That with their shoulders strove to squeeze,
And rather save a crippl'd piece

Of all their crush'd and broken members, 1675 Than have them grilled on the embers;

Still pressing on with heavy packs

Of one another on their backs,

The vanguard could no longer bear

The charges of the forlorn rear,

But, borne down headlong by the rout,
Were trampled sorely under foot:
Yet nothing prov'd so formidable
As the horrid cookery of the rabble;
And fear, that keeps all feeling out,
As lesser pains are by the gout,
Reliev'd 'em with a fresh supply
Of rallied force enough to fly,
And beat a Tuscan running horse,
Whose jockey-rider is all spurs.

CANTO III.

The Knight and Squire's prodigious flight
To quit th' enchanted bow'r by night.
He plods to turn his amorous suit
T'a plea in law, and prosecute:
Repairs to counsel, to advise
'Bout managing the enterprise;
But first resolves to try by letter,

And one more fair address, to get her.

WHO would believe what strange bugbears

Mankind creates itself, of fears

That spring like fern, that insect weed,

Equivocally, without seed;

And have no possible foundation,

But merely in th' imagination;

And yet can do more dreadful feats

1680

1685

1690

5

Than hags, with all their imps and teats;
Make more bewitch and haunt themselves

Than all their nurseries of elves?

10

8. Alluding to the vulgar opinion, that witches have their imps, or familiar spirits, that are employed in their diabolical practices, and suck private teats they have about them

N

For fear does things so like a witch,
'Tis hard t'unriddle which is which:
Sets up communities of senses,
To chop and change intelligences;
As Rosicrucian virtuosos

Can see with ears, and hear with noses;
And when they neither see nor hear,
Have more than both supply'd by fear;
That makes 'em in the dark see visions,
And hag themselves with apparitions;
And when their eyes discover least,
Discern the subtlest objects best:
Do things not contrary, alone,

15

20

To th' course of nature, but its own;

The courage of the bravest daunt,

25

And turn poltroons as valiant,

With too much as too little fear;

For men as resolute appear

And when they're out of hopes of flying,

Will run away from death, by dying;
Or turn again to stand it out,

And those they fled, like lions, rout.
This Hudibras had prov'd too true,

Who, by the furies left perdue,

And haunted with detachments, sent
From Marshal Legion's regiment,
Was by a fiend, as counterfeit,
Reliev'd and rescued with a cheat;
When nothing but himself, and fear,
Was both the imp and conjurer;
As, by the rules o' th' virtuosi,
It follows in due form of poesie.
Disguis'd in all the masks of night,
We left our champion on his flight,
At blindman's buff, to grope his way,
In equal fear of night and day;

35

40

45

15. The Rosicrucians were a sect that appeared in Germany in the beginning of the 17th age. They are also called the enlightened, immortal, and invisible. They are a very enthusiastical sort of men, and hold many wild and extravagant opinions.

36. He used to preach, as if they might expect legions to drop down from heaven, for the propagation of the good old cause.

Who took his dark and desp❜rate course,

He knew no better than his horse;

And, by an unknown devil led

(He knew as little whither) fled.
He never was in greater need,
Nor less capacity, of speed;
Disabled, both in man and beast,
To fly and run away his best;
To keep the enemy, and fear,
From equal falling on his rear.

And though with kicks and bangs he ply'd
The farther and the nearer side

(As seamen ride with all their force,
And tug as if they row'd the horse,
And when the hackney sails most swift,
Believe they lag, or run adrift,)
So, though he posted e'er so fast,
His fear was greater than his haste:
For fear, though fleeter than the wind,
Believes 'tis always left behind.
But when the morn began t' appear,
And shift t' another scene his fear,
He found his new officious shade,
That came so timely to his aid,
And forc'd him from the foe t' escape,
Had turn'd itself to Ralpho's shape;
So like in person, garb, and pitch,
'Twas hard t' interpret which was which.
For Ralpho had no sooner told
The Lady all he had t' unfold,
But she convey'd him out of sight,
To entertain th' approaching Knight;
And, while he gave himself diversion,
T'accommodate his beast and person,
And put his beard into a posture
At best advantage to accost her,
She ordered the anti-masquerade
(For his reception) aforesaid:
But when the ceremony was done,
The lights put out, and furies gone,
And Hudibras, among the rest,
Convey'd away, as Ralpho guess'd,

The wretched caitiff, all alone
(As he believ'd) began to moan,
And tell his story to himself,

The Knight mistook him for an elf;
And did so still, till he began

To scruple at Ralph's outward man;
And thought, because they oft agreed
T' appear in one another's stead,
And act the saint's and devil's part
With undistinguishable art,

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95

They might have done so now, perhaps,

And put on one another's shapes:

100

And therefore, to resolve the doubt,

He star'd upon him, and cry'd out,

What art? My Squire, or that bold sprite

That took his place and shape to-night?
Some busy, independent pug,

105

Retainer to his synagogue?

Alas! quoth he, I'm none of those,

Your bosom friends, as you suppose;

But Ralph himself, your trusty Squire,

109

Wh' has dragg'd your Donship out o' th' mire,
And from the enchantments of a widow,

Wh' had turn'd you int' a beast, have freed you;

And, though a prisoner of war,

Have brought you safe where you now are;
Which you would gratefully repay

Your constant Presbyterian way.

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120

That's stranger (quoth the Knight) and ! Who gave thee notice of my danger? [stranger; Quoth he, Th' infernal conjurer Pursued and took me prisoner; And knowing you were hereabout, Brought me along to find you out; Where I in hugger-mugger hid, Have noted all they said or did:

And though they lay to him the pageant, 125
I did not see him, nor his agent;

Who play'd their sorc'ries out of sight;
T' avoid a fiercer second fight.
But didst thou see no devils then?
Not one (quoth he) but carnal men,

130

A little worse than fiends in hell,

And that she-devil Jezebel,

That laugh'd and tee-he'd with derision,
To see them take your deposition.

What then (quoth Hudibras) was he
That play'd the dev'l to examine me?
A rallying weaver in the town,
That did it in a parson's gown,
Whom all the parish take for gifted;
But, for my part, I ne'er believ'd it:
In which you told them all your feats,
Your conscientious frauds and cheats;
Deny'd your whipping, and confest
The naked truth of all the rest,
More plainly than the rev'rend writer,
That to our churches veil'd his mitre;
All which they took in black and white,

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145

And cudgell'd me to under-write.

What made thee, when they all were gone,

And none but thou and I alone,

150

The dev❜l awhile to nick your wit;

The dev'l, that is your constant crony,
That only can prevail upon ye;

160

Else we might still have been disputing,

And they with weighty drubs confuting.
The Knight, who now began to find
Th' had left the enemy behind,
And saw no farther harm remain,

165

But feeble weariness and pain,

Perceiv'd, by losing of their way,

Th' had gain'd th' advantage of the day;

And, by declining of the road,

They had, by chance, their rear made good; 170

145. A most reverend prelate, A. B. of Y. who sided with the disaffected party