And fo much scorn'd to lurk in cafe,

As if it durft not show its face.

In many defperate attempts

Of warrants, exigents, contempts,

It had appear'd with courage bolder

Than Serjeant Bum invading shoulder:
Oft had it ta'en poffeffion,

And prifoners too, or made them run.
This fword a dagger had, his page,
That was but little for his age,
And therefore waited on him fo,
As dwarfs upon knights-errant do:
It was a serviceable dudgeon,
Either for fighting or for drudging:
When it had stabb'd, or broke a head,
It would scrape trenchers, or chip bread ;
Toast cheese or bacon; though it were
To bait a mouse-trap, 'twould not care :
'Twould make clean shoes, and in the earth.
Set leeks and onions, and fo forth :
It had been 'prentice to a brewer,
Where this and more it did endure,
But left the trade, as many more
Haye lately done on the fame score.

In th' holsters, at his faddle-bow,

Two aged pistols he did stow,
Among the furplus of fuch meat
As in his hofe he could not get:
Thefe would inveigle rats with th' scent,
To forage when the cocks were bent,

370

375

380

3.85

399

395

And fometimes catch them with a snap,

As cleverly as th' ableft trap:

They were upon hard duty still,
And every night stood centinel,

To guard the magazine i' th' hose

400

From two-legg'd and from four-legg'd foes.
Thus clad and fortify'd, Sir Knight,

With fo much vigour, strength, and heat,

That he had almost tumbled over

415

With his own weight, but did recover,

By laying hold on tail and mane,

Which oft he us'd instead of rein.

But now we talk of mounting steed, Before we further do proceed,

It doth behove us to fay fomething

Of that which bore our valiant bumkin.
The beast was sturdy, large, and tall,
With mouth of meal, and eyes of wall;

I would fay eye, for h' had but one,
As moft agree, though fome fay none.

420

425

He

He was well ftay'd, and in his gait
Preserv'd a grave, majestic state;
At fpur or fwitch no more he skipt,
Or mended pace, than Spaniard whipt;
And yet fo fiery, he would bound
As if he griev'd to touch the ground;
That Cæfar's horse, who, as fame goes,
Had corns upon his feet and toes,
Was not by half fo tender-hooft,

430

435

Nor trod upon the ground fo foft;

And as that beast would kneel and stoop
(Some write) to take his rider up;
So Hudibras's ('tis well known)
Would often do to fet him down.
We shall not need to fay what lack
Of leather was upon his back

440

For that was hidden under pad,

And breech of Knight gall'd full as bad :

445

His ftrutting ribs on both fides show'd
Like furrows he himself had plow'd;
For underneath the skirt of pannel,
'Twixt every two there was a channel:
His draggling tail hung in the dirt,

Which on his rider he would flurt,

450

Still as his tender fide he prickt,

With arm'd heel, or with unarm'd, kickt;

For Hudibras wore but one fpur,

As wifely knowing could he ftir

To active trot one fide of 's horse,

The other would not hang an arfe.

455

A Squire

A Squire he had whose name was Ralph,
That in th' adventure went his half,
Though writers, for more stately tone,
Do call him Ralpho, 'tis all one;

460

And when we can, with metre safe,

We'll call him fo; if not, plain Raph;

(For rhyme the rudder is of verses,

With which, like fhips, they fteer their courfes.)

Of golden bough, but true gold-lace:

His

Ver. 457.] Sir Roger L'Eftrange (Key to Hudibras). fays, This famous Squire was one Ifaac Robinfon, a zealous butcher in Moor-fields, who was always contriving fome new querpo cut in church government: but, in a Key at the end of a burlefque poem of Mr. Butler's, 1706, in folio, p. 12. it is obferved, "That "Hudibras's Squire was one Pemble a tailor, and one of the Committee of Sequeftrators.”

His knowledge was not far behind

The Knight's, but of another kind,

480

And he another way came by't;

Some call it Gifts, and fome New-light;

A liberal art, that cofts no pains
Of study, industry, or brains.
His wit was fent him for a token,

485

But in the carriage crack'd and broken;

Like commendation nine-pence crookt

With-"To and from my love"-it lookt.

By means of this, with hem and cough,
Prolongers to enlighten'd ftuff,

He

Ver. 485.] His wits were fent him, in all editions to 1704 inclufive.

Ver. 487. 488.] Until the year 1696, when all money, not milled, was called in, a ninepenny piece of filver was as common as fixpences or fhillings, and thefe ninepences were ufually bent as fixpences com monly are now, which bending was called, "To my love, and From my love;" and fuch ninepences the ordinary fellows gave or fent to their sweethearts as tokens of love.