And laid about him, till his nose From thrall of ring and cord broke loose.. 900 Soon as he felt himself enlarg'd, Through thickest of his foes he charg❜d, And made way through th' amaz'd crew; 905 He strove t' escape pursuit of Knight: From whom he fled with as much haste And dread, as he the rabble chas'd. In haste he fled, and so did they, Each and his fear a sev'ral way. 910 Crowdero only kept the field, Not stirring from the place he held, Though beaten down, and wounded sore, I' th' fiddle, and a leg that bore One side of him, not that of bone, But much its better, th' wooden one. 915 And fitting it for sudden fight, Straight drew it up, t' attack the Knight; For getting up on stump and huckle, He with the foe began to buckle, Vowing to be reveng'd for breach Of crowd and skin upon the wretch, He and his Fiddle underwent. But Ralpho (who had now begun From heavy squelch, and had got up Looking about, beheld pernicion 925 930 935 Approaching Knight from fell musician. He snatch'd his whinyard up, that fled When he was falling off his steed, (As rats do from a falling house,) And wing'd with speed and fury flew, 940 945 He took the blow upon his arm, To shield the Knight from further harm; That down it fell, and with it bore To him the Squire right nimbly run, 950 His trunk, thus spoke: What desp❜rate frenzy 955 Made the, thou whelp of sin, to fancy Thyself and all that coward rabble, T'encounter us in battle able? How durst th', I say, oppose thy curship, 'Gainst arms, authority, and worship? And Hudibras, or me provoke, Though all thy limbs were heart of oak, 960 And th' other half of these as good To bear out blows, as that of wood? |