I would (quoth he) venture a limb

To second thee, and rescue him ;
But then we must about it straight,
Or else our aid will come too late;
Quarter he fcorns, he is fo ftout,

320

And therefore cannot long hold out.

This faid, they wav'd their weapons round

125

About their heads to clear the ground,
And, joining forces, laid about

So fiercely, that th' amazed rout

Turn'd tail again, and ftraight begun,

As if the devil drove, to run.

130

Meanwhile they' approach'd the place where Bruin

Was now engag'd to mortal ruin :

The conquering foe they foon affail'd,
First Trulla ftav'd, and Cerdon tail'd,
Until their Maftives loos'd their hold:
And yet, alas! do what they could,
The worfted Bear came off with ftore
Of bloody wounds, but all before :
For as Achilles, dipt in pond,
Was anabaptiz'd free from wound,
Made proof against dead-doing steel
All over, but the Pagan heel;

135

140

Is half the coin) in battle par'd

Close to his head, fo Bruin far'd;

150

But tugg'd and pull'd on th' other fide,

Like fcrivener newly crucify'd :

Or like the late-corrected leathern

Ears of the circumcifed brethren.

But gentle Trulla into th` ring

155

He wore in 's nofe convey'd a string,

With which the march'd before, and led

The warrior to a graffy bed,

As authors write, in a cool fhade,

Which eglantine and roses made;

160

Close by a foftly murmuring ftream,
Where lovers us'd to loll and dream:
There leaving him to his repose,

Secured from pursuit of foes,

And wanting nothing but a fong,

165

And a well-tun'd theorbo hung

Upon a bough, to ease the pain

His tugg'd ears fuffer'd, with a strain
They both drew up, to march in quest
Of his great leader and the rest.

For Orfin (who was more renown'd
For ftout maintaining of his ground,
In ftanding fight, than for purfuit,
As being not fo quick of foot)
Was not long able to keep pace
With others that purfued the chace,
But found himself left far behind,

Both out of heart and out of wind;

170

175

Griev'd

Griev'd to behold his Bear pursued

So bafely by a multitude,

180

And like to fall, not by the prowess,

But numbers, of his coward foes.

He rag'd, and kept as heavy a coil as
Stout Hercules for lofs of Hylas;
Forcing the vallies to repeat

The accents of his fad regret:

He beat his breast, and tore his hair,
For lofs of his dear crony Bear,
That Echo, from the hollow ground,
His doleful wailings did refound
More wiftfully, by many times,
Than in fmall poets fplay-foot rhymes,
That make her, in their ruthful stories,
To answer to int'rogatories,

185

190

And most unconscionably depose

195

To things of which the nothing knows;
And when she has faid all the can fay,

'Tis wrefted to the lover's fancy.

Quoth he, O whither, wicked Bruin,

Art thou fled? to my-Echo, Ruin.

200

I thought thou 'adft fcorn'd to budge a step
For fear. Quoth Echo, Marry guep.

Am

Ver. 189, 190.] This paffage is beautiful, not only as it is a moving lamentation, and evidences our Poet to be master of the pathetic as well as the fublime style, but alfo as it comprehends a fine fatire upon that falfe kind of wit of making an echo talk fenfibly, and give rational anfwers.

Am not I here to take thy part?

Then what has quail'd thy ftubborn heart?
Have thefe bones rattled, and this head
So often in thy quarrel bled?

Nor did I ever winch or grudge it

For thy dear fake. Quoth fhe, Mum budget.
Think'st thou 'twill not be laid i' th' difh
Thou turn'dft thy back? Quoth Echo, Pish.
To run from those thou 'adft overcome,
Thus cowardly? Quoth Echo, Mum.
But what a vengeance makes thee fly
From me too, as thine enemy?
Or, if thou haft no thought of me,
Nor what I have endur'd for thee,
Yet fhame and honour might prevail
To keep thee thus from turning tail :

For who would grutch to spend his blood in
His honour's caufe? Quoth fhe, a Puddin.
This faid, his grief to anger turn'd,

205

210

215

220

Which in his manly ftomach burn'd; Thirst of revenge, and wrath, in place 'Of forrow, now began to blaze.

He vow'd the authors of his woe

225

Should equal vengeance undergo,

And with their bones and flesh pay dear
For what he fuffer'd, and his Bear.
This being refolv'd, with equal speed
And rage
hè hafted to proceed

To action ftraight; and giving o'er

To fearch for Bruin any more,

230

He

He went in queft of Hudibras,

To find him out where'er he was;

And, if he were above ground, vow'd

235

He 'd ferret him, lurk where he wou'd.

250%

And feeble fcoundrel, Hudibras,
With that more paltry ragamuffin,
Ralpho, with vapouring and huffing,
Have put upon us, like tame cattle,
As if they' had routed us in battle?

For my part, it shall ne'er be faid
I for the washing gave my head:
Nor did I turn my back for fear
O' th' rafcals, but lofs of my Bear,

255

Which now I'm like to undergo;

For whether thefe fell wounds, or no,

260

He

Ver. 258. Of them, but lofing of my Bear. 1674, and all editions to 1704, exclufive.