Dispute, and set a paradox, Like a straight boot, upon the stocks, Than Helmont, Montaign, White, or Lully. So th' ancient Stoics in their porch, With fierce dispute maintain'd their church, To prove that virtue is a body; 15 Made good with stout polemic brawl: 20 In which some hundreds on the place Were slain outright, and many a face All which the Knight and Squire in wrath 25 Had like t' have suffer'd for their faith: Each striving to make good his own, The sun had long since, in the lap Of Thetis, taken out his nap; And like a lobster boil'd, the morn, From black to red began to turn; When Hudibras, whom thoughts and aking, "Twixt sleeping kept all night, and waking, 30 Began to rub his drowsy eyes, He vow'd to do with trusty speed. 35 But first, with knocking loud, and bawling, 40 He rous'd the Squire, in truckle lolling: And, after many circumstances, Which vulgar authors in romances Do use to spend their time and wits on, In which he to the dame before 45 Where now arriv'd, and half unharnest, To carry on the work in earnest, 50 He stopp'd, and paus'd upon the sudden, Sprung a new scruple in his head, Which first he scratch'd, and after said: Whether it be direct infringing An oath, if I should wave this swinging, 55 Or whether 't be a lesser sin To be forsworn, than act the thing, Are deep and subtle points which must, In which to err a tittle, may To errors infinite make way: Thy judgment, ere we further go. Quoth Ralpho, Since you do enjoin 't, I shall enlarge upon the point; And for my own part, do not doubt Th' affirmative may be made out. But first, to state the case aright, For best advantage of our light; And thus 't is, Whether 't be a sin 60 65 70 75 And one another clapper-clawing: 80 Not that they really cuff, or fence, |