'Tis falfe; for Arthur wore in hall
Round table like a farthingal,
On which, with fhirt pull'd out behind,
And eke before, his good knights din'd;
Though 'twas no table fome fuppofe,
But a huge pair of round trunk hofe,
In which he carry'd as much meat

340

We leave it, and to th' purpose come.

350

And fo much fcorn'd to lurk in cafe,

As if it durft not show its face.

In many defperate attempts

Of warrants, exigents, contempts,

It had appear'd with courage bolder

Than Serjeant Bum invading shoulder:
Oft had it ta'en poffeffion,

370

And prifoners too, or made them run.
This fword a dagger had, his page,
That was but little for his age,
And therefore waited on him fo,
As dwarfs upon knights-errant do:
It was a ferviceable dudgeon,
Either for fighting or for drudging:
When it had ftabb'd, or broke a head,
It would scrape trenchers, or chip bread;
Toaft cheese or bacon; though it were
To bait a moufe-trap, 'twould not care :
'Twould make clean fhoes, and in the earth
Set leeks and onions, and fo forth:
It had been 'prentice to a brewer,
Where this and more it did endure,
But left the trade, as many more
Have lately done on the same score.

In th' holsters, at his faddle-bow,

Two aged pistols he did stow,
Among the furplus of fuch meat
As in his hofe he could not get:

375

380

385

390

These would inveigle rats with th' fcent,
To forage when the cocks were bent,

395

And fometimes catch them with a snap,

As cleverly as th' ablest trap:

They were upon hard duty still,

And every night stood centinel,

400

To guard the magazine i' th' hose

From two-legg'd and from four-legg'd foes.
Thus clad and fortify'd, Sir Knight,

With fo much vigour, strength, and heat,

That he had almoft tumbled over

415

With his own weight, but did recover,

By laying hold on tail and mane,

Which oft he us'd inftead of rein.

But now we talk of mounting fteed,

Before we further do proceed,

It doth behove us to fay fomething

Of that which bore our valiant bumkin.
The beast was sturdy, large, and tall,
With mouth of meal, and eyes of wall;
I would fay eye, for h' had but one,
As moft agree, though some fay none.

420

425

He

He was well stay'd, and in his gait
Preferv'd a grave, majestic state;
At fpur or switch no more he skipt,
Or mended pace, than Spaniard whipt;
And yet so fiery, he would bound
As if he griev'd to touch the ground;
That Cæfar's horfe, who, as fame goes,
Had corns upon his feet and toes,
Was not by half so tender-hooft,

430

435

Nor trod upon the ground fo foft;

And as that beaft would kneel and stoop
(Some write) to take his rider up;
So Hudibras's ('tis well known)
Would often do to fet him down.

440

For underneath the skirt of pannel,
'Twixt every two there was a channel:
His draggling tail hung in the dirt,

Which on his rider he would flurt,

450

Still as his tender fide he prickt,

With arm'd heel, or with unarm'd, kickt;

For Hudibras wore but one spur,
As wifely knowing could he ftir
To active trot one fide of 's horse,
The other would not hang an arfe,

455

A Squire

A Squire he had whose name was Ralph,
That in th' adventure went his half,
Though writers, for more ftately tone,
Do call him Ralpho, 'tis all one;

460

And when we can, with metre fafe,

We'll call him fo; if not, plain Raph;

(For rhyme the rudder is of verfes,

With which, like fhips, they fteer their courfes.)

Of golden bough, but true gold-lace:

His

Ver. 457.] Sir Roger L'Eftrange (Key to Hudibras) fays, This famous Squire was one Ifaac Robinson, a zealous butcher in Moor-fields, who was always contriving fome new querpo cut in church government: but, in a Key at the end of a burlefque poem, of Mr. Butler's, 1706, in folio, p. 12. it is obferved, “That "Hudibras's Squire was one Pemble a tailor, and one "of the Committee of Sequeftrators.".