For they a fad adventure met,
Of which we now prepare to treat:
But ere we venture to unfold
Achievements fo refolv'd, and bold,
We fhould, as learned poets use,
Invoke th' affiftance of fome muse;
However critics count it fillier,
Than jugglers talking t' a familiar :
We think 'tis no great matter which,
They're all alike, yet we shall pitch
On one that fits our purpose most,
Whom therefore thus we do accoft:-
Thou that with ale, or viler liquors,
Didst inspire Withers, Pryn, and Vickars,
And force them, though it were in spite
Of Nature, and their stars, to write;
Who, as we find in fullen writs,
And cross-grain'd works of modern wits, 650
With vanity, opinion, want,
The wonder of the ignorant,
The praises of the author, penn'd
By himself, or wit-insuring friend;
The itch of picture in the front,
With bays, and wicked rhyme upon't,
All that is left o' th' forked hill
To make men scribble without skill ;
Canst make a poet, spite of fate,
And teach all people to translate ;
Though out of languages, in which
They understand no part of fpeech;
Affist me but this once, I'mplore,
And I fhall trouble thee no more.
In western clime there is a town,
To thofe that dwell therein well-known,
Therefore there needs no more be faid here,
We unto them refer our reader;
For brevity is very good,
When w'are, or are not understood.
To this town people did repair
On days of market, or of fair,
And to crack'd fiddle, and hoarfe tabor,
In merriment did drudge and labour;
But now a sport more formidable
Had rak'd together village rabble :
'Twas an old way of recreating,
Which learned butchers call bear-baiting;
A bold advent'rous exercife,
With ancient heroes in high prize;
For authors do affirm it came
From Ifthmian or Nemæan game;
Others derive it from the bear
That's fix'd in northern hemisphere,
And round about the pole does make
A circle, like a bear at stake,
That at the chain's end wheels about,
And overturns the rabble-rout:
For after folemn proclamation,
In the bear's name, as is the fashion,
According to the law of arms,
To keep men from inglorious harms,
That none presume to come so near
As forty foot of stake of bear;
any yet be fo fool-hardy,
T'expose themselves to vain jeopardy,
If they come wounded off, and lame,
No honour's got by fuch a maim,
Altho' the bear gain much, b'ing bound
In honour to make good his ground,
When he's engag'd, and take no notice,
any press upon him, who 'tis,
But lets them know, at their own cost,
That he intends to keep his post.
This to prevent, and other harms,
Which always wait on feats of arms,
For in the hurry of a fray
'Tis hard to keep out of harm's way.
Thither the Knight his course did steer,
To keep the peace 'twixt dog and bear,
As he believ'd he was bound to do
In confcience, and commiffion too;
And therefore thus bespoke the Squire :-
We that are wifely mounted higher
Than constables in curule wit,
When on tribunal bench we fit,
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