HUDI BRA S.

IN THREE PARTS.

PART I. CANTO I.

THE

ARGUMENT.

Sir Hudibras his paffing worth,
The manner how he fally'd forth,
His arms and equipage, are shown,
His horfe's virtues, and his own:
Th' adventure of the Bear and Fiddle
Is fung, but breaks off in the middle *.

WHEN civil dudgeon firft grew high,

And men fell out they knew not why;

* A ridicule on Ronfarde and Davenant.

Ver. 1.] To take in dudgeon, is inwardly to refent fome injury

or affront, and what is previous to actual fury. It was altered by Mr. Butler, in an edition 1674, to civil fury. Thus it stood in edit. of 1684, 1689, 1694, and 1700. Civil dudgeon was reftored in the edition of 1704, and has continued fo ever fince.

Ver. 2.] It may be justly faid They knew not why; fince, as Lord Clarendon obferves, "The like peace and plenty, and « univerfal tranquillity, was never enjoyed by any nation for ten " years together, before thofe unhappy troubles began."

When hard words, jealoufies, and fears,

Set folks together by the ears,

And made them fight, like mad or drunk,
For Dame Religion, as for punk;

Whofe honefty they all durft fwear for,
Though not a man of them knew wherefore;
When Gofpel-trumpeter, furrounded

With long-ear'd rout, to battle founded;
And pulpit, drum ecclefiaftick,

Was beat with fist instead of a stick;

Then did Sir Knight abandon dwelling,

And out he rode a colonelling.

A wight

Ver. 3.] By bard words, he probably means the cant words ufed by the Prefbyterians and fectaries of those times; such as Gofpel-walking, Gofpel-preaching, Soul-faving, Elect, Saints, the Godly, the Predestinate, and the like; which they applied to their own preachers and themselves.

Ver. 11, 12.] Alluding to their vehement action in the pulpit, and their beating it with their fifts, as if they were beating a drum.

Ver. 13.] Our Author, to make his Knight appear more ridiculous, has dressed him in all kinds of fantastic colours, and put many characters together to finish him a perfect coxcomb.

Ver. 14.] The Knight (if Sir Samuel Luke was Mr. Butler's hero) was not only a Colonel in the Parliament-army, but also Scoutmafter-general in the counties of Bedford, Surrey, &c. This gives us fome light into his character and conduct; for he is now entering upon his proper office, full of pretendedly pious and fanctified refolutions for the good of his country. His

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