WHEN civil fury first grew high,

And men fell out, they knew not why;
When hard words, jealousies, and fears,
Set folks together by the ears,

And made them fight, like mad or drunk,
For dame Religion as for Punk;

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Whose honesty they all durft fwear for,
Tho' not a man of them knew wherefore :
When Gofpel-Trumpeter, furrounded
With long-ear'd rout, to battle founded,
And pulpit, drum ecclesiastick,

Was beat with fift, inftead of a stick;
Then did Sir Knight abandon dwelling,
And out he rode a colonelling.

A Wight he was, whose very sight wou'd Entitle him Mirror of Knight-hood; That never bent his ftubborn knee To any thing but chivalry; Nor put up blow, but that which laid Right worshipful on shoulder-blade : Chief of domestic knights, and errant, Either for chartel or for warrant : Great on the bench, great in the faddle, That could as well bind o'er, as fwaddle:

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Mighty he was at both of these,
And styl'd of War as well as Peace.
So fome rats of amphibious nature,
Are either for the land or water.
But here our authors make a doubt,
Whether he were more wife, or stout.

Some hold the one, and some the other;
But howfoe'er they make a pother,

The diff'rence was fo fmall, his brain
Outweigh'd his rage but half a grain;
Which made fome take him for a tool
That knaves do work with, call'd a Fool;
And offer'd to lay wagers, that

As Montaigne, playing with his cat,
Complains the thought him but an ass,
Much more she wou'd Sir Hudibras:
For that's the name our valiant knight
To all his challenges did write.

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But they're mistaken very much,

'Tis plain enough he was no fuch ; We grant, although he had much wit, H'was very shy of using it;

As being loth to wear it out,

And therefore bore it not about,

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Unless on holy-days, or so,

As men their best apparel do.

Befide, 'tis known he could speak Greek

As naturally as pigs fqueek:

That Latin was no more difficile,

Than to a blackbird 'tis to whistle:

Being rich in both, he never fcanted
His bounty unto such as wanted;

But much of either wou'd afford

To many, that had not one word.

For Hebrew roots, although they're found
To flourish most in barren ground,

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