Expos'd in querpo to their rage,
Without my arms and equipage;
Lest, if they ventur❜d to pursue,
I might th' unequal fight renew;
And, to preserve thy outward man,
Assum'd my place, and led the van.

All this (quoth Ralph) I did, 'tis true, Not to preserve myself, but you:

205

You, who were damn'd to baser drubs
Than wretches feel in powd'ring tubs,

To mount two-wheel'd caroches, worse

Than managing a wooden horse;

210

Dragg'd out through straiter holes by th' ears,

Eras'd, or coup'd for perjurers:

Who, though th' attempt had prov'd in vain,

Which, though as desp'rate in th' attempt, 225

Has giv'n you freedom to condemn't.

But, were our bones in fit condition To reinforce the expedition,

'Tis now unseas'nable and vain

To think of falling on again :

230

No martial project to surprise

Can ever be attempted twice;
Nor cast design serve afterwards,
As gamesters tear their losing cards:
Beside, our bangs of man and beast
Are fit for nothing now but rest,
And for a while will not be able
To rally and
prove serviceable:

And therefore I, with reason, chose

This stratagem, t' amuse our foes,

To make an hon'rable retreat,

And wave a total sure defeat:

For those that fly may fight again,

235

240

And cannons conquer armies, while

They seem to draw off and recoil;

Is held the gallant'st course, and bravest,
To great exploits, as well as safest ;
That spares th' expence of time and pains,
And dang❜rous beating out of brains;
And, in the end, prevails as certain
As those that never trust to Fortune;
But make their fear do execution
Beyond the stoutest resolution:

As earthquakes kill without a blow,

And, only trembling, overthrow.

260

If th' Ancients crown'd their bravest men

That only sav'd a citizen,

What victory could e'er be won

If ev'ry one would save but one ;
Or fight endanger'd to be lost,
Where all resolve to save the most ?
By this means when a battle 's won,
The war's as far from being done;
For those that save themselves, and fly,
Go halves at least i' th' victory;

265

270

And sometime, when the loss is small,

And danger great, they challenge all;

Have done 't with bonfires, and at home
Made squibs and crackers overcome;

To set the rabble on a flame,

And keep their governors from blame,
Disperse the news the pulpit tells,
Confirm'd with fire-works and with bells;
And, though reduc'd to that extreme,
They have been forc'd to sing Te Deum;
Yet, with religious blasphemy,

By flatt'ring Heaven with a lie,

And, for their beating, giving thanks,

They've rais'd recruits, and fill'd their banks;

For those who run from th' enemy,

Engage them equally to fly;

And when the fight becomes a chase,

Those win the day that win the race ;
And that which would not pass in fights,

Has done the feat with easy flights;

290

Recover'd many a desp'rate campaign

295

With Bourdeaux, Burgundy, and Champaign ;

Restor❜d the fainting high and mighty

With brandy-wine, and aqua-vitæ ;
And made 'em stoutly overcome

With Bacrack, Hoccamore, and Mum ;
With th' uncontrol'd decrees of Fate

300

To victory necessitate;

With which, although they run or burn,
They unavoidably return;

Or else their sultan populaces

muly

305

Still strangle all their routed Bassas.

Quoth Hudibras, I understand

What fights thou mean'st at sea and land,
And who those were that run away,

And yet gave out th' had won the day ;

310