And pulpit, drum ecclesiastic, Was beat with fist instead of a stick ; A wight he was, whose very sight would To anything but chivalry, Nor put up blow but that which laid We grant, although he had much wit, As men their best apparel do. 7. drum ecclesiastic. Alluding to the vehement action of the Presbyterian preachers in the pulpit, which they were in the habit of pounding vigorously. 9, 10. Sir Knight... a-colonelling. "Sir Knight" is Sir Hudibras, the colonel in the Parliamentary army. II. wight, person. 13, 14. That never... chivalry: that is, he knelt to the king when he knighted him, but on no other occasion. hero of the poem. The original | 15, 16. Nor put up blow... shoulder-blade. is supposed to have been Sir "Put up" = put up with. The reference is to the blow the king laid on his shoulder with a sword when he was knighted. LITERARY ANALYSIS.-7. drum ecclesiastic. What figure is "drum?" (See Def. 20.)-Observe the mock-majesty of placing the epithet after the noun. 7, 8. ecclesiastic... a stick. It will be noted that each of these lines contains a redundant syllable; or, in the language of prosody, they are hypermeters.-The speaking of "a stick" as one word with the stress upon a heightens the burlesque effect. II. wight. Does this word belong to the grave or the burlesque style? What term would probably be used in the grave style? 13. stubborn knee. Why "stubborn?" 19. to wear it out. Observe how the image suggested by this phrase is carried out in the simile in the last part of the sentence. Besides, 'tis known he could speak Greek He was in logic a great critic, A hair 'twixt south and south-west side; 25. difficile (pronounced difficile), difficult. 30. had not one word: that is, did not know one word of Greek or Latin. 32. analytic. generic nature and special properties: this is called the method of resolution."- DR. WATTS: Logic. 33, 34. He could... south-west side. The reference is to the subtle distinctions made by the class of philosophers called school “Analytic method takes the whole compound as it finds it, whether it be a species or an individual, and leads us into the knowledge of it by resolving it 36. change hands: that is, take the into its principles or parts, its other side of the argument. men. LITERARY ANALYSIS.—23-26. Besides... whistle. Point out the two ludicrous comparisons in this sentence.-How is the ridiculous effect heightened by the rhymes? 34. A hair 'twixt south, etc. What term, expressing the idea in this sentence, do we often apply to a person who makes needlessly fine distinctions? 40. a lord may be an owl. What is the effect intended? What is the figure of speech? (See Def. 20.) (See Def. 27.) 25 3C 35 44 A calf an alderman, a goose a justice, In mood and figure, he would do. His mouth but out there flew a trope; Teach nothing but to name his tools. 45 50 55 42. committee-men. During the English | 46. In mood and figure. civil war there were formed, in several counties siding with Parliament, committees composed of such men as were for the "good cause," as it was called. 44. ratiocination, formal reasoning. 45. syllogism, the regular logical form "Mood" and 'figure" have reference to the nature and the order of the three propositions in a syllo. gism. = open. 47. ope of every argument, consisting Babylonish dialect, the sort of jargon spoken at Babel after the con. fusion of tongues. LITERARY ANALYSIS. —41, 42. A calf... trustees. Supply the ellipsis in these lines. 47-56. What two passages in this sentence are familiar quotations? Is it true that the rules of sound rhetoric teach one "nothing but to name his tools?" Do they not also teach how to handle these tools? 59. dialect. What is the grammatical construction of "dialect?" It was a parti-colored dress Of patched and piebald * languages ; As if h' had talked three parts in one; A leash of languages at once. As if his stock would ne'er be spent ; 65 70 61. parti-colored, colored part by part, having various tints and colors. 62. piebald, diversified in color. fustian (a coarse twilled cotton stuff), that the satin in a garment might appear through it. 63. English... Latin. The leading 66. three parts. The expression al men of those times were fond of appearing learned, and com- ludes to the old musical catches in three parts. Cerberus, the three-headed dog at the entrance to Hades. their speech. This was es- 70. leash, literally a rope. In the pecially the case with the coun- was one. 64. Like fustian... satin: that is, like technical language of hunting, it signifies three greyhounds, or three creatures of any kind, the hounds in hunting having been in former times held with a rope or string. charge, burden, duty. LITERARY ANALYSIS.-61. It was... dress. What is the figure of speech? (See Def. 20.) 63, 64. Observe how the specific illustrations in these lines carry out the general idea in lines 61 and 62. 64. Like fustian, etc. Explain the comparison. 69. What apposite classical reference is made in this line? For he could coin or counterfeit Did fill his mouth with pebble-stones 75, 76. he could... words. The Pres byterians coined a great num- 76. wit, sense. words," these counterfeits. They therefore passed as "current," that is, as current coin, currency. 83. his phrase: that is, Hudibras's dic tion. 81, 82. the orator... pebble-stones. The 86. Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), an emi allusion is to Demosthenes, who, lation, put pebble-stones in his By nent Danish astronomer. 77, 78, 80. no stone... touch them on... 88. Could . . . ale. As a justice of the current. The meaning is that there was no touchstone (a stone peace he had a right to inspect weights and measures. on which gold and silver were 89. sines and tangents, terms of trigotested) fit to test these " new nometry. LITERARY ANALYSIS. 75-80. For he could coin... took 'em. Show the felicitous manner in which the metaphor in this passage is carried out. 85-92. In mathematics... algebra. By what device does the author contrive to convey an exceedingly ludicrous idea of Hudibras's mathematical attain. ments? |