(After they 'ad almost por'd out their eyes)

Did very learnedly decide

The business on the horse's fide,

470

And prov'd not only horse, but cows,

Nay pigs, were of the elder house :
For beafts, when man was but a piece
Of earth himself, did th' earth poffefs.
Thefe worthies were the chief that led
The combatants, each in the head
Of his command, with arms and rage
Ready, and longing to engage.
The numerous rabble was drawn out
Of feveral counties round about,
From villages remote, and shires
Of east and western hemifpheres.
From foreign parishes and regions,

475

480

Of different manners, fpeech, religions,
Came men and mastiffs; fome to fight.

4:85,

For fame and honour, fome for fight.

And now the field of death, the lists,,

Were enter'd by antagonists,

F-2

And

And blood was ready to be broach'd,
When Hudibras in haste approach'd,

With Squire and weapons to attack them;
But first thus from his horse bespake them.
What rage, O Citizens! what fury
Doth you to thefe dire actions hurry?
What oftrum, what phrenetic mood
Makes you thus lavish of your blood,
While the proud Vies your trophies boast
And unreveng'd walks Waller's ghost?
What towns, what garrifons, might you,
With hazard of this blood, fubdue,
Which now y' are bent to throw away
In vain untriumphable fray ?

499

495

500

Shall faints in civil bloodshed wallow
Of faints, and let the Caufe lie fallow?
The Cause, for which we fought and swore
So boldly, fhall we now give o'er?

505

Then because quarrels still are seen
With oaths and swearings to begin,
The Solemn League and Covenant
Will feem a mere God-dam-me rant,

510

And

Ver. 495.] Oeftrum fignifies the gad-bee or horse-fly. Ver. 497.] Sir W. Waller was defeated at the Devifes.

Ver. 503, 504.] Mr. Walker obferves, "That all "the cheating, covetous, ambitious perfons of the “land, were united together under the title of the Godly, the Saints, and fhared the fat of the land "between them ;" and he calls them the Saints who were canonized no where but in the Devil's Calendar.

66

And we that took it, and have fought,
As lewd as drunkards that fall out:
For as we make war for the King
Against himself, the felf-fame thing,
Some will not ftick to fwear, we do
For God and for Religion too;

For if Bear-baiting we allow,

What good can Reformation do?

The blood and treasure that 's laid out

Is thrown away, and goes for nought.

520

Are these the fruits o' th' Proteftation,

The prototype of Reformation,

Which all the faints, and some, fince martyrs,

Wore in their hats like wedding-garters,

When 'twas refolv'd by either Houfe

525

Six Members' quarrel to efpoufe?

Did they, for this, draw down the rabble,

With zeal and noifes formidable,

And make all cries about the Town

Join throats to cry the Bishops down?

539

Who

Ver. 513, 514.] The Prefbyterians, in all their wars against the King, maintained ftill, That they fought for him; for they pretended to diftinguish his political perfon from his natural one; his political perfon, they faid, muft be, and was, with the Parliament, though his natural perfon was at war with them.

Ver. 530. Good Lord (fays the True Informer, p. 12.) what a deal of dirt was thrown in the Bifhops' faces !-what infamous ballads were fung! "what a thick cloud of epidemical hatred hung fud"denly over them! fo far, that a dog with a black and white face was called a Bishop.".

Who having round begirt the palace
(As once a month they do the gallows)
As Members gave the fign about,
Set up their throats with hideous shout.
When tinkers bawl'd aloud to settle
Church-Discipline, for patching kettle;
No fow-gelder did blow his horn
To geld a cat, but cry'd Reform;
The oyfter-women lock'd their fish up,
And trudg'd away, to cry No Bishop;
The mouse-trap-men laid save-alls by,
And 'gainst Ev'l Counsellors did cry;
Botchers left old cloaths in the lurch,
And fell to turn and patch the Church;

535

540

Some cry'd the Covenant, instead

545

Of pudding-pies and ginger-bread;

And fome for brooms, old boots, and shoes,

Bawl'd out to purge the Common-House :

Instead of kitchen-stuff, some cry

A Gofpel-preaching Miniftry;

550

And fome for old fuits, coats, or cloak,

No Surplices nor Service-book :

A ftrange harmonious inclination

Of all degrees to Reformation.

And

Ver. 553, 554.] Thofe flights, which feem most extravagant in our Poet, were really excelled by matter of fact. The Scots (in their Large Declaration, 1637, P. 41.) begin their petition against the Common Prayer-book thus :-" We men, women, and children, "and fervants, having confidered, &c." Foulis's Hift. of Wicked Plots.

And is this all? Is this the end

To which these Carryings-on did tend?
Hath Public Faith, like a young heir,
For this tak'n up all forts of ware,
And run int' every tradesman's book,

555

Till both turn'd bankrupts, and are broke?

560

Did Saints, for this, bring in their plate,

And crowd as if they came too late?

For when they thought the Cause had need on't,
Happy was he that cou'd be rid on't.

56.5

Did they coin pifs-pots, bowls, and flaggons,
Int' officers of horse and dragoons ?
And into pikes and mufqueteers
Stamp beakers, cups, and porringers ?
A thimble, bodkin, and a spoon,
Did ftart up living men, as foon
As in the furnace they were thrown,

570

Just like the dragon's teeth being fown.
Then was the Cause of gold and plate,

The Brethrens' offerings, confecrate,

Like th' Hebrew calf, and down before it
The Saints fell proftrate, to adore it :
So fay the Wicked-and will
Make that farcafmous fcandal true,

575

you

By running after Dogs and Bears,

Beafts more unclean than calves or fteers ?

580

Have powerful Preachers ply'd their tongues,
And laid themselves out and their lungs;
Us'd all means, both direct and fin'ster,
I' th' power of Gospel-preaching Min’ster ?

F4

Have