Quoth he, Th' one half of man, his mind,

Is, sui juris, unconfin'd

And cannot be laid by the heels,

Whate'er the other moiety feels.

1015

To whine, put finger i' th' eye, and sob,

For both to give blows, and to carry,

In fights are equi-necessary :

But in defeats, the passive stout

1035

Are always found to stand it out

Most desp❜rately, and to outdo

The active 'gainst a conqu'ring foe.

Tho' we with blacks and blues are suggill'd,

Or, as the vulgar say, are cudgell'd; 1040 He that is val'ant, and dares fight,

Though drubb'd, can lose no honor by 't.

Honor's a lease for lives to come,

And cannot be extended from

1

He that is beaten may be said
To lie in honor's truckle-bed,
For as we see th' eclipsed sun
By mortals is more gaz'd upon,

Than when, adorn'd with all his light,
He shines in serene sky most bright;

So valor in a low estate,

Is most admir'd and wonder'd at.

1050

Quoth Ralpho, How great I do not know We may by being beaten grow;

But none that see how here we sit,

Will judge as overgrown with wit.

1060

As gifted brethren, preaching by
A carnal hour-glass do imply
Illumination can convey

Into them what they have to say,

But not how much: so well enough

Know you to charge, but not draw off;
For who without a cap and bauble,
Having subdu'd a bear and rabble,

And might with honor have come off,
Would put it to a second proof?

A politic exploit right fit

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1,070

For Presbyterian zeal and wit.

Quoth Hudibras, That cuckoo's tone,

Ralpho, thou always harp'st upon :

1075

When thou at any thing wouldst rail,
Thou mak'st Presbytery thy scale
To take the height on't, and explain
To what degree it is profane;

Whats'ever will not with (thy what d'ye call)
Thy light jump right, thou call'st synodical. 1080

As if Presbytery were a standard,

To seize whats'ever's to be slander'd.
Do'st not rememher how this day

Thou to my beard was bold to say,

That thou couldst prove bear-bating equal 1085

With synods, orthodox and legal ;

Do, if thou canst; for I deny 't,

And dare thee to 't with all thy light.
Quoth Ralpho, Truly that is no
Hard matter for a man to do,
That has but any guts in 's brains,
And could believe it worth his pains;
But since you dare and urge me to it,
You'll find I've light enough to do it.
Synods are mystical bear-gardens,
Where elders, deputies, churchwardens,
And other members of the court,
Manage the Babylonish sport,

For prolocutor, scribe, and bear-ward,

Do differ only in a mere word;

1. 1090

4

1095

1100

Both are but sev❜ral synagogues

Of carnel men, and bears and dogs;

Both antichristian assemblies,

To mischief bent as far's in them lies;

Both stave and tail, with fierce contests, 1105

The one with men, the other beasts.
The diff'rence is, the one fights with
The tongue, the other with the teeth;

For these at souls of men will fly.
This to the prophet did appear,
Who in a vision saw a bear,
Prefiguring the beastly rage
Of church-rule in this latter age:
As if demonstrated at full
By him that baited the Pope's bull.
Bears natʼrally are beasts of prey,
That live by rapine; so do they.
What are their orders, constitutions,
Church-censures, curses, absolutions?
But sev'ral mystic chains they make,
To tie poor Christians to the stake;
And then set heathen officers,
Instead of dogs about their ears:
For to prohibit and dispense,
To find out or to make offence:

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1130