might ftill have been disputing,
And they with weighty drubs confuting.
The Knight, who now began to find
They 'ad left the enemy behind,
And faw no farther harm remain
But feeble weariness and pain,

Perceiv'd, by lofing of their way,

155

160

165

They 'ad gain'd th' advantage of the day,

And, by declining of the road,

They had, by chance, their rear made good;

170

And whence, and how, he came to fly;
And, when no devil had appear'd,
What else it could be faid he fear'd;

It put him in fo fierce a rage,
He once refolv'd to re-engage;

180

Tofs'd,