of the castle of St. Angelo, and distributes rockets in the air, &c. &c. Amongst the other diversions of the day, is a horse-race in one of the longest streets in the city, which is performed in the following manner :—

"The horses, without being saddled, are placed exactly altogether abreast, and so held by the bridle. There is a girth goes round each of their bodies, to which, upon the top of their backs, is fastened a thin plate of polished steel, about two inches in breadth, and a foot long, in the shape of an arch, which is so pliable as to rise up and fall down again towards the hinder part of the horse at his least motion, at the extremity whereof hangs a bunch of very sharp spurs; these spurs are held up from touching the horse by a groom, who, upon the signal for starting, lets them fall down and prick his back, upon which all the horses immediately start, and the faster they run, the faster do the spurs prick them.

Butler uses the phrase Tuscan running-horse, because the best race-horses in Italy are supposed to be those bred in Tuscany.

to win lady," a new

hrist?

PART III.---CANTO III.

The Argument.

The Knight and Squire's prodigious flight
To quit th' enchanted bow'r by night.
He plots 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

Than hags, with all their imps and teats;

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Make more bewitch and haunt themselves

Than all their nurseries of elves.

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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 Rosycrucian virtuosos

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Can see with ears, and hear with noses;

To th' course of Nature, but its own;

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 rescu'd with a cheat,
When nothing but himself and fear
Were both the imps 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;

Who took his dark and desp'rate course,

He knew no better than his horse;

And, by an unknown devil led

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(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,

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From equal falling on his rear.

And though with kicks and bangs he ply'd

The further and the nearer side

(As seamen ride with all their force,

And tug as if they rode the horse,

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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.

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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,

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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,

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T'accommodate his beast and person,

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