PART I.

THIRD CANTO.

The Argument.

The Scatter'd rout return and rally,
Surround the place; the Knight does fally,
And is made pris'ner: then they feixe
Th' enchanted fort by storm, release
Crowdero, and put the Squire in's place;
I fhould have firft faid Hudibras.

The man that meddles with cold iron !

What plaguy mischiefs and mishaps
Do dog him still with after claps !

For tho' Dame Fortune seem to smile,
And leer upon him for a while,

VOL. I.

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She'll after shew him, in the nick
Of all his glories, a dog-trick.
This any man may fing or fay

I' th' ditty call'd, What if a day?

For Hudibras, who thought he 'ad won

The field as certain as a gun,

And having routed the whole troop,

With victory was cock-a-hoop;

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Thinking he 'ad done enough to purchase 15
Thanksgiving-day among the churches,
Wherein his mettle and brave worth
Might be explain'd by holder-forth,
And register'd by fame eternal,
In deathless pages of diurnal;
Found in few minutes, to his cost,
He did but count without his host;
And that a turnftile is more certain
Than, in events of war, Dame Fortune.

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For now the late faint-hearted rout,
O'erthrown and fcatter'd round about,
Chas'd by the horror of their fear,
From bloody fray of Knight and Bear,
All but the dogs, who, in pursuit
Of the Knight's victory, stood to 't,
And most ignobly fought to get
The honour of his blood and fweat,

Seeing the coaft was free and clear
O' the conquer'd and the conqueror,
Took heart again, and fac'd about,
As if they meant to stand it out:
For now the half defeated bear,
Attack'd by th' enemy i' th' rear,
Finding their number grew too great
For him to make a safe retreat,
Like a bold chieftain fac'd about;

But wifely doubting to hold out,

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