And vended here among the rabble,
For ftaple goods and warrantable?
Like money by the Druids borrow'd,
In th' other world to be restored.

Quoth Sidrophel, To let you know
You wrong the art, and artifts too,
Since arguments are loft on those
That do our principles oppofe,
I will (although I 've done 't before)
Demonftrate to your fenfe once more,
And draw a figure that shall tell you
What you, perhaps, forget befel you,
By way of horary inspection,

Which fome account our worst erection.
With that he circles draws, and fquares,
With cyphers, astral characters,

'Then looks them o'er to understand them,
Although fet down hab-nab, at random.
Quoth he, This fcheme of th' heavens fet,
Discovers how in fight you met,

At Kingston, with a May-pole idol,

And that y' were bang'd both back and fide well;
And, though you overcame the Bear,

The Dogs beat you at Brentford fair;
Where sturdy butchers broke your noddle,
And handled you like a fop-doodle.
Quoth Hudibras, I now perceive
You are no conjurer, by your leave :
That paltry story is untrue,

And forg'd to cheat fuch gulls as you,

990

995

1000

Not

Not true! quoth he; Howe'er you vapour,

I can what I affirm make appear;
Whachum fhall justify it t' your face,

And prove he was upon the place :
He play'd the faltinbancho's part,
Transform'd t' a Frenchman by my art;
He ftole your cloak, and pick'd your pocket,
Chows'd and caldes'd ye like a blockhead;
And what you loft I can produce,

If

you deny it, here i' th' house.

Quoth Hudibras, I do believe

Ralpho, bear witness, and go fetch us

That argument 's demonstrative;

1005

ΠΟΙΟ

1015

A conftable to feize the wretches;

For though they 're both false knaves and cheats,
Impoftors, jugglers, counterfeits,

I 'll make them serve for perpendiculars,
As true as e'er were us'd by bricklayers.
They 're guilty, by their own confeffions,
Of felony; and at the Seffions,

Upon the bench, I will fo handle them,
That the vibration of this pendulum
Shall make all tailors' yards of one

Unanimous opinion;

1020

1025

A thing he long has vapour'd of,

But now shall make it out by proof.

Quoth Sidrophel, I do not doubt

To find friends that will bear me out;
Nor have I hazarded my art,

1039

And neck, fo long on the State's part,

Ver. 1010. Caldes d.] Put the fortune-teller on him.

To be expos'd, i' th' end, to fuffér

By fuch a braggadocio huffer.

Huffer! quoth Hudibras, this fword

Shall down thy false throat cram that word.
Ralpho, make hafte, and call an officer,
To apprehend this Stygian fophifter;
Mean-while I'll hold them at a bay,
Left he and Whachum run away.

But Sidrophel, who from th' afpect
Of Hudibras did now erect
A figure worse portending far
Than that of moft malignant ftar,
Believ'd it now the fittest moment

1035

1040

1045

To fhun the danger that might come on 't,

While Hudibras was all alone,

And he and Whachum, two to one.

This being refolv'd, he fpy'd, by chance,

Behind the door, an iron lance,

1050

That many a sturdy limb had gor'd,

And legs, and loins, and shoulders bor'd;

Whachum his fea-coal prong threw by,

And bafely turn'd his back to fly;
But Hudibras gave him a twitch,

1065

As quick as lightning, in the breech,

Juft in the place where honour 's lodg'd,

As wife philofophers have judg'd,

Because a kick in that place more

Hurts honour, than deep wounds before.

1070

Quoth Hudibras, The ftars determine
You are my prifoners, base vermin :
Could they not tell you fo, as well
As what I came to know foretel ?
By this what cheats you are we find,
That in your own concerns are blind.
Your lives are now at my difpofe,
To be redeem'd by fine or blows :
But who his honour would defile,
To take, or fell, two lives fo vile?
I'll give you quarter; but your pillage,
The conquering warrior's crop and tillage,
Which with his fword he reaps and plows,
That 's mine, the law of arms allows.

This faid in hafte, in hafte he fell

1075

1080

1085

To rummaging of Sidrophel.

First he expounded both his pockets,

And found a watch, with rings and lockets,

Which had been left with him t' erect

A copper-plate, with almanacks

A figure for, and fo detect;

Engrav'd upon 't, with other knacks

1090

Of Booker's, Lilly's, Sarah Jimmers,

And blank-fchemes to discover nimmers;
A moon-dial, with Napier's bones,
And feveral conftellation ftones,
Engrav'd in planetary hours,

1095

That over mortals had strange powers
To make them thrive in law or trade,
And ftab or poison to evade ;
In wit or wisdom to improve,
And be victorious in love.

Whachum had neither cross nor pile,
His plunder was not worth the while;
All which the conqueror did difcompt,
To pay for curing of his rump.
But Sidrophel, as full of tricks
As Rota-men of politicks,
Straight caft about to over-reach
Th' unwary conqueror with a fetch,
And make him glad, at least, to quit
His victory, and fly the pit,
Before the fecular prince of darkness
Arriv'd to feize upon his carcafe:

Ver. 1093.] John Booker was born in Manchester, and was a famous aftrologer in the time of the Civilwars. He was a great acquaintance of Lilly's; and fo was this Sarah Jimmers, whom Lilly calls Sarah Shelborn, a great fpeculatrix. He owns he was very familiar with her (quod nota); fo that it is no wonder that the Knight found feveral of their knick-knacks. in Sidrophel's cabinet.