In Staffordshire, where virtuous worth ́

Does raise the minstrelfy, not birth,
Where bulls do chuse the boldest king
And ruler o'er the men of ftring

(As once in Perfia, 'tis said,

Kings were proclaim'd by a horse that neigh'd). ; i
He, bravely vent'ring at a crown,

By chance of war was beaten down,

And wounded fore: his leg then broke,
Had got a deputy of oak;

For when a fhip in fight is cropt,

The knee with one of timber 's propt,

135

N

Efteem'd more honourable than the other, $45 And takes place, though the younger brother,.

Next march'd brave Orfin, famous for

Wise conduct, and success in war;

A fkilful leader, ftout, fevéré, -
Now Marshal to the champion Bear.
With truncheon tipp'd with iron head,
The warrior to the lifts he led ;

With folemn march, and ftately pace,
But far more grave and folemn face;
Grave as the Emperor of Pegu,
Or Spanish potentate, Don Diego.

150.

155

This

Ver. 147. Next march'd brave Orfin.] Next follow'd, in the two first editions of 1663. Joshua Gofling, who kept bears at Paris-garden in Southwark. However, fays Sir Roger, he food hard and fast for the Rump Parliament.

This leader was of knowledge great, b

Either for charge or for retreat:
He knew when to fall on pell-mell,

And plaintiff Dog, should make an end on 't,
Do ftave and tail with Writs of Error,
Reverfe of Judgment, and Demurrer,

165

To let them breathe a while, and then
Cry Whoop, and fet them on again.
As Romulus a wolf did rear,
So he was dry-nurs'd by a bear,
That fed him with the purchas'd prey
Of many a fierce and bloody fray;

170

They 'ad found out of an antique engine,

To root out all the weeds, that grow

In public gardens, at a blow,

180,

And

Ver. 159, 160.] Thus altered in the edition of 1674,

Knew when t' engage his bear pell-mell,

And when to bring him off as well.

Pell-mell, i. e. confufedly, without order,

And leave th' herbs ftanding. Quoth Sir Sun,
My friends, that is not to be done.

Not done! quoth Statesman; Yes, an 't please ye,
When 'tis once known, you'll fay 'tis easy.

Why then let's know it, quoth Apollo:<
We'll beat a drum, and they'll all follow.

185

A drum! (quoth Phoebus) Troth that 's true,

A pretty invention, quaint and new:

But though of voice and inftrument
We are th' undoubted president,
We fuch loud mufic do not profess,
The Devil's mafter of that office,

190

Where it must pafs; if 't be a drum,

He 'll fign it with Cler. Parl. Dom. Com.;
To him apply yourfelves, and he

195

Will foon difpatch you for his fee.

They did fo; but it prov'd fo ill,

They 'ad better let them grow there still..
But to refume what we difcourfing
Were on before, that is, tout Orfin;
That which so oft by fundry writers
Has been apply'd t' almost all fighters,
More justly may be afcrib'd to this
Than any other warrior, (viz.)

200

None

Ver. 194.] The Houfe of Commons, even before the Rump had murdered the King, and expelled the House of Lords, ufurped many branches of the Royal Prerogative, and particularly this for granting licences for new inventions.

None ever acted both parts bolder,
Both of a chieftain and a foldier.
He was of great descent, and high
For fplendour and antiquity,
And from celeftial origine
Deriv'd himself in a right line;
Not as the ancient heroes did,

Who, that their base-births might be hid
(Knowing they were of doubtful gender,
And that they came in at a windore)
Made Jupiter himself, and others

O' th' Gods, gallants to their own mothers,
To get on them a race of champions

(Of which old Homer firft made lampoons)
Arctophylax, in northern sphere,

Was his undoubted ancestor;

From him his great forefathers came,

And in all ages bore his name:

Learn'd he was in med'cinal lore,

205

210

215

220

For by his fide a pouch he wore,

Replete with strange hermetic powder,

That wounds nine miles point-blank would folder;

By skilful chemift, with great coft,

Extracted from a rotten post;

But of a heavenlier influence

Than that which mountebanks dispense;

225

230

Though

Ver. 211.] This is one inftance of the Author's making great things little, though his talent lay chiefly the other way.

Though by Promethean fire made,

As they do quack that drive that trade.

For as when flovens do amifs

At others' doors, by ftool or pifs,

The learned write, a red-hot fpit
B'ing prudently apply'd to it,

Will convey mischief from the dung
Unto the part that did the wrong;

So this did healing, and as fure

As that did mifchief, this would cure.
Thus virtuous Orfin was endued
With learning, conduct, fortitude,
Incomparable; and as the prince
Of poets, Homer, fung long fince,
A fkilful leech is better far
Than half a hundred men of war;
So he appear'd, and by his skill,

235

240

245

No lefs than dint of sword, could kill.
The gallant Bruin march'd next him

Ver. 238. Unto the part, &c.] Unto the breech, in

the two first editions 1663.