And rather on a gibbet dangle,

Than mifs his dear delight, to wrangle;

440

In which his parts were fo accomplisht,

That, right or wrong, he ne'er was nonplust;

But ftill his tongue ran on, the less

Of weight it bore, with greater ease;
And with its everlasting clack

445

Set all men's ears upon the rack.
No fooner could a hint appear,

But up he started to picqueer,

And made the ftouteft yield to mercy,

When he engag'd in controverfy;

450

+465

For nothing but his interest
Could lay his devil of contest:

It was his choice, or chance, or curse,
T'espouse the Cause for better or worse,

And

And with his worldly goods and wit,
And foul and body, worship'd it :

But when he found the fullen trapes

Poffefs'd with th' devil, worms, and claps ;
The Trojan mare, in foal with Greeks,

Not half fo full of jadish tricks ;

Though squeamish in her outward woman,

As loose and rampant as Dol Common ;

He ftill refolv'd, to mend the matter,

T' adhere and cleave the obftinater;
And ftill, the skittifler and loofer

470

475

Ver. 485, 486.] This cabal was held at Whitehall, at the very time that General Monk was dining with the city of London. I heartily with the Poet had introduced the worthy Sir Hudibras into this grand affembly: his prefence would have continued an uniformity in this Poem, and been very pleafing to the spectator. His natural propenfion to loquacity would cer tainly have exerted itself on fo important an occafion; and his rhetoric and jargon would not have been lefs politic or entertaining than that of the two orators here characterised.

The orator we nam'd of late,

Lefs troubled with the pangs of state
Than with his own impatience

490

Not feign'd, as once, but fadly horrid,

Scor❜d upon every Member's forehead;

500

Who, 'cause the clouds are drawn together,

And threaten fudden change of weather,

Feel pangs and aches of state-turns,

And revolutions in their corns;

And, fince our Workings-out are croft,

505

Throw up the Caufe before 'tis loft.
Was it to run away we meant
When, taking of the Covenant,
The lamest cripples of the Brothers
Took oaths to run before all others,

That stickle which shall make an end on 't ;

As

As 'twas made out to us the last
-Expedient,-(I mean Margaret's faft)
When Providence had been fuborn'd
What answer was to be return'd:
Elfe why fhould tumults fright us now,
We have fo many times gone through,

520

And understand as well to tame

7525

As, when they serve our turns, t' inflame?'

· Have prov'd how inconfiderable

Are all engagements of the rabble;

Whofe frenzies must be reconcil'd

With drums and rattles, like a child,
But never prov'd fo profperous,
As when they were led on by us;
For all our fcouring of religion

530

And brown-bills, levy'd in the City,

Made bills to pass the Grand Committee;

When Zeal, with aged clubs and gleaves,
Gave chace to rochets and white fleeves,

i

And

Ver. 521.] Alluding to the impudence of those pretended faints, who frequently directed God Almighty what anfwers he fhould return to their prayers. Mr. Simeon Afh was called the God-challenger.

And made the Church, and State, and Laws,
Submit t' old iron, and the Caufe.
And as we thriv'd by tumults then,
So might we better now again,

545

If we knew how, as then we did,

To use them rightly in our need:

550

Tumults, by which the mutinous
Betray themselves instead of us;
The hollow-hearted, difaffected,

And clofe malignant are detected;

Who lay their lives and fortunes down,
For pledges to fecure our own;

555

And freely facrifice their ears

T' appease our jealoufies and fears :
And yet for all these providences
W' are offer'd, if we had our senses,
We idly fit, like stupid blockheads,
Our hands committed to our pockets,
And nothing but our tongues at large,
To get the wretches a discharge:
Like men condemn'd to thunderbolts,

Who, ere the blow, become mere dolts;
Or fools befotted with their crimes,
That know not how to fhift betimes,,
That neither have the hearts to stay,
Nor wit enough to run away;
Who, if we could refolve on either,
Might stand or fall at least together;
No mean nor trivial folaces

To partners in extreme distress;
VOL. II.

560

565

570

D

Whe