PART II.

THIRD CANTO.

The argument.

The Knight, with various doubts pollet
To win the Lady, goes in quest
Of Sidrophel the Rosy-crucian,
To know the dest' nies' resolution :
With whom being met, they both chop logic
About the science astrologic.
Till falling from difpute to fight,
The Conjurer's worsted by the Knight.

Part 2. Canto 3. line 527.

1.Rgi scuip.

H U DI B R A S.

CANTO III.

Doubtless the pleasure is as great
Of being cheated, as to cheat ;
As lookers-on feel most delight,
That least perceive a juggler's slight,
And still the less they understand,
The more th' admire his slight of hand.

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Some with a noise, and greasy light,
Are snapt, as men catch larks by night,
Ensnar'd and hamper'd by the soul,
As nooses by the legs catch fowl.
Some, with a med’cine, and receipt,
Are drawn to nibble at the bait ;
And tho’ it be a two-foot trout,
'Tis with a single hair pulld out.

Others believe no voice t’an organ
So sweet as lawyer's in his bar-gown,
Until, with subtle cobweb-cheats,
They're catch'd in knotted law, like nets ;
In which, when once they are imbrangled,
The more they stir, the more they ’re tangled ;
And while their purses can dispute,
There's no end of th' immortal suit.

Others still gape t' anticipate The cabinet-designs of fate,

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Apply to wizards, to foresee
What shall, and what shall never be ;
And as those vultures do forebode,
Believe events prove bad or good;
A flam more senseless than the roguery
Of old auruspicy and aug’ry,
That out of garbages of cattle
Presag'd th' events of truce or battle ;
From flight of birds, or chickens pecking,
Success of great'st attempts would reckon :
Tho' cheats, yet more intelligible
Than those that with the stars do fribble.
This Hudibras by proof found true,
As in due time and place we'll fhew :
For he, with beard and face made clean,
Being mounted on his steed again,
And Ralpho got a cock-horse too,
Upon his beast, with much ado,

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