Before the fecular prince of darkness
Arriv'd to feize upon his carcafs:
And, as a fox with hot pursuit,
Chac'd through a warren, cast about
To fave his credit, and among
Dead vermine on a gallows hung,
And while the dogs ran underneath,
Escap'd, by counterfeiting death,
Not out of cunning, but a train
Of atoms juftling in his brain,
As learn'd philofophers give out ;
So Sidrophello cast about,
And fell to 's wonted trade again,
To feign himself in earnest flain:
First stretch'd out one leg, then another,
And, seeming in his breast to smother
A broken figh, quoth he, where am I-
Alive, or dead? or which way came I
Thro' fo immense a space so soon?
But now I thought myself i' th' moon;
And that a monster with huge whiskers,
More formidable than the Switzers,
My body thro' and thro' had drill'd,
And Whachum by my fide had kill'd,
Had cross-examin'd both our hofe,
And plunder'd all we had to lofe;
Look, there he is, I fee him now,
And feel the place I am run thro':
And there lies Whachum by my fide,
Stone-dead, and in his own blood dy'd.
Oh! oh! with that he fetch'd a groan,
And fell again into a fwoon;
Shut both his eyes, and stopt his breath, 1145
And to the life out-acted 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 fynod-men like dirt,
And made their discipline his sport ;
Divulg'd the fecrets of their claffes,
And their conventions prov'd high places ;
Difparag'd their tithe-pigs, as pagan,
And fet at nought their cheese and bacon;
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 fcann'd.
Who, by their skill in palmistry,
Will quickly read his destiny,
And make him glad to read his leffon,
Or take a turn for 't at the feffion :
Unless his light and gifts prove truer
Than ever yet they did, I'm fure;
For if he 'scape with whipping now,
'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 fatisfaction.
And right the brethren in the action.
This being refolv'd, with equal speed,
And conduct, he approach'd his steed,
And with activity unwont,
Affay'd the lofty beast to mount;
Which once atchiev'd, he spurr'd his palfry,
To get from th' enemy and Ralph free;
Left danger, fears, and foes behind,
And beat, at least, three lengths, the wind.
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