Provincial, Claffic, National,
Mere human creature-cobwebs all.
Thirdly, It is idolatrous;

For when men run a-whoring thus
With their inventions, whatfoe'er
The thing be, whether Dog or Bear,
It is idolatrous and Pagan,
No less than worshiping of Dagon.
Quoth Hudibras, I fmell a rat;

Ralpho, thou dost prevaricate:

For though the thefis which thou lay`ft
Be true ad amufim, as thou fay'st;
(For that Bear-baiting should appear

Jure divino lawfuller

Than Synods are, thou doft deny
Totidem verbis, fo do I)

Yet there's a fallacy in this;

For if by fly homœofis,

Tuffis pro crepitu, an art

Under a cough to flur a ft,

Thou wouldst fophiftically imply.

Both are unlawful, I deny.

And I, quoth Ralpho, do not doubt

835

But Bear-baiting may be made out,

In gofpel-times, as lawful as is

Provincial or Parochial Claffis;

And

Ver. 831, 832.] Thefe two lines left out in the edi

ions 1674, 1684, 1689, 1700, and restored 1704.

And that both are so near of kin,

And like in all, as well as fin,

$40

That, put them in a bag, and shake them,
Yourself o' th' fudden would mistake them,

And not know which is which, unless

You measure by their wickedness;

For 'tis not hard t' imagine whether

845

O' th' two is worst, though I name neither.
Quoth Hudibras, Thou offer'ft much,

But art not able to keep touch.
Mira de lente, as 'tis i' th' adage,
Id eft, to make a leek a cabbage;
Thou wilt at beft but fuck a bull,

859

Or fhear fwine, all cry, and no wool;

For what can Synods have at all,

With Bear that 's analogical?

Or what relation has debating

Of Church affairs with Bear-baiting?

A juft comparison still is

855

Of things ejufdem generis:

And

Ver. 851.] This and the following line thus altered

1674,

Thou canst at beft but overstrain

A paradox, and thy own brain.

Thus they continued in the editions 1684, 1689, 1700.
Reftored in 1704, in the following blundering manner,
Thou 'It be at beft but fuch a bull, &c.
and the blunder continued in all the editions till Dr.
Gray's,

3

Of deeds, not words, and fuch as fuit

Nor fhall they be deceiv'd, unless
We're flurr'd and outed by fuccefs;
Succefs, the mark no mortal wit,
Or fureft hand, can always hit:

880

For whatfoe'er we perpetrate,

We do but row, w' are fteer'd by Fate,

Which in success oft difinherits,

For fpurious causes, nobleft merits.

Great

Ver.860.Include, &c.] in the two first editions of 1663,

Comprehend them inclufive both.

Ver. 862.] As likely, in the two first editions.

Great actions are not always true fons
Of great and mighty resolutions;
Nor do the bold'st attempts bring forth
Events ftill equal to their worth;
But fometimes fail, and in their stead
Fortune and cowardice fucceed.
Yet we have no great cause to doubt,

885

890

Our actions ftill have borne us out;

Which though they 're known to be so ample,

We need not copy from example;

We're not the only person durft

895

Attempt this province, nor the first.

In northern clime a valourous knight
Did whilom kill his Bear in fight,
And wound a Fiddler: we have both
Of these the objects of our wroth,
And equal fame and glory from
Th' attempt, or victory to come.

900

;

To whom we have been oft compar'd

'Tis fung there is a valiant Mamaluke, ' In foreign land yclep'd

905

For perfon, parts, address, and beard;
Both equally reputed ftout,

And in the fame caufe both have fought;

He

Ver. 904.] The writers of the General Hiftorical Dictionary, vol. vi. p. 291, imagine, “That the chafin "here is to be filled with the words Sir Samuel Luke, "because the line before it is of ten fyllables, and the "measure of the verse generally used in this Poem is "of eight.",

He oft in fuch attempts as thefe
Came off with glory and fuccefs:
Nor will we fail in th' execution,
For want of equal refolution.
Honour is like a widow, won
With brisk attempt and putting on;

910

With entering manfully, and urging;

915

Not flow approaches, like a virgin.

This faid, as erft the Phrygian knight,

So our's, with rufty steel did fimite
His Trojan horse, and just as much
He mended pace upon the touch;
But from his empty stomach groan'd
Juft as that hollow beast did found,

920

And angry answer'd from behind,

With brandifh'd tail and blast of wind.

So have I feen, with armed heel,

925

A wight bestride a Common-weal,

While ftill, the more he kick'd and spurr'd,
The less the fullen jade has stirr’d.

HUDIBRAS.