To do the office of a neighbour,

And be a goffip at his labour;
And from his wooden jail, the stocks,
To fet at large his fetter-locks;
And by exchange, parole, or ransom,
To free him from th' inchanted manfion.
This being refolv'd, the call'd for hood.
And ufher, implements abroad
Which ladies wear, beside a slender
Young waiting-damfel to attend her.
All which appearing, on fhe went
To find the Knight, in limbo pent:
And 'twas not long before the found
Him and his ftout Squire in the pound;
Both coupled in inchanted tether,

His head, like one in doleful dump,
Between his knees, his hands apply'd.

Unto his ears on either fide,

And by him, in another hole,

Afflicted Ralpho, check by jowl,

Ver. 91.] And from his wooden jail, &c. This and the following line ftand in the two editions of 2664 thus,

That is to fee him deliver'd fafe

Of's wooden burthen, and Squire Raph..

Which made him hang his head and fcoul,
And wink and goggle like an owl;

320

He felt his brains begin to fwim,
When thus the Dame accofted him..

This place (qouth fhe) they fay 's inchanted,

And with delinquent fpirits haunted,

That here are ty'd in chains, and fcourg'd,

125

Until their guilty crimes be purg'd:

Look, there are two of them appear,
Like perfons I have seen somewhere.
Some have mistaken blocks and posts.

For spectres, apparitions, ghofts,

330

With faucer-eyes and horns; and some

Have heard the devil beat a drum;

But

Ver. 111, 112. 2.] There was never, certainly, a pleafanter fcene imagined than this before us; it is the moft diverting incident in the whole Poem. The unlucky and unexpected vifit of the Lady; the attitude and furprize of the Knight; the confufion and blushes. of the lover; and the fatirical raillery of a mistress, are reprefented in lively colours, and confpire to make this interview wonderfully pleasing.

But if our eyes are not falfe glaffes,
That give a wrong account of faces,
That beard and I should be acquainted,
Before 'twas conjur'd and inchanted;
For though it be disfigur'd somewhat,
As if 't had lately been in combat,
It did belong to a worthy Knight,
Howe'er this goblin is coine by 't.
When Hudibras the Lady heard
Difcourfing thus upon his beard,
And fpeak with fuch refpect and honour
Both of the beard and the beard's owner,
He thought it beft to fet as good

A face upon it as he cou'd;

135

140

145

And thus he fpoke: Lady, your bright
And radiant eyes are in the right;

The beard 's th' identique beard you knew,

The fame numerically true;

150

Nor is it worn by fiend or elf,

But its proprietor himself.

O heavens! quoth fhe, can that be true?

Ver. 142. Difcourfing thus upon his beard. Alter ed, 1674. To take kind notice of his beard. Re ftored 1704.

Than if 'twere prun'd, and starch'd, and lander'd,

And cut fquare by the Ruffian ftandard.

A torn beard 's like a tatter'd enfign,

That's braveft which there are moft rents in..

That petticoat about your shoulders,

175

Does not fo well become a foldier's;

And I'm afraid they are worfe handled,

Although i' th' rear, your beard the van led;

Ver. 164.] In fuch a homely cafe. In fuch elenctique cafe, in the two firft editions of 1664.

And pardon'd for some great offence,
With which he 's willing to difpence,
First has him laid upon his belly,
Then beaten back and fide t' a jelly;
That done, he rifes, humbly bows,

245

And gives thanks for the princely blows;
Departs not meanly proud, and boasting
Of his magnificent rib-roasting.
The beaten foldier proves most manful,
That, like his fword, endures the anvil,
And justly 's held more formidable,
The more his valour 's malleable:
But he that fears a bastinado,

250

Will run away from his own shadow:
And though I'm now in durance fast,
By our own party basely cast,
Ranfom, exchange, parole, refus'd,
And worse than by the enemy us'd;
In close catasta shut, past hope
Of wit or valour to elope;

255

As beards, the nearer that they tend

260

To th' earth, ftill grow more reverend;

And

Ver. 241.] And pardon'd for fome great offence This and the following line, in the two editions 1664, ftand thus ;

To his good grace, for fome offence
Forfeit before, and pardon'd since.