But Ralph himfelf, your trufty Squire,

Who 'as dragg'd your Dunship out o' th' mire, 110 And from th' inchantments of a Widow,

Who 'ad turn'd you int' a beast, have freed you;

And, though a prifoner of war,

Have brought you fafe, where now you are;
Which you would gratefully repay,

Your conftant Presbyterian way.

That 's ftranger (quoth the Knight) and stranger;

Who gave thee notice of my danger?

Quoth he, Th' infernal conjurer Purfued, and took me prifoner; And, knowing you were hereabout, Brought me along, to find you out. Where I, in hugger-mugger hid, Have noted all they faid or did :.

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120

And, though they lay to him the pageant,.

125

I did not fee him, nor his agent;

Who play'd their forceries out of fight,
Tavoid a fiercer, fecond fight.

But didft thou fee no devils then?

Not one (quoth he) but carnal men,

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A little worfe than fiends in hell,

And that fhe-devil Jezabel,

That laugh'd and tee-he'd with derifion,
To fee them take your depofition.

What then (quoth Hudibras) was he
That play'd the devil to examine me?

135

A rallying

Ver. 110.] Dunship, in all editions to 1719. Donhip, in later editions.

A rallying weaver in the town,
That did it in a parfon's gown;

Whom all the parish takes for gifted,
But for my part I ne'er believ'd it :

In which you told them all your feats,
Your confcientious frauds and cheats;
Deny'd your whipping, and confefs'd
The naked truth of all the rest,
More plainly than the reverend writer
That to our Churches veil'd his mitre ;

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145

All which they took in black and white,

And cudgel'd me to underwrite.

What made thee, when they all were gone,

And none but thou and I alone,

To act the devil, and forbear

150

To rid me of my hellish fear?

Quoth

Ver. 145, 146.] Though there were more than one in thofe times that this character would have fuited, yet it is probable that Mr. George Graham, Bishop of Orkney, is fneered at in this place by Mr. Butler. He was fo bafe as to renounce and abjure Epifcopacy, figning the abjuration with his own hand, at Brecknefs, in Strones, Feb. 11, 1639. To this remarkable incident Bishop Hall alludes (Epiftle Dedicatory prefixed to his Epifcopacy by Divine Right, &c. 1640, p. 1.) where he obferves, That he craved pardon for having "accepted his Epifcopal function, as if he had thereby "committed fome heinous offence." Upon which he ufes the following exclamation, "Good God! what is "this I have lived to hear? That a bishop, in a Chrif"tian affembly, should renounce his Epifcopal function, "and cry Mercy for his now abandoned calling.”

a foot-ball, back again

, and vengeance, and disdain. It was thy cowardice

me from this leaguer rise, I`ad half-reduc'd the place, afamously base :

Cover'd by the new

chment, than I knew;

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190

my new acquests, and ruṇ,

loft,

, from battles won MP ing all I gain'd or

n cheaper than they coft; le put myself to flight, Kering, run away by night; out, which th` haughty for have prefum'd to do : me in the dark, by force, e ridge of my horfe querpo to their rage, arms and equipages ventur'd to purfue, unequal fight renew; Serve thy outward man, place, and led the

quoth Ralph) I did, 'tis tre

rve myself, but you vre damn'd to

hes feel in

po

baker

=

d

wdering

o-wheel'd caroches

ng a woode

395

200

205

Quoth he, I knew your constant rate,
And frame of spirit too obftinate,

To be by me prevail'd upon,
With any motives of my own;
And therefore ftrove to counterfeit
The devil a while, to nick your wit;
The devil, that is your constant crony,
That only can prevail upon ye;
Elfe we might ftill have been difputing,
And they with weighty drubs confuting.
The Knight, who now began to find

They 'ad left the enemy behind,
And faw no farther harm remain
But feeble weariness and pain,

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160

165

Perceiv'd, by lofing of their way,

They 'ad gain'd th' advantage of the day,

And, by declining of the road,

They had, by chance, their rear made good;

170

And whence, and how, he came to fly;

And, when no devil had appear'd,

What else it could be faid he fear'd;

180

Tofs'd,