mischief, because it was a stranger. This is an allusion probably to the case of Sir Bernard Gascoign, who was condemned at Colchester, with Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle, (see note to v. 1088,) and was respited from execution, being an Italian, and a person of some interest in his country.

V. 1177-8. So justice, while she winks at crimes,

Stumbles on innocence sometimes.] This is a moral reflection applied to a ludicrous subject, and follows very naturally upon the reflection on Crowdero's real leg suffering confinement for the fault of his wooden one.

PART FIRST.

CANTO THIRD.

The Argument.

The scatter'd rout return and rally

Surround the place; the Knight does sally,

And is made pris'ner; then they seize,
Th' enchanted fort by storm, release
Crowdero, put th' Squire in's place;

I should have first said Hudibras.

AY me! what perils do environ

The man that meddles with cold iron?
What plaguy mischiefs and mishaps

Do dog him still with after claps!
For tho' dame Fortune seems to smile,
And leer upon him for a while,

She'll show after him, in the nick
Of all his glories, a dog-trick,

This any man may sing or say,
I' th' ditty call'd, "What if a day?"

VOL. I.

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For Hudibras, who thought h' had won

The field, as certain as a gun,

And having routed the whole troop,

With victory was cock-a-hoop,

Thinking h' had done enough to purchase

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Thanksgiving-day among the churches;
Wherein his mettle and brave worth
Might be explain'd by holder-forth;

And register'd by fame eternal,
In deathless pages of diurnal,
Found in few minutes, to his cost,
He did but count without his host;
And that a turnstile is more certain
Than, in events of war, dame Fortune.

For now the late faint-hearted rout,
O'erthrown and scatter'd round about,
Chas'd by the horror of their fear,
From bloody fray of Knight and Bear.
(All but the dogs, who in pursuit
Of the Knight's victory stood to 't,
And most ignobly fought, to get
The honour of his blood and sweat,)
Seeing the coast was free and clear
O' the conquer'd and the conqueror,

Took heart again, and fac❜d about,
As if they mean't to stand it out.
For by this time the routed Bear,
Attack'd by th' enemy i' th' rear,
Finding their number grow too great
For him to make a safe retreat,

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Like a bold chieftain fac'd about;

But wisely doubting to hold out,
Gave way to fortune, and with haste
Fac'd the proud foe, and fled and fac'd,
Retiring still, until he found

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H' had got th' advantage of the ground;

And then as valiantly made head

To check the foe, and forthwith fled;
Leaving no art untry'd, nor trick

Of warrior stout and politic;
Until, in spite of hot pursuit,

He gain'd a pass to hold dispute

On better terms, and stop the course
Of the proud foe. With all his force
He bravely charg'd, and for a while
Forc'd their whole body to recoil;
But still their numbers so increas'd,
He found himself at length oppress'd,

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