Wrong of unfoldier-like condition,
For which he flung down his commiffion;
And laid about him, till his nofe

From thrall of ring and cord broke loose.
Soon as he felt himself enlarg'd,
Through thickest of his foes he charg'd,
And made way through th' amazed crew;
Some he o'er-ran, and fome o'erthrew,
But took none; for by hafty flight

He ftrove t' escape pursuit of Knight,

From whom he fled with as much hafte

And dread as he the rabble chac'd;

In hafte he fled, and fo did they,
Each and his fear a feveral way.

Crowdero only kept the field,

900

905

910

Not ftirring from the place he held,

Though beaten down, and wounded fore

I th' Fiddle, and a leg that bore

One fide of him, not that of bone,

915

But much its better, th' wooden one.

He fpying Hudibras lie ftrow'd

Upon the ground, like log of wood,
With fright of fall, fuppofed wound,

And lofs of urine, in a swound,

920

In

Ver. 906.] Avoid the conquering Knight. In editions 1674, 1684, 1689, 1694, 1700, 1704. Reftored 1710, as above.

Ver. 920.] caft in fwound. In the two firft editions of 1663.

In hafte he fnatch'd the wooden limb

That hurt i' th' ankle lay by him,

And, fitting it for sudden fight,

Straight drew it up, t' attack the Knight;

For getting up on ftump and huckle,

925

He with the foe began to buckle,
Vowing to be reveng'd, for breach
Of Crowd and skin, upon the wretch,
Sole author of all detriment
He and his Fiddle underwent.

But Ralpho (who had now begun
T'adventure refurrection

From heavy squelch, and had got up
Upon his legs, with sprained crup)
Looking about, beheld pernicion
Approaching Knight from fell musician;
He fnatch'd his whinyard up, that fled
When he was falling off his steed
(As rats do from a falling house),
To hide itself from rage of blows;
And, wing'd with speed and fury, flew
To rescue Knight from black and blue;

930

935

940

Which

Ver. 923.] And listing it, &c. In the two first editions of 1663.

Ver. 924.] to fall on Knight. In the two first editions of 1663.

Ver. 935, 936.] Looking about, beheld the Bard,To charge the Knight entranc'd prepar'd.-Thus in editions 1674, 1684, 1689, 1694, 1700, 1704. ReAtored 1710.

Which ere he could atchieve, his fconce
The leg encounter'd twice and once;
And now 'twas rais'd to fmite agen,
When Ralpho thruft himself between ;
He took the blow upon his arm,

To fhield the Knight from further harm,
And, joining wrath with force, bestow'd
On th' wooden member fuch a load,
That down it fell, and with it bore
Crowdero, whom it propp'd before.

945

950

To him the Squire right nimbly run,

And fetting conquering foot upon

His trunk, thus spoke: What desperate frenzy

955

Made thee (thou whelp of Sin) to fancy

Thyself, and all that coward rabble,

T'encounter us in battle able?

How durft th', I fay, oppofe thy Curship 'Gainst arms, authority, and worship,

And Hudibras or me provoke,

Though all thy limbs were heart of oak,
And th' other half of thee as good
To bear out blows as that of wood?
Could not the whipping-poft prevail,
With all its rhetoric, nor the jail,

960

965

To

Ver. 944.] The skin encounter'd, &c. In the two first editions.

Ver. 947. on fide and arm. Two editions of 1663.

Ver. 948. To field the Knight entranc'd from harm. In the two first editions..

३.

To keep from flaying fcourge thy skin,

And ancle free from iron gin?

Which now thou fhalt-but firft our care
Muft fee how Hudibras does fare.

970

This faid, he gently rais'd the Knight,

And fet him on his bum upright.
To roufe him from lethargic dump,
He tweak'd his nose, with gentle thump
Knock'd on his breaft, as if 't had been
To raise the spirits lodg'd within :
They, waken'd with the noise, did fly
From inward room to window eye,
And gently opening lid, the casement,

975

Tweaking his nofe, You are, great Sir,

A felf-denying conqueror;

As high, victorious, and great,

985

As e'er fought for the Churches yet,
If you will give yourself but leave
To make out what y' already have;
That's victory. The foe, for dread
of

your nine-worthiness, is fed,

All fave Crowdero, for whofe fake

You did th' efpous'd Cause undertake;

And he lies prifoner at your feet,
To be difpos'd as you think meet,
Either for life, or death, or sale,
The gallows, or perpetual jail;

9.99

995

For

For one wink of your powerful eye

Muft fentence him to live or die.
His Fiddle is your proper purchase,
Won in the service of the Churches;
And by your doom must be allow'd
To be, or be no more, a Crowd:
For though fuccefs did not confer
Just title on the conqueror ;

1000

Though difpenfations were not strong
Conclufions whether right or wrong;
Although Out-goings did confirm,
And Owning were but a meer term;
Yet as the wicked have no right

1005

To th' creature, though ufurp'd by might,
The property is in the faint,

1010

From whom they' injuriously detain 't;

Of him they hold their luxuries,

Their dogs, their horses, whores, and dice,
Their riots, revels, mafks, delights,

Pimps, buffoons, fiddlers, parafites;

All which the faints have title to,
And ought t' enjoy, if they 'ad their due.
What we take from them is no more
Than what was ours by right before :

1015

1020

For

Ver. 1009.] It was a principle maintained by the Rebels of thofe days, that dominion is founded on grace, and therefore if a man wanted grace (in their opinion) if he was not a faint or a godly man, he had no right to any lands, goods, or chattels. The Saints, as the Squire fays, had a right to all, and might take it, wherever they had a power to do it.