While manfully himself he bore,
And fetting his right-foot before,
He rais'd himself to fhew how tall
His person was above them all.
85 This equal fhame and envy stirr'd
l' th' enemy, that one should beard
So many warriors, and so stout,
As he had done, and ftav'd it out,
Difdaining to lay down his arms,
90 And yield on honourable terms.
Enraged thus, fome in the rear
Attack'd him, and fome ev'ry where,
Till down he fell; yet falling fought,
And, being down, still laid about :
95 As Widdrington in doleful dumps,
Is faid to fight upon his stumps.
But all, alas! had been in vain
And he inevitably flain,
If Trulla and Cerdon in the nick, 100 To rescue him, had not been quick ; For Trulla, who was light of foot, As fhafts which long-field Parthians fhoot, (But not fo light, as to be born
Upon the ears of standing corn, 105 Or trip it o'er the water quicker
Than witches, when their staves they liquor, As fome report) was got among The foremost of the martial throng: There pitying the vanquish'd bear, 110 She call'd to Cerdon, who stood near, Viewing the bloody fight; to whom, Shall we, quoth fhe, stand still hum drum, And fee ftout Bruin all alone, By numbers bafely overthrown?
115 Such feats already h' has atchiev'd, In story not to be believ'd;
And 'twould to us be fhame enough,
Not to attempt to fetch him off,
I would, quoth he, venture a limb
120 To fecond thee, and rescue him,
But then we must about it straight,
Or elfe our aid will come too late;
Quarter he fcorns, he is fo ftout,
And therefore cannot long hold out.
125 This faid, they wav'd their weapons round
About their heads, to clear the ground;
And joining forces, laid about
So fiercely that th' amazed rout
Turn'd tail about, and ftraight begun,
130 As if the devil drove, to run.
Mean while th' approach'd th' place where Bruin Was now engag'd to mortal ruin: The conqu'ring foe they foon affail'd, First Trulla ftav'd, and Cerdon tail'd, 135 Until their maftives loos'd their hold ; And yet, alas! do what they could, The worsted bear came off with store Of bloody wounds, but all before ; For as Achilles, dipt in pond, 140 Was anabaptiz'd free from wound, Made proof against dead-doing steel All over, but the pagan heel:
134 First Trulla stav'd, etc.] Staving and tailing are terms of art ufed in the Bear Garden, and fignify there only the parting of dogs and bears: though they are used metaphorically in feveral other profeffions, for moderating; as aw, divinity, hectoring, etc.
So did our champion's arms defend
All of him but the other end:
145 His head and ears, which in the martial
Encounter loft a leathern parcel :
For as an Auftrian Archduke once
Had one ear (which in ducatoons
Is half the coin) in battel par'd
150 Clofe to his head; fo Bruin far'd:
But tugg'd and pull'd on th' other fide,
Like fcriv'ner newly crucified :
Or like the late corrected leathern
Ears of the circumcifed brethren.
155 But gentle Trulla, into th' ring
He wore in's nofe, convey'd a string,
With which she march'd before, and led
The warrior to a graffy bed,
As authors write, in a cool fhade,
160 Which eglantine and roses made;
Close by a foftly murm'ring ftream,
Where lovers us'd to loll and dream,
There leaving him to his repofe,
Secured from pursuit of foes,
165 And wanting nothing but a fong,
And a well-tun'd Theorbo hung
Upon a bough, to ease the pain
His tugg'd ears fuffer'd; with a strain
153 Or like the late corrected leathern
Ears of the circumcifed brethren.
Pryn, Bastwick, and Burton, who laid down their ears as proxies for their profeffion of the godly party, not long after maintained their right and title to the pillory, to be as good and lawful, as theirs, who first of all took poffeffion of it in their names.
They both drew up, to march in quest 170 Of his great leader, and the rest.
For Orfin (who was more renown'd
For ftout maintaining of his ground
In standing fight, than for purfuit,
As being not fo quick of foot)
175 Was not long able to keep pace
With others that purfu'd the chace;
But found himself left far behind,
Both out of heart, and out of wind;
Griev'd to behold his bear purfu'd
180 So bafely by a multitude;
And like to fall, not by the prowess,
But numbers of his coward foes.
He rag'd, and kept as heavy a coil as
Stout Hercules for lofs of Hylas ;
185 Forcing the vallies to repeat
The accents of his fad regret
He beat his breast and tore his hair,
For lofs of his dear crony bear :
That eccho from the hollow ground,
190 His doleful wailings did refound
More wiftfully, by many times,
Than in fmall poets fplay-foot rhimes,
That make her, in their rueful ftories,
To answer to int❜rogatories,
195 And most unconscionably depofe
Things of which the nothing knows : And when she has faid all fhe can fay, 'Tis refted to the lover's fancy. Quoth he, O whither, wicked Bruin, 200 Art thou fled to my eccho ruin? I thought th' hadft scorn'd to budge a step, For fear. Quoth eccho, Marry guep.
Am not I here to take thy part?
Then what has quell'd thy ftubborn heart?
205 Have these bones rattled, and this head So often in thy quarrel bled?
Nor did I ever winch or grudge it,
For thy dear fake. Quoth fhe, Mum budget.
Think'st thou 'twill not be laid i' th' difh
210 Thou turn'dít thy back?
To run from those th' hadst overcome
Thus cowardly? Quoth eccho, mum.
But what a vengeance makes thee fly
From me too, as thine enemy ?
215 Or if thou, haft no thought of me,
Nor what I have endur'd for thee,
Yet fhame and honour might prevail
To keep thee thus from turning tail:
For who would grutch to spend his blood in
220 His honour's caufe? Quoth fhe, a pudding.
This faid, his grief to anger turn'd,
Which in his manly stomach burn'd;
Thirst of revenge and wrath, in place
Of forrow now began to blaze.
225 He vow'd the authors of his woe
Should equal vengeance undergo;
And with their bones and flesh pay
For what he fuffer'd, and his bear.
This b'ing refolv'd, with equal speed
230 And rage he hasted to proceed
To action ftraight, and giving o'er
To search for Bruin any more,
He went in queft of Hudibras,
To find him out where-e'er he was.
235 And, if he were above ground, vow'd
He'd ferret him, lurk where he wou'd.
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