And having brought him bravely off,
Have left him where he's safe enough:
There let him rest; for if we stay,
The slaves may hap to get away.

This said, they all engaged to join
Their forces in the same design;
And forthwith put themselves in search
Of Hudibras, upon their march.
Where leave we them a while, to tell
What the victorious Knight befel.
For such, Crowdero being fast
In dungeon shut, we left him last.
Triumphant laurels seem'd to grow
Nowhere so green as on his brow;
Laden with which, as well as tired
With conqu❜ring toil, he now retired
Unto a neighbouring castle by,
To rest his body, and apply

Fit med'cines to each glorious bruise

He got in fight, reds, blacks, and blues ;
To mollify th' uneasy pang

Of ev'ry honourable bang,

Which being by skilful midwife dress'd,
He laid him down to take his rest.

But all in vain h' had got a hurt
O' th' inside, of a deadlier sort,
By Cupid made, who took his stand
Upon a widow's jointure land;

(For he, in all his am'rous battles,

No 'dvantage finds like goods and chattels),
Drew home his bow, and, aiming right,

Let fly an arrow at the Knight;
The shaft against a rib did glance,
And gall him in the purtenance;

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PART FIRST. CANTO III.

But time had somewhat 'swaged his pain,
After he found his suit in vain :

For that proud dame, for whom his soul
Was burnt in's belly like a coal
(That belly that so oft did ake,
And suffer griping for her sake,
Till purging comfits, and ants' eggs,
Had almost brought him off his legs),
Used him so like a base rascallion,

That old Pyg-(what d' y' call him?)-malion,
That cut his mistress out of stone,

Had not so hard a hearted one.

She had a thousand jadish tricks,

Worse than a mule that flings and kicks;

'Mong which one cross-grain'd freak she had,
As insolent as strange and mad-
She could love none but only such
As scorn'd and hated her as much.
'Twas a strange riddle of a lady :
Not love, if any loved her-Hey-day!
So cowards never use their might,
But against such as will not fight;
So some diseases have been found
Only to seize upon the sound:

He that gets her by heart must say her
The back way, like a witch's prayer.
Meanwhile the Knight had no small task
To compass what he durst not ask :

He loves, but dares not make the motion;
Her ignorance is his devotion:

Like caitiff vile, that for misdeed
Rides with his face to rump of steed;
Or rowing scull,' he's fain to love,
Look one way, and another move;

1 Scull:' boat.

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Or like a tumbler, that does play
His game, and look another way,
Until he seize upon the coney;
Just so does he by matrimony.
But all in vain; her subtle snout
Did quickly wind his meaning out,
Which she return'd with too much scorn,
To be by man of honour borne ;
Yet much he bore, until the distress
He suffer'd from his spiteful mistress
Did stir his stomach, and the pain
He had endured from her disdain,
Turn'd to regret, so resolute,
That he resolved to waive his suit,
And either to renounce her quite,
Or for a while play least in sight.
This resolution being put on,

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He kept some months, and more had done;
But being brought so nigh by Fate,

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The victory he achieved so late
Did set his thoughts agog, and ope
A door to discontinued hope,
That seem'd to promise he might win
His Dame too, now his hand was in;
And that his valour, and the honour
H' had newly gain'd, might work upon
These reasons made his mouth to water
With am'rous longings to be at her.
Quoth he, unto himself, Who knows

But this brave conquest o'er my foes

her;

May reach her heart, and make that stoop,
As I but now have forced the troop?

If nothing can oppugn her love,

1

And virtue envious ways can prove,

1 Envious: impassable.

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What may not he confide to do
That brings both love and virtue too?
But thou bring'st valour, too, and wit,
Two things that seldom fail to hit.
Valour's a mouse-trap, wit a gin,
Which women oft are taken in :

Then, Hudibras, why should'st thou fear
To be, that art, a conqueror?
Fortune th' audacious doth juvare,
But lets the timidous miscarry.
Then while the honour thou hast got
Is spick and span new, piping hot,
Strike her up bravely, thou hadst best,
And trust thy fortune with the rest.
Such thoughts as these the Knight did keep
More than his bangs, or fleas, from sleep :
And as an owl that in a barn

Sees a mouse creeping in the corn,

Sits still, and shuts his round blue eyes
As if he slept, until he spies

The little beast within his reach,

Then starts, and seizes on the wretch;
So from his couch the Knight did start,
To seize upon the widow's heart,
Crying, with hasty tone, and hoarse,
Ralpho, Despatch, To horse, to horse!
And 'twas but time; for now the rout,
We left engaged to seek him out,
By speedy marches were advanced
Up to the fort where he ensconced ;
And all th' avenues had possess'd
About the place, from east to west.

That done, awhile they made a halt,
To view the ground, and where t' assault:

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Then call'd a council, which was best,
By siege or onslaught, to invest
The enemy; and 'twas agreed,
By storm and onslaught to proceed.
This being resolved, in comely sort
They now drew up t' attack the fort;
When Hudibras, about to enter
Upon another-gate's adventure,
To Ralpho call'd aloud to arm,
Not dreaming of approaching storm.
Whether Dame Fortune, or the care
Of angel bad, or tutelar,

Did arm, or thrust him on to danger,
To which he was an utter stranger;
That foresight might, or might not, blot
The glory he had newly got;

Or to his shame it might be said,
They took him napping in his bed:
To them we leave it to expound,
That deal in sciences profound.

His courser scarce he had bestrid,
And Ralpho that on which he rid,
When setting ope the postern gate,
Which they thought best to sally at,
The foe appear'd drawn up and drill'd,
Ready to charge them in the field.
This somewhat startled the bold Knight,
Surprised with th' unexpected sight:
The bruises of his bones and flesh
He thought began to smart afresh ;
Till recollecting wonted courage,
His fear was soon converted to rage,
And thus he spoke: The coward foe,
Whom we but now gave quarter to,

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