Which, like your votary, to win, 185 I freed you from th' enchanted sconce; To lay upon 't a heavy load, And what 't would bear to a fcruple prove, As other knights do oft' make love. Which, whether have done or no, you Concerns yourself, not me, to know; I cannot prove it but by oath; 195 200 And, if you make a question on 't, Quoth fhe, fome fay the foul's fecure Without the least offence to either, They freely deal in all together ; And equally abhor to quit This world for both, or both for it: 205 210 215 And when they pawn and damn their fouls, For that, quoth he, 'tis rational, As fouls in pawn and mortgage past : The doubts of law and justice by. 220 225 230 Quoth fhe, what is it you would fwear? 235 There's no believing till I hear: For, 'till they're understood, all tales, Quoth he, when I resolv'd ť obey As schools are wont, for your fair eyes; I went to do 't upon the place; By Sidrophel the witch, and haunted Who took my Squire and me for two, My weapons by, and difarray, I heard a formidable noise, Loud as the Stentrophonic voice, That roar'd far off, dispatch and strip, I'm ready with th' infernal whip, 240 245 250 That shall divest thy ribs of skin, To expiate thy ling'ring fin; Thou 'aft broke perfidiously th yoath, And not perform'd thy plighted troth, But spar'd thy renegado back, 255 Where thou 'adst so great a prize at stake, 260 Which now the fates have order'd me, For penance and revenge, to flea, Unless thou presently make haste; Time is, time was; and there it ceast. With which, tho' startl'd, I confefs, 265 Yet th' horror of the thing was less 270 |