So learn'd Taliacotius 27 from
The brawny part of porter's bum
Cut supplemental noses, which
Would last as long as parent breech,
But when the date of Nock was out
Off dropt the sympathetic snout.
His back, or rather burthen, show'd
As if it stoop'd with its own load :
For as Æneas bore his sire

Upon his shoulders through the fire,
Our Knight did bear no less a pack
Of his own buttocks on his back:
Which now had almost got the upper-
Hand of his head for want of crupper:
To poise this equally, he bore
A paunch of the same bulk before,
Which still he had a special care

To keep well-cramm'd with thrifty fare;
As white-pot, butter-milk, and curds,
Such as a country-house affords ;
With other victual, which anon
We farther shall dilate upon,
When of his hose we come to treat,
The cupboard where he kept his meat.
His doublet was of sturdy buff,

And though not sword, yet cudgel-proof,
Whereby 'twas fitter for his use,

Who fear'd no blows but such as bruise.

(27) Gasper Taliacotius was born at Bononia, A.D. 1553, and was Professor of physic and surgery there. He died 1599. His statue stands in the Anatomy theatre, holding a nose in its hand.-He wrote a treatise in Latin called Chirurgia Nota, in which he teaches the art of ingrafting noses, ears, lips, &c. with the proper instruments and bandages.

His breeches were of rugged woollen,
And had been at the siege of Bologne ;
To old King Harry so well known,
Some writers held they were his own;
Through they were lin'd with many a piece
Of ammunition bread and cheese,
And fat black-puddings, proper food
For warriors that delight in blood;
For as we said, he always chose
To carry victual in his hose,
That often tempted rats and mice
The ammunition to surprise;
And when he put a hand but in
The one or t'other magazin,

They stoutly on defence on't stood,
And from the wounded foe drew blood,

And till th' were storm'd and beaten out,
Ne'er left the fortified redoubt:

And though knights-errant, as some think,
Of old did neither eat nor drink,
Because when thorough deserts vast,
And regions desolate, they past,
Where belly-timber above ground,
Or under, was not to be found,
Unless they graz'd there's not one word
Of their provision on record;
Which made some confidently write,
They had no stomachs but to fight.
'Tis false; for Arthur wore in hall
Round table like a farthingal,

On which, with shirt pull'd out behind,
And eke before, his good knights din'd;
Though 'twas no table some suppose,
But a huge pair of round trunk hose,

In which he carried as much meat
As he and all the knights could eat,

When laying by their swords and truncheons,
They took their breakfasts, or their nuncheons.
But let that pass at prescnt, lest

We should forget where we digrest,
As learned authors use, to whom
We leave it, and to' the purpose come.
His puissant sword unto his side,
Near his undaunted heart, was tied,
With basket-hilt that would hold broth,
And serve for fight and dinner both;
In it he melted lead for bullets
To shoot at foes, and sometimes pullets,
To whom he bore so fell a grutch,
He ne'er gave quarter to' any such.
The trenchant blade, Toledo trusty,
For want of fighting was grown rusty,
And ate into itself, for lack

Of some body to hew and hack;
The peaceful scabbard, where it dwelt,
The rancour of its age had felt;
For of the lower end two handful
It had devoured, 'twas so manful,
And so much scorn'd to lurk in case,
As if it durst not show its face.
In many desperate attempts
Of warrants, exigents, contempts,
It had appear'd with courage bolder
Than Serjeant Bum invading shoulder:
Oft had it ta'en possession,

And prisoners too, or made them run.
This sword a dagger had, his page

That was but little for his age,

And therefore waited on him so,
As dwarfs upon knights-errant do:
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; though it were
To bait a mouse-trap, 'twould not care :
Twould make clean shoes, and in the earth
Set leeks and onions, and so forth :
It had been 'prentice to a brewer, 28
Where this and more it did endure,
But left the trade, as many more
Have lately done on the same score.
In the' 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 :
These would inveigle rats with th' scent,
To forage when the cocks were bent,
And sometimes catch 'em with a snap,
As cleverly as the' ablest trap:
They were upon hard duty still,
And every night stood centinel,
To guard the magazine i' th' hose
From two-legg'd and from four-legg'd foes.
Thus clad and fortified, Sir Knight,
From peaceful home, set forth to fight.
But first with nimble active force
He got on the' outside of his horse;
For having but one stirrup tied
To' his saddle on the further side,

(28) A banter on Oliver Cromwell, Colonel Pride, and others, of the party, who had been concerned in breweries.

It was so short, he' had much ado
To reach it with his desperate toe;
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
With his own weight, but did recover,
By laying hold on tail and mane,
Which oft he us'd instead of rein.
But now we talk of mounting steed
Before we further do proceed,
It doth behove us to say something
Of that which bore our valiant bumkin.
The beast was sturdy, large, and tall,
With mouth of meal, and eyes of wall;
I would say eye, for he' had but one,
As most agree, though 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 skipt
Or mended pace, than Spaniard whipt;
And yet so fiery, he would bound
As if he griev'd to touch the ground;
That Cæsar's horse, who, as fame goes,
Had corns upon his feet and toes,
Was not by half so tender hooft,
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.
We shall not need to say what lack
Of leather was upon his back;