Hudibras

THE ARGUMENT.

Sir HuDiERAS ‘ his passing worth, The niauner how he sallied forth, His arms and equipage, are sliowu; His horse’s virtues and his own. Th’ adventure of the bear and fiddle Is sung, but breaks off in the middle.-’

;;ipT-’;i HEN civil dud<i;eon ‘ first grew liigh, M And men fell ont, they knew not wliy When hard words, jealousies, and fears Set Iblks together by the ears, And made them liglit, like mad or druuk’j For dame Eeligion as for Punk; Whose honesty they all durst swear for, Tho’ not a man of them knew wherefore: When Grospel-Trumpeter, surrounded With long-ear’d rout, to battle sounded, And pulpit, drum ecclesiastick, AVas beat Avith fist, instead of a stick; Then did Sir Knight abandon dwelling. And out he rode a colonelling.

A Wight he was, whose very sight would Entitle hitn Mirror of Knighthood; That never bow’d his stubborn knee To anything but chivalry; Nor put up blow, but that which laid Eight AVorshipfid on shoulder-blade: Chief of domestic knights, and errant, Either for chartel or for warrant: Great on the bench, great in the saddle, That could as well bind o’er, as swaddle: Mighty he was at both of these, And styled of” AV^ar as well as Peace. So some rats of amphibious nature Are either for the land or water. But here our authors make a doubt, Whetlier he were more wise or stout. Some hold the one, and some the other; But howsoe’er they make a pother. The diff’rence was so small, his brain Outweigh’ d his rage but half a grain; Which made some take him for a tool That knaves do work with, call’d a Fool. For t’ has been held by many, that As Montaigne, playing with his cat, Complains she thought him but an ass, Much more she would Sir Hudibras: For that’s the name our valiant knight To all his challenges did write. But they’i-e mistaken very much, ’Tis plain enough he was no such; We grant, although he had much wit, H’ was very shy of using it; Ah being loth to wear it out, And therefore bore it not about, Unless on holj-days, or so. As men their best apparel do. Beside, ’tis known he could speak Greek As naturally as pigs squeak: That Latin was no more difficile, Thau to a blackbird ’tis to whistle. Being rich in both, he never scanted His bounty unto such as wanted; But much of either would aftbrd To many, that had not one word. For Hebrew roots, although they’re found To flourish most in barren ground, He had such plenty, as sufficed To make some think him circumcised; And truly so, perhaps, he was, ’Tis many a pious Christian’s case.