He has receiv'd in fight, are mortal,
Is more than all my skill can foretel;
Nor do I know what is become

Of him, more than the Pope of Rome:

But if I can but find them out

That caus'd it (as I fhall no doubt,

Where'er they' in hugger-mugger lurk)
I'll make them rue their handy-work,
And wish that they had rather dar'd
To pull the devil by the beard.

265

270

Have left him where he 's fafe enough:
There let him reft; for if we stay,
The flaves may hap to get away.
This faid, they all engag'd to join
Their forces in the fame defign,

290

And

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 fuch, Crowdero being faft
In dungeon fhut, we left him last.
Triumphant laurels feem'd to grow
No-where fo green as on his brow,
Laden with which, as well as tir'd

295

With conquering toil, he now retir'd

300

Unto a neighbouring castle by,

To reft his body, and apply

Fit med'cines to each glorious bruise

He got in fight, reds, blacks, and blues;

No 'dvantage finds like goods and chattels),

Drew home his bow, and, aiming right,

315

Let fly an arrow at the Knight;

The

Ver. 315, 316.] In the two firft editions of 1663,

this and the following line ftand thus

As how he did, and aiming right,

An arrow he let fly at Knight.

(That belly that so oft did ake,
And suffer griping for her fake,
Till purging comfits, and ants' eggs

325

Had almost brought him off his legs)

Us'd him fo like a bafe rafcallion,

That old Pyg---(what d' y' call him) malion,

That cut his mistress out of stone,

Had not fo hard a hearted one.

330

She had a thousand jadifh tricks,

Worfe than a mule that flings and kicks;

'Mong which one cross-grain'd freak she had,

As infolent as ftrange, and mad;

335

She could love none but only fuch
As fcorn'd and hated her as much.
'Twas a strange riddle of a lady;
Not love, if any lov'd her: hey-day !
So cowards never ufe their might,
But against fuch as will not fight.
Sa fome difeafes have been found

340

Only to feize upon the found.

He that gets her by heart, must say her

The back way, like a witch's prayer.

Meanwhils

Ver. 338.] Hey-day!---Ha day! in all editions till

1704; then altered to Hey-day!

Meanwhile the Knight had no small task

To compass what he durft not ask :

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

345

Like caitiff vile, that for misdeed

<Rides with his face to rump of fteed;

350

360.

To be by man of honour borne ;
Yet much he bore, until the distress
He fuffer'd from his fpiteful miftrefs
Did ftir his ftomach, and the pain.
He had endur'd from her difdain,
Turn'd to regret fo refolute,
That he refolv'd to wave his fuit,
And either to renounce her quite,

355

Or for a while play leaft in fight.
This refolution being put on,

He kept fome months, and more had done,
But being brought fo nigh by Fate,

370

The victory he atchiev'd fo late
Did fet his thoughts agog, and ope
A door to difcontinued hope,.

VOL. I.

I

That

That feem'd to promise he might win

375

His dame too, now his hand was in ;

And that his valour, and the honour

He 'ad newly gain'd, might work upon her:
These reasons made his mouth to water

With amorous longings to be at her.

380

Quoth he, unto himself, Who knows

But this brave conqueft o'er my foes

May reach her heart, and make that stoop,

As I but now have forc'd the troop?

If nothing can oppugn love,

385

And virtue invious ways can prove,
What may not he confide to do,
That brings both love and virtue too?
But thou bring'st valour too, and wit,

But lets the timidous miscarry :

'Then, while the honour thou haft got
Is fpick-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 fleep;

And as an owl, that in a barn

Sees a mouse creeping in the corn,

405

Sits