And, like a lobster boil'd, the morn
From black to red began to turn;

1

When Hudibras, whom thoughts and aking 'Twixt fleeping kept, all night, and waking, Began to rub his drowsy eyes,

And from his couch prepar'd to rise,

35

Refolving to dispatch the deed

He vow'd to do, with trufty speed:

But first with knocking loud, and bawling,
He rouz'd the Squire, in truckle lolling :
And after many circumstances

40

Which vulgar authors in romances :

Do use to spend their time and wits on,
To make impertinent defcription,
They got (with much ado) to horse,
And to the Caftle bent their courfe,
In which he to the Dame before
To fuffer whipping-duty fwore:

Where now arriv'd, and half unharnest,
To carry on the work in earnest,

He stopp'd, and paus'd upon the sudden,
And, with a serious forehead plodding,
Sprung a new fcruple in his head,

Which first he scratch'd, and after faid;
Whether it be direct infringing

An oath, if I should wave this swinging,

45

50

55

And

Ver. 48.] Whipping duly fwore. In the two firft editions.

Ver. 55, 56.] This dialogue between Hudibras and Ralph

And what I've fworn to bear forbear,
And fo b' equivocation fwear;

Or whether 't be a leffer fin

To be forefworn, than act the thing;
Are deep and fubtle points, which muft,
'T' inform my Conscience, be discust;

In which to err a tittle may
To errors infinite make way:
And therefore I defire to know
Thy judgment, ere we further go.

Quoth Ralpho, Since you do injoin 't,

I fhall enlarge upon the point;
And, for my own part, do not doubt
Th' affirmative may be made out.
But first, to state the cafe aright,
For beft advantage of our light;"

60

65

70

And

Ralph fets before us the hypocrify and villany of all parties of the Rebels with regard to Oaths; what equivocations and evafions they made ufe of, to account for the many perjuries they were daily guilty of, and the feveral oaths they readily took, and as readily broke, merely as they found it fuited their intereft, as appears from verfe 107, &c. and verse 377, &c. of this Canto, and Part III. Cant. iii. verfe 547, &c. Archbifhop Bramhall says, "That the hypocrites of those "times, though they magnified the obligation of an "oath, yet in their own case dispensed with all oaths, "civil, military, and religious. We are now told " (fays he) that the oaths we have taken are not to be "examined according to the interpretation of men: "No! How then? Surely according to the interpreta❝tion of devils."

And thus 'tis; Whether 't be a fin

To claw and curry your own skin,
Greater or lefs, than to forbear,

75

And that you are forfworn forfwear.

But first, o' th' firft: The inward man,
And outward, like a clan and clan,
Have always been at daggers-drawing,
And one another clapper-clawing;
Not that they really cuff or fence,
But in a spiritual mystick sense;

Which to mistake, and make them squabble.
In literal fray, 's abominable :-

85

'Tis Heathenish, in frequent use

With Pagans and apoftate Jews,
To offer facrifice of Bridewells,
Like modern Indians to their idols ;
And mongrel Chriftians of our times,

That expiate lefs with greater crimes,
And call the foul abomination -

Contrition and mortification.

Is 't not enough we 're bruis'd'and kicked,

With finful members of the Wicked;

Our veffels, that are fanctify'd,

Profan'd, and curry'd back and fide;

99.

95

But we must claw ourselves with fhameful
And Heathen ftripes, by their example?

Which (were there nothing to forbid it).

Is impious, because they did it :
This, therefore, may be justly reckon'd
A heinous fin. Now to the fecond;

100

That

That Saints may claim a dispensation

To fwear and forfwear on occafion,

I doubt not but it will appear

With pregnant light: the point is clear.

Oaths are but words, and words but wind;

Too feeble implements to bind;

And hold with deeds proportion fo

As fhadows to a fubftance do.

Then when they ftrive for place, 'tis fit
The weaker veffel fhould fubmit.
Although your Church be oppofite
To ours, as Black friars are to White,
In rule and order, yet I grant

You are a Reformado faint;

And what the Saints do claim as due,
You may pretend a title to :

105

110

115

But Saints, whom oaths and vows oblige,
Know little of their privilege;

120

Further (I mean) than carrying on

Some felf-advantage of their own:

For if the devil, to ferve his turn,

Can tell truth, why the Saints should scorn,
When it ferves theirs, to fwear and lie,

325

I think there's little reason why:

Elfe he 'as a greater power than they,
Which 'twere impiety to say.

We 're not commanded to forbear,
Indefinitely, at all to fwear;
But to fwear idly, and in vain,
Without self-interest or gain:

130

For

But in due time and place they broke?
Did we not bring our oaths in first,
Before our plate, to have them burst,
And caft in fitter models, for

The prefent ufe of Church and War?
Did not our Worthies of the House,
Before they broke the peace, break vows ?

145

159 For

Ver. 136.] When it was first moved in the House of Commons to proceed capitally against the King, Cromwell stood up and told them, "That if any man moved "this with defign, he fhould think him the greatest "traitor in the world; but fince Providence and ne

ceffity had cast them upon it, he should pray to God to bless their counfels." And when he kept the King clofe prifoner in Carifbrook Caftle, contrary to vows and proteftations, he affirmed, "The Spirit would "not let him keep his word." And when, contrary to the public faith, they murdered him, they pretended they could not refift the motions of the Spirit.