My body through and through had drill'd, 1135
And Whachum by my side had kill'd ;
Had cross-examin'd both our hose,

And plunder'd all we had to lose:
Look! there he is! I see him now,
And feel the place I am run through!

1140

And there lies Whachum by my side

Stone dead! and in his own blood dy'd!

Oh! oh!-With that he fetch'd a groan,

And fell again into a swoon,

Shut both his eyes, and stopp'd his breath, 1145
And to the life outacted death,

That Hudibras, to all appearing,
Believ'd him to be dead as herring.
He held it now no longer safe

To tarry the return of Ralph,

But rather leave him in the lurch :/

Thought he, He has abus'd our Church,
Refus'd to give himself one firk
To carry on the Public Work ;
Despis'd our Synod-men like dirt,
And made their discipline his sport;

Divulg'd the secrets of their Classes,

And their Conventions prov'd high-places;

1150

1155

H's constant defection

Disparag'd their tythe-pigs as Pagan,

And set at nought their cheese and bacon; 1160

Rail'd at their Covenant, and jeer'd
Their rev'rend Parsons to my beard;
For all which scandals to be quit

At once, this juncture falls out fit.
I'll make him henceforth to beware,
And tempt my fury if he dare:
He must at least hold up his hand,
By twelve freeholders to be scann’d,
Who, by their skill in palmistry,
Will quickly read his destiny,

And make him glad to read his lesson,
Or take a turn for 't at the Session,
Unless his Light and gifts prove truer
Than ever yet they did, I'm sure :
For if he 'scape with whipping now,

1165

1170

1175

'Tis more than he can hope to do;

And that will disengage my Conscience

Of th' obligation, in his own sense.

I'll make him now by force abide,

What he by gentle means deny'd,

To give my honour satisfaction,

And right the Brethren in the action.

1180

This being resolv'd, with equal speed
And conduct he approach'd his steed,

And, with activity unwont,

Assay'd the lofty beast to mount;

Which once achiev'd, he spurr'd his palfry

To get from th' enemy and Ralph free;
Left dangers, fears, and foes behind,

1185

And beat at least three lengths the wind. 1190

NOTES,

HISTORICAL, CRITICAL, AND EXPLANATORY.

PART II. CANTO III.

THE whole of this Canto is designed to expose the cheats of astrologers, fortune-tellers, conjurors, &c.; and it must be confessed, a more ample field for satire could not have been chosen. Dr. James Young, who wrote a tract in ridicule of these charlatans, entitled Sidrophel Vapulans, informs us, "That in the pontificate of some such holy father as Gregory VII. a lover of the black art, one of the tribe craved of his holiness a protector or patron saint for astrologers, like as other arts had. The good pontiff, willing to oblige a faculty he loved, gave him the choice of all in St. Peter's. The humble servant of Urania, depending upon the direction of good stars to a good angel, went to the choice hood-winked; and groping among the images, the first he laid hold on was that of the Devil in combat with St. Michael. Had he chosen with his eyes open, he could not have met with a better protector for so diabolical an art." The author of the Turkish Spy, speaking of astrology, says, "It was a custom in Alexandria, formerly, for astrologers to pay a certain tribute, which they called fool's pence, because it was taken from the gains which astrologers made by their own ingenious folly, and credulous dotage of their admirers." Butler, in his prose works, speaking of astrology, says, "An astrologer is one that expounds the planets, and teaches to construe the accidents by the due joining of stars in construction. He talks with them by dumb signs, and can tell what they mean by twinkling and squinting upon one another, as well as they themselves. He is a spy upon the stars, and can tell what they are doing by the company they keep, and the houses they frequent.