Where none escape, but such as branded,
With red-hot irons, have past bare-handed;
And if they cannot read one verse

I' th' psalms, must sing it, and that's worse."
He, therefore, judging it below him,
To tempt a shame the dev'l might owe him,
Resolv'd to leave the Squire for bail
And mainprize for him, to the jail,
To answer, with his vessel, all
That might disastrously befall.

He thought it now the fittest juncture
To give the lady a rencounter;
T'acquaint her with his expedition,
And conquest o'er the fierce magician;
Describe the manner of the fray,
And shew the spoils he brought away;
His bloody scourging aggravate,
The number of the blows and weight:
All which might probably succeed,
And gain belief he 'ad done the deed:

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opinion of a jury. "By God" only, would formerly have meant the ordeal, which referred the case immediately to the divine judgment.

And if they cannot read one verse

I' th' Psalms, must sing it, and that's worse.] When persons claimed the benefit of clergy, they were required to read a verse in the Bible, generally in the Psalms. It was usual too for the clergyman who attended an execution, to give out a psalm to be sung. So that the common people said, if they could not read their neck verse at sessions, they must sing it at the gallows.

8 To answer, with his vessel, all] In this term the saints unwittingly concurred with the grave old philosophers, who termed the body σκεῦος.

Which he resolv'd t' enforce, and spare
No pawning of his soul to swear;
But, rather than produce his back,
To set his conscience on the rack;
And, in pursuance of his urging
Of articles perform'd, and scourging,
And all things else, upon his part,
Demand delivery of her heart,

Her goods and chattels, and good graces,
And person, up to his embraces.

Thought he, the ancient errant knights
Won all their ladies' hearts in fights,

And cut whole giants into fitters,"
To put them into am'rous twitters;
Whose stubborn bowels scorn'd to yield,
Until their gallants were half kill'd;
But when their bones were drubb'd so sore,
They durst not woo one combat more,
The ladies' hearts began to melt,
Subdu'd by blows their lovers felt.

So Spanish heroes, with their lances,

At once wound bulls and ladies' fancies;'

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And cut whole giants into fitters,] Some editions read fritters; but the corrected one of 1678 has fitters, a phrase often used by romance writers, very frequently by the author of the Romant of Romants. Our author joins with Cervantes in burlesquing the subjects and style of romances. [Fitters, small fragments, from fetta, Ital. fetzen, Germ.

They look and see the stones, the words, and letters,
All cut and mangled, in a thousand fitters.

Harrington's Ariosto, xxiv. 40.]

1 So Spanish heroes, with their lances,

At once wound bulls and ladies' fancies;] The bull-feasts at

And he acquires the noblest spouse
That widows greatest herds of cows ;
Then what may I expect to do,
Who 've quell'd so vast a buffalo?

Meanwhile the Squire was on his way,
The Knight's late orders to obey;
Who sent him for a strong detachment
Of beadles, constables, and watchmen,
T'attack the cunning man for plunder
Committed falsely on his lumber;
When he, who had so lately sack'd
The enemy, had done the fact,

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Had rifled all his pokes and fobs

Of gimcracks, whims, and jiggumbobs,

Which he by hook or crook had gather'd,
And for his own inventions father'd:

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And when they should, at jail-delivery,
Unriddle one another's thievery,
Both might have evidence enough
To render neither halter-proof."
He thought it desperate to tarry,
And venture to be accessory;
But rather wisely slip his fetters,

And leave them for the Knight, his betters.

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Madrid have been frequently described. The ladies take a zealous part at these combats.

2 Both might have evidence enough

To render neither halter-proof.] The mutual accusations of the knight and Sidrophel, if established, might hang both of them. Halter-proof is to be in no danger from an halter, as musket-proof in no danger from a musket: to render neither halter-proof is to render both in danger of being hanged.

He call'd to mind th' unjust foul play
He would have offer'd him that day,
To make him curry his own hide,
Which no beast ever did beside,
Without all possible evasion,
But of the riding dispensation:"
And therefore, much about the hour
The Knight, for reasons told before,
Resolv❜d to leave him to the fury
Of justice, and an unpack'd jury,
The Squire concurr'd to abandon him,
And serve him in the self-same trim ;1
T'acquaint the Lady what h' had done,
And what he meant to carry on;
What project 't was he went about,
When Sidrophel and he fell out;

• Without all possible evasion,

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But of the riding dispensation:] Ralpho considers that he should not have escaped the whipping intended for him by the knight, if their dispute had not been interrupted by the riding-shew, or skimmington.

The squire concurr'd to abandon him,

And serve him in the self-same trim;] The author has long had an eye to the selfishness and treachery of the leading parties, the presbyterians and independents. A few lines below he speaks more plainly: In which both dealt as if they meant

Their party saints to represent,
Who never fail❜d, upon their sharing
In any prosperous arms-bearing,

To lay themselves out to supplant

Each other cousin-german saint.

The reader will remember that Hudibras represents the presbyterians, and Ralpho the independents: this scene therefore alludes to the manner in which the latter supplanted the former in the civil

war.

His firm and stedfast resolution,

To swear her to an execution;

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To pawn his inward ears to marry her,
And bribe the devil himself to carry her.
In which both dealt, as if they meant
Their party saints to represent,
Who never fail'd, upon their sharing
In any prosperous arms-bearing,
To lay themselves out to supplant
Each other cousin-german saint.

But ere the Knight could do his part,
The Squire had got so much the start,
He 'ad to the lady done his errand,
And told her all his tricks aforehand.

Just as he finish'd his report,

The Knight alighted in the court,

And having ty'd his beast t' a pale,

And taking time for both to stale,
He put his band and beard in order,
The sprucer to accost and board her: 7
And now began t' approach the door,
When she, wh' had spy'd him out before,

His firm and stedfast resolution,

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To swear her to an execution;] To swear he had undergone the stipulated whipping, and then demand the performance of her part of the bargain.

6 To pawn his inward ears to marry her.] His honour and conscience, which might forfeit some of their immunities by perjury, as the outward ears do for the same crime in the sentence of the statute law. 7 The sprucer to accost and board her ;] Thus Polonius :

Away, I do beseech you, both away;

I'll board him presently.—O, give me leave.—
How does my good lord Hamlet?