Which, like your votary, to win,
I have not spar'd my tatter'd skin ;
And, for thofe meritorious lafhes,
To claim your favour and good graces.
Quoth fhe, I do remember once

185

I freed you from th' enchanted sconce;
And that you promis'd, for that favour,
To bind your back to th' good behaviour, 190
And for my fake and service, vow'd

To lay upon 't a heavy load,

And what 't would bear to a fcruple prove,

As other knights do oft' make love.

Which, whether have done or no,

you

Concerns yourself, not me, to know;
But if you have, I fhall confess,
Y'are honester than I could guess.
Quoth he, if you fufpect my troth,

I cannot prove it but by oath;

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200

And, if you make a question on 't,
I'll pawn my foul that I have don't:
And he that makes his foul his furety,
I think does give the best security.

Quoth fhe, fome fay the foul's fecure
Against distress and forfeiture;
Is free from action, and exempt
From execution and contempt;
And to be fummon'd to appear
In th' other world's illegal here,
And therefore few make any account
Int' what incumbrances they run't:
For most men carry things fo even
Between this world, and hell, and heaven,

Without the least offence to either,

They freely deal in all together ;

And equally abhor to quit

This world for both, or both for it:

205

210

215

And when they pawn and damn their fouls,
They are but pris'ners on paroles.

For that, quoth he, 'tis rational,
They may be accountable in all:
For when there is that intercourse
Between divine and human pow'rs,
That all that we determine here
Commands obedience ev'ry where;
When penalties may be commuted
For fines, or ears, and executed,
It follows, nothing binds so fast

As fouls in pawn and mortgage past :
For oaths are the only tests and scales
Of right and wrong, and true and false ;
And there's no other way to try

The doubts of law and justice by.

220

225

230

Quoth fhe, what is it you would fwear? 235 There's no believing till I hear:

For, 'till they're understood, all tales,
Like nonsense, are not true nor falfe.

Quoth he, when I resolv'd ť obey
What you commanded th' other day,
And to perform my exercise,

As schools are wont, for your fair eyes;
T'avoid all fcruples in the case,

I went to do 't upon the place;
But as the castle is enchanted

By Sidrophel the witch, and haunted
With evil spirits, as you know,

Who took my Squire and me for two,
Before I'd hardly time to lay

My weapons by, and difarray,

I heard a formidable noise,

Loud as the Stentrophonic voice,

That roar'd far off, dispatch and strip,

I'm ready with th' infernal whip,

240

245

250

That shall divest thy ribs of skin,

To expiate thy ling'ring fin;

Thou 'aft broke perfidiously th yoath,

And not perform'd thy plighted troth,

But spar'd thy renegado back,

255

Where thou 'adst so great a prize at stake, 260 Which now the fates have order'd me,

For penance and revenge, to flea,

Unless thou presently make haste;

Time is, time was; and there it ceast.

With which, tho' startl'd, I confefs,

265

Yet th' horror of the thing was less
Than the other dismal apprehenfion
Of interruption or prevention;
And therefore, fnatching up the rod,
I laid upon my back a load,
Refolv'd to spare no flesh and blood,
To make my word and honour good;

270