Cut fupplemental 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, fhow'd
As if it ftoop'd with its own load:
For as neas bore his fire

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 poife this equally, he bore

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A paunch of the fame bulk before,

Which ftill 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 ;

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With other victual, which anon

We farther fhall dilate upon,

When of his hofe we come to treat,

The cupboard where he kept his meat.
His doublet was of sturdy buff,

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And though not fword, yet cudgel-proof,

Whereby 'twas fitter for his ufe,

Who fear'd no blows but fuch as bruife.

His breeches were of rugged woollen, And had been at the fiege of Bullen; To old King Harry fo well known, Some writers held they were his own:

Through

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Through they were lin'd with many a piece
Of ammunition bread and cheefe,
And fat black-puddings, proper food,
For warriors that delight in blood:
For, as we said, he always chose
To carry vittle in his hofe,
That often tempted rats and mice
The ammunition to surprise;

And when he put a hand but in
The one or t' other magazine,

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320

They toutly in defence on 't ftood,

And from the wounded foe drew blood,

And till th' were ftorm'd and beaten out,

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Ne'er left the fortify'd redoubt:

And though knights-errant, as some think,

Unless they graz'd, there 's not one word

Of their provifion on record;

Which made fome confidently write,

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They had no ftomachs but to fight.

'Tis

Ver. 319.] This and the feven following lines are not in the two first editions of 1663, and added in that of 1674.

'Tis falfe; for Arthur wore in hall
Round table like a farthingal,
On which, with fhirt pull'd out behind,
And eke before, his good knights din'd;
Though 'twas no table fome fuppofe,
But a huge pair of round trunk hofe,
In which he carry'd as much meat
As he and all the knights could eat,

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We leave it, and to th' purpofe come.

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The peaceful fcabbard, where it dwelt,
The rancour of its edge had felt;

For of the lower end two handful

It had devoured, 'twas fo manful,

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And

And fo much fcorn'd to lurk in cafe,

As if it durft not fhow its face.

In many defperate attempts

Of warrants, exigents, contempts,
It had appear'd with courage bolder

Than Serjeant Bum invading shoulder:
Oft had it ta'en poffeffion,

And prifoners too, or made them run.
This fword a dagger had, his page,
That was but little for his age,
And therefore waited on him fo,
As dwarfs upon knights-errant do:
It was a ferviceable dudgeon,
Either for fighting or for drudging:
When it had ftabb'd, or broke a head,
It would fcrape trenchers, or chip bread;
Toaft cheese or bacon; though it were
To bait a moufe-trap, 'twould not care
'Twould make clean fhoes, and in the earth.
Set leeks and onions, and fo forth:
It had been 'prentice to a brewer,
Where this and more it did endure,
But left the trade, as many more
Have lately done on the fame fcore.

In th' holsters, at his faddle-bow,
Two aged piftols he did ftow,
Among the furplus of fuch meat
As in his hofe he could not get :

Thefe would inveigle rats with th' fcent,
To forage when the cocks were bent,

And fometimes catch them with a snap,

As cleverly as th' ableft trap:

They were upon hard duty still,

And every night stood centinel,

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To guard the magazine i' th' hofe

From two-legg'd and from four-legg'd foes.

With fo much vigour, ftrength, and heat,

That he had almoft tumbled over

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With his own weight, but did recover,

By laying hold on tail and mane,

Which oft he us'd inftead of rein.

But now we talk of mounting steed, Before we further do proceed,

It doth behove us to fay fomething

Of that which bore our valiant bumkin.
The beaft was sturdy, large, and tall,
With mouth of meal, and eyes of wall;
I would fay eye, for h' had but one,

As moft agree, though fome say none; we

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