But as for our part, we shall tell
The naked truth of what befel;
And as an equal friend to both
The Knight and Bear, but more to troth,
With neither faction shall take part,
But give to each his due desert;
And never coin a formal lie on't,
To make the knight o'ercome the giant.
This being profess'd, we've hopes enough,
And now go on where we left off.
They rode; but authors having not
Determin'd whether pace or trot,
(That is to say, whether tollutation,
As they do term't, or succussation,)
We leave it, and go on, as now
Suppose they did, no matter how;
Yet some from subtle hints have got
Mysterious light, it was a trot.
But let that pass: They now begun
To spur their living engines on.
For as whipp'd tops, and bandy'd balls,
The learned hold, are animals;
So horses they affirm to be
Mere engines made by geometry,
Pour moi, simplement je dirai
Les faits, comme je les saurai;
Au chevalier rendrai justice,
Sans que le brave ours en pâtisse;
Exempt de partialité
Pour tout, hormis la vérité; (92)
De prendre aucun parti j'évite,
Excepté celui du mérite;
Sans imiter l'auteur qui ment,
Pour faire occire le géant.
Ce propos fait, avec courage
Je vais poursuivre mon ouvrage.
Ils marchaient, mais je ne sais trop
Si c'était le pas ou le trot;
Quoi qu'il en soit, de mon affaire
Cela ne doit pas me distraire;
Quelqu'un pourtant qui n'est pas sot,
Croit savoir que c'était le trot.
Tous deux, avec jambes balantes,
Piquaient leurs machines vivantes;
Car, comme on dit que les sabots
Que l'on fouette sont animaux, (93)
Le cheval, ainsi que toupie,
Peut venir de géométrie;
Tout aussi sûr que nos Bretons
Viennent, par Penguins, des Hurons. (94)
Ils piquaient donc leurs haridelles,
Par talonnades très-cruelles,
And were invented first from engines,
As Indian Britons were from Penguins.
So let them be; and, as I was saying,
They their live engines ply'd, not staying
Until they reach'd the fatal champain,
Which th' enemy did then encamp on;
The dire Pharsalian plain, where battle
Was to be wag'd 'twixt puissant cattle
And fierce auxiliary men,
That came to aid their brethren,
Who now began to take the field,
As Knight from ridge of steed beheld.
For as our modern wits behold,
Mounted a pick-back on the old,
Much further off, much further he,
Rais'd on his aged beast, could see;
Yet not sufficient to descry
All postures of the enemy;
Wherefore he bids the Squire ride further,
T'observe their numbers and their order;
That when their motions he had known,
He might know how to fit his own.
Meanwhile he stopp'd his willing steed,
To fit himself for martial deed.
Both kinds of metal he prepar'd,
Ne leur donnant aucun répit,
Pour joindre le camp ennemi.
Ce champ cruel comme Pharsale, (95) Allait voir la gent animale,
Liguée à celle des humains,
Courir, entre frères, aux mains.
Hudibras, du haut de sa bête,
Voit la bagarre qui s'apprête;
Car ainsi que nos beaux esprits, (96)
Etayés d'antiques écrits,
Expliquent bien mieux toutes choses,
Et, dans leurs effets et leurs causes,
Voient plus loin; de même lui,
Sa bête lui servant d'appui,
Mais pas assez loin pour y faire
La découverte nécessaire.
Il détacha donc l'écuyer,
Pour aller de près observer
Leur démarche et leur contenance,
Pour régler la sienne d'avance.
Son cheval, n'étant pas fougueux,
S'arrêta court, et lui,
Parer les coups, ou faire rage,
Prépara son sabre et courage:
(Le courage ainsi que l'acier,
Sont d'égal usage au guerrier.)
Ses pistolets sortit d'avance,
Pour s'en servir avec aisance,
Either to give blows, or to ward;
Courage and steel, both of great force,
Prepar'd for better, or for worse.
His death-charg'd pistols he did fit well,
Drawn out from life-preserving victual.
These being prim'd, with force he labour'd
To free's sword from retentive scabbard;
And after many a painful pluck,
From rusty durance he bail'd tuck.
Then shook himself, to see that prowess
In scabbard of his arms sat loose;
And, rais'd upon his desp'rate foot,
On stirrup-side he gaz'd about,
Portending blood, like blazing star,
The beacon of approaching war.
Ralpho rode on with no less speed
Than Hugo in the forest did;
But far more in returning made:
For now the foe he had survey'd,
Rang'd, as to him they did appear,
With van,
main battle, wings, and rear.
I' th' head of all this warlike rabble,
Crowdero march'd, expert and able.
Instead of trumpet and of drum,
That makes the warrior's stomach come,
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