Which always has been us'd t' untie Tha. mends the grofs mistakes of nature, That lays foundation for renown, And all the honours of the gown: By magiftrates c fevery town ; They're to their ancient feats convey'd. Will not allow I fhould be by, And honour too, when you have don 't; A Perfian emperor whipp'd his grannam, 845 The fea, his mother Venus came on; And hence fome reverend men approve Of rosemary in making love. As tkilful hoopers hoop their tubs With Lydian and with Phrygian dubs, Why may not whipping have as good A grace, perform'd in time and mood, Amen, (quoth fhe) then turn'd about, And bid her Squire let him out. But ere an artift coull be found T' undo the charms another bound, The fun grew low, and left the fkies, 850 Put down (fome write) by ladies' eyes. Ver. 831. I bore engage my folf to loofe ye. This, and the following line, thus altered, 1674, &c. I here engage to be your bayl, And free you from the unknightly jayl. Thus continued to 170r, inclufive. Reftored 1704. 895 900 Ver. 894. I'll set you from th' inchanted den. In all editions to 1704, inclufive. I'll free you, in later editions. Ver. 903.] The evening is here finely defcribed; the Epics are not more exact in defcribing times and feafons than our Poet: we may trace his hero morning and night; and it thould be obferved, in the conclufion of this Canto (conformably to the practice of the Critics upon Homer and Virgil) that one day is only paffed fince the opening of the Poem. The moon pull'd off her veil of light, His whipping penance, till the morn, HUDIBRA S. PART II. CANTO II. The fun had long fince, in the lap Of Thetis, taken out his hap. 30 And, like a lobster boil'd, the morn From black to red began to turn; When Hudibras, whom thoughts and aking 'Twixt fleeping kept, all night, and waking, Began to rub his drowsy eyes, 35 And from his couch prepar'd to rife, Refolving to difpatch the deed He vow'd to do with trufty fpeed: But firit with knocking loud, and bawling, He rouz'd the Squire, in truckle lolling: 40 And after many circumstances Which vulgar authors in romances Do use to spend their time and wits on, 45 THE ARGUMENT. The Knight and Squire in hot difpute, IS ftrange how fome men's tempers fuit T (Like bawd and brandy) with difpute, That for their own opinions ftand faft Make true and falfe, unjust and just, To make impertient defcription, An oath, if I fhould wave this fwinging, 50 55 Ver. 14. Mountaygn, or, Mountaign-and Tully. In all editions to 1704, inclufive. Altered to Montaign and Lully, in 1710, or 1716. Ver. 29.] Several of the books in Homer's Iliad and Odyffey begin with defcribing the Morning: fo, alfo, does Mr. Butler take care to let the world know at what time of the day (which he exactly defcribes) thefe momentous actions of his hero were tranfacted. The morning's approach, the Knight's rifing, and rouziag Thefe two lines not in the first editions of 1664, up his Squire, are humouroufly defcribed. and first inferted 1674. Ver. 2.] (Like burd and brandy). Brandee, in all editions to 1704, inclufive. Ver. 48.] Whipping duly fware. In the first editions. Ver. 55, 56.] This dialogue between Hudibras and Ralph fets before us the hypocrify and vil And what I've fworn to bear forbear, To be forfworn, than act the thing; To errors infinite make way: Quoth Kalpho, Since you do injoin 't, I fhall enlarge upon the point; Have always been at daggers-drawing, For if he devil, to ferve his turn, And one another clapper-clawing; 80 Not that they really cut or fence, But in a fpiritual myftick fenfe; Which to mistake, and make them fquabble In literal fray, 's abominable: Elfe he 'as a greater power than they, Which were impiety to fay. 'Tis Heathenifh, in frequent ufe 85 We 're not commanded to forbear, With Pagans and apoftate Jews, To offer facrifice of Bridewells, But to fwear idly, and in vain, Like modern Indians to their idols; And mongrel Chriftians of our times, That expiate lefs with greater crimes, And call the foul abomination Without felf-intereft or gain: Contrition and mortification. Some have broke oaths by Providence: Is 't not enough we 're bruis'd and kicked, Some, to the glory of the Lord, With finful men bers of the Wicked; Our veffels, that are fan&tify'd, 95 Perjur'd themselves, and broke their word: And this the constant rule and practice Profan'd, and curry'd back and fide; But we muft claw ourselves with fhameful 100 Jainy of all parties of the Rebels with regard to Oaths; what equivocations and evafions they made ufe of, to account for the many perjuries they were daily guilty of, and the feveral oaths they readily took, and as readily broke, merely as they found it fuited their intereft, as appears from verfe 107, &c. and verfe 377, &c. of this Canto, and Part III. Cant, iii. verfe 547, &c. Archbishop Bramball fays, "That the bypocaites of thofe times, though "they magnified the obligation of an oath, yet "in their own cafe difpenfed with all oaths, "civil, military, and religious. We are now "told (fays he) that the oaths we have taken man moved this with defign, he fhould think "him the greatest traitor in the world; but fince "Providence and neceffity had caft them upon "it, he fhould pray to God to blefs their coun"fels." And when he kept the King close prifoner in Carifbrook Caftle, contrary to vows and proteftations, he affirmed, "The Spirit would not let him keep his word." And when, coutrary to the public faith, they murdered him, they pretended they could not refift the motions of the Spirit. To fwear it was in his defence? Did they not fwear to live and die With Elfex, and ftraight laid him by? In which that fwearing made a rent? And hold no fin fo deeply red, 160 As that of breaking Prifcian's head, (The head and founder of their order, 225 That ftirring hats held worfe than murder) Thefe, thinking they 're oblig'd to troth In fwearing, will not take an oath : 165 Like mules, who, if they 've not their will To keep their own pace, ftand stock still: 239 But they are weak, and little know What free-born Confciences may do. 'Tis the temptation of the devil 170 That makes all human actions evil; For Saints may do the fame things by The Spirit, in fincerity, 235 Which other men are tempted to, 175 And at the devil's inftance do, 240 180 Of which the Saints have not a spice; And yet that thing that 's pious in 245 The one, in th' other is a fin. Is 't not ridiculous and nonfenfe, And troll'd them on, and fwore, and fwore, 185 That oaths and fwearing go for nought, What was the Public Faith found out for; Is bound t' obferve, yet kept by none; And if that go for nothing, why A Saint fhould be a flave to Confcience, That ought to be above fuch fancies, As far as above Ordinances? 250 255 195 Yet all of us hold this for true, 260 Of subtle turns and fhifts of sense, 200 A Saint's of th' heav'nly realm a Peer; And as no Peer is bound to fwear, Serve beft with th' Wicked for pretence; Such as the learned Jefuits ufe, 265 And Prefbyterians, for excufe But on the Gospel of his Honour, Of which he may difpofe, as owner, They 're but commiffions of course; VOL. II. The Rabbins rite, When any Jew The laws o' th' land, that were intended 355 Be forc'd t' impeach a broken hedge, Did make to God or mai a vow, And pigs unring'd at vif. franc. pledge? Why should not Confcience have vacation To keep it out, are made defend it. Does not in Chancery every man swear What makes best for him in his answer? 295 300 'Tis ten to one that fide is caft. Do not your Juries give their verdict 365 305 As if they felt the caufe, not heard it? 370 Unless his own rash folly blab it. 310 If Oaths can do a man no good 375 To break an Oath he never made? 380 320 My honour, I am ne'er the near. 385 325 Quoth Ralpho, Honour's but a word To wear by only in a Lord : 390 |