Condemn'd to whipping, but declin’d it,

By being more heroic-minded;

And at a riding handled worse,

With treats more flovenly and coarse ;
Engag'd with fiends in ftubborn wars,
And hot disputes with conjurers:

And, when thou 'adft bravely won the day,
Wast fain to steal thyself away.

I fee, thought he, this fhameless elf
Would fain steal me too from myself,
That impudently dares to own
What I have fuffer'd for and done;
And now, but vent'ring to betray,

Haft met with vengeance the same way.

1375

1380

Thought he, how does the devil know 1385 What 'twas that I defign'd to do?

His office of intelligence,

His oracles, are ceas'd long fince;

And he knows nothing of the faints,

But what fome treach'rous fpy acquaints, 1390
This is fome pettifogging fiend,

Some under doorkeeper's friend's friend,
That undertakes to understand,

And juggles at the fecond-hand,

And now would pass for spirit Po,

1395

And all men's dark concerns foreknow.

I think I need not fear him for 't ;

These rallying devils do no hurt.
With that he rous'd his drooping heart,
And haftily cry'd out, What art?

A wretch, quoth he, whom want of grace
Has brought to this unhappy place.

I do believe thee, quoth the Knight
Thus far I'm sure thou 'rt in the right:
And know what 'tis that troubles thee,
Better than thou haft guess'd of me.

;

1400

1405

Thou art fome paltry, blackguard spright,
Condemn'd to drudg'ry in the night;
Thou haft no work to do in th' house,
Nor halfpenny to drop in fhoes;

Without the raising of which fum
You dare not be fo troublesome

To pinch the flatterns black and blue,
For leaving you their work to do..
This is your bus'ness, good Pug-Robin,
And your diversion dull dry bobbing,
T'entice fanatics in the dirt,

And wash 'em clean in ditches for 't:
Of which conceit you are so proud,

At ev'ry jeft you laugh aloud,

As now you would have done by me,
But that I barr'd your raillery.

1410

1415

1420

Sir, quoth the Voice, ye 're no fuch sophy As you would have the world judge of ye.

If you design to weigh our talents

1425

I' th' standard of your own false balance,

Or think it poffible to know

Us ghosts, as well as we do you,

We who have been the everlasting

Companions of your drubs and bafting,

1430

And never left you in contest,

With male or female, man or beast,

But prov'd as true t' ye, and entire,
In all adventures as your squire.

Quoth he, That may be said as true
By th' idlest pug of all your crew:
For none could have betray'd us worfe
Than those allies of ours and yours.

But I have fent him for a token
To your low-country Hogen-Mogen,
To whofe infernal fhores I hope

He'll swing like skippers in a rope :

1435

1440

And if ye 've been more just to me
As I am apt to think, than he,

I am afraid it is as true

What th' ill-affected fay of you:

Ye've 'fpous'd the covenant and cause,
By holding up your cloven paws.

Sir, quoth the voice, 'tis true, I grant,
We made, and took the covenant :

But that no more concerns the cause,
Than other perj'ries do the laws,

Which, when they 're prov'd in open court,
Wear wooden peccadillos for 't:

And that's the reafon cov'nanters

Hold up their hands, like rogues at bars.
I fee, quoth Hudibras, from whence
These scandals of the faints commence,
That are but natural effects

1445

1450

1455

Of Satan's malice, and his fects',

1460