But having found the worst was past,
She fell to her own work at last,
The pillage of the prisoners,

Which in all feats of arms were her's;

775

And now to plunder Ralph she flew,
When Hudibras his hard fate drew

To succour him; for, as he bow'd

To help him up, she laid a load

Of blows so heavy, and plac'd so well,

On t' other side, that down he fell.

780

Yield, scoundrel base, (quoth she,) or die; 785

Thy life is mine, and liberty;

But if thou think'st I took thee tardy,

And dar'st presume to be so hardy,

To try thy fortune o'er afresh,

I'll wave my title to thy flesh,
Thy arms and baggage now my right:
And if thou hast the heart to try't,
I'll lend thee back thyself a while,
And once more for thy carcase vile
Fight upon tick.-Quoth Hudibras,
Thou offer'st nobly, valiant lass,

1

790

795

And I shall take thee at thy word.

First let me rise, and take my sword:
That sword which has so oft this day

Thro' squadrons of my foes made way,

800

And to other worlds dispatch'd,
Now with a feeble spinster match'd,

Will blush with blood ignoble stain'd
By which no honor's to be gain'd.
But if thoult take m' advice in this,
Consider whilst thou may'st, what 'tis

To interrupt a victor's course,

B' opposing such a trivial force:

For if with conquest I come off.

(And that I shall do sure enough,)

Quarter thou cans't not have, nor grace

By law of arms in such a case;

Both which I now do offer freely.

I scorn, quoth she, thou coxcomb silly, ⠀⠀⠀ (Clapping her hand upon her breech,

805

810

815

To show how much she priz'd his speech,)...!
Quarter, or counsel, from a foe:

If thou can'st force me to it, do.
But lest it should again be said,

When I have once more won thy head,

820

I took thee napping, unprepar'd,

Arm, and betake thee to thy guard.

This said, she to her tackle fell, And on the Knight let fall a peal

Of blows so fierce, and press'd so home,

That he retir'd, and follow'd's bum.

Stand to 't, quoth she, or yield to mercy;
It is not fighting arsie-versie

825

Shall serve thy turn. This stirr'd his spleen⠀

More than the danger he was in:

830

The blows he felt, or was to feel,

Al ho' th' already made him reel ;
Honor, despite, revenge and shame,
At once into his stomach came;
Which fir'd it so, he rais'd his arm
Above his head, and rain'd a storm
Of blows so terrible and thick,
As if he meant to hash her quick;
But she upon her truncheon took them,
And by oblique diversion broke them,

Waiting an opportunity

To pay all back with usury;

Which long she fail'd not of; for now
The Knight with one dead-doing blow

885

840

Resolving to decide the fight

And she with quick and cunning sleight
Avoiding it, the force and weight

He charg'd upon it was so great,

As almost sway'd him to the ground.

No sooner she th' advantage found,

But in she flew; and seconding

With home-made thrust the heavy swing,

She laid him flat upon his side;

And mounting on his trunk astride,

Quoth she, I told thee what would come

Of all thy vapouring, base scum.

Say, will the law of arms allow

I may have grace and quarter now?

845

850

855

Or wilt thou rather break thy word,

And stain thine honor, than thy sword?

860

A man of war to damn his soul,

In basely breaking his parole;

And when before the fight th' had'st vow'd

To give no quarter in cold blood;

Now thou hast got me for a Tartar,]

To make me 'gainst my will take quarter.
Why dost not put me to the sword,

But cowardly fly from thy word?

865

Quoth Hudibras, The day's thine own;
Thou and thy stars have cast me down:
My laurels are transplanted now,

And flourish on thy conq'ring brow :
My loss of honor's great enough,

Thou need'st not brand it with a scoff:

Sarcasms may eclipse thine own,
But cannot blur my lost renown:
I am not now in Fortune's pow'r;
He that is down can fall no lower.
The ancient heroes were illustrious
For being benign, and not blustrous,
Against a vanquish'd foe; their swords

Were sharp and trenchant, not their words;
And did in fight but cut work out

870

875

880

Thy arms, thy liberty, beside

All that's on th' outside of thy hide,