And try if we by mediation
Of treaty and accommodation,
Can end the quarrel, and compofe
The bloody duel without blows.

730

Are not our liberties, our lives,

The laws, religion, and our wives,
Enough at once to lie at stake

735

For Covenant and the Caufe's fake?

But

Ver. 736.] This was the Solemn League and Covenant, which was first framed and taken by the Scottish Parliament, and by them fent to the Parliament of England, in order to unite the two nations more closely in religion. It was received and taken by both Houses, and by the City of London; and ordered to be read in all the churches throughout the kingdom; and every perfon was bound to give his confent, by holding up his hand, at the reading of it.

Ibid.-and Caufe's fake.] Sir William Dugdale informs us that Mr. Bond, preaching at the Savoy, told his auditors from the pulpit, "That they ought to "contribute and pray, and do all they were able, to "bring in their brethren of Scotland for fettling of "God's caufe: I fay (quoth he) this is God's caufe; "and if our God hath any caufe, this is it; and if "this be not God's caufe, then God is no god for me; "but the Devil is got up into heaven." Mr. Calamy, in his fpeech at Guildhall, 1643, fays, "I may truly "fay, as the Martyr did, that if I had as many lives "as hairs on my head, I would be willing to facrifice "all these lives in this caufe;"

Which pluck'd down the King, the Church, and the Laws,

To fet up an idol, then nick-nam'd The Cause, Like Bell and Dragon to gorge their own maws; as it is expreffed in " The Rump Carbonaded."

But in that quarrel Dogs and Bears,

As well as we, muft venture theirs?
This feud, by Jefuits invented,
By evil counsel is fomented;
There is a Machiavilian plot,
(Though every nare olfact it not)
And deep design in 't to divide
The well-affected that confide,
By setting brother against brother,
To claw and curry one another.
Have we not enemies plus fatis,
That cane & angue pejus hate us?

740

745

And shall we turn our fangs and claws
Upon our own felves, without cause ?

750

But fure fome mischief will come of it,
Unless by providential wit,

Or force, we averruncate it.

For what defign, what interest,

Can beaft have to encounter beaft?

760

They fight for no efpoufed Cause,
Frail Privilege, fundamental Laws,
Nor for a thorough Reformation,
Nor Covenant nor Proteftation,

Nor liberty of Confciences,

765

Nor Lords and Commons' Ordinances;

Nor for the Church, nor for Church-lands,

Th' Egyptians worship'd dogs, and for
Their faith made internecine war.

Others ador'd a rat, and fome

775

For that church suffer'd martyrdom.
The Indians fought for the truth
Of th' elephant and monkey's tooth;
And many, to defend that faith,
Fought it out mordicus to death ;
But no beaft ever was fo flight,
For man, as for his God, to fight.

780

They

Ver. 765.] Nor for free Liberty of Confcience. Thus the two first editions read: the word free was left out in 1674, and all the fubfequent editions; and Mr. Warburton thinks for the worfe; free liberty being a most beautiful and fatirical periphrafis for licentioufnefs, which is the idea the Author here intended to give us.

Ver. 766.] The King being driven from the Parliament, no legal acts of Parliament could be made; therefore when the Lords and Commons had agreed upon any bill, they published it, and required obedience to it, under the title of An Ordinance of Lords and Commons, and fometimes, An Ordinance of Parliament.

They have more wit, alas! and know
Themselves and us better than fo :
But we, who only do infuse.

785

In them th' infection of our ills.

For, as fome late philofophers

Have well obferv'd, beafts that converse

790

With man take after him, as hogs

Get pigs all th' year, and bitches dogs.
Just so, by our example, cattle

From whence, no doubt, th' invention came

Of this lewd antichristian game.

$800

To this, quoth Ralpho, Verily

The point seems very plain to me;

It is an antichriftian game,
Unlawful both in thing and name.

First, for the name; the word Bear-baiting
Is carnal, and of man's creating;
For certainly there's no fuch word
In all the Scripture on record;
Therefore unlawful, and a fin;
And fo is (fecondly) The thing:
A vile affembly 'tis, that can

No more be prov'd by Scripture, than

805

1

810

Provincial,

Provincial, Claffic, National,
Mere human creature-cobwebs all.
Thirdly, It is idolatrous;

For when men run a-whoring thus
With their inventions, whatsoe'er
The thing be, whether Dog or Bear,
It is idolatrous and Pagan,
No lefs than worshiping of Dagon.
Quoth Hudibras, I smell a rat;

Ralpho, thou doft prevaricate:

For though the thesis which thou lay'st
Be true ad amuffim, as thou fay'st;

(For that Bear-baiting fhould appear

Jure divino lawfuller

Than Synods are, thou doft deny
Totidem verbis, fo do I)

Yet there's a fallacy in this;

For if by fly homœofis,

815

825

830

Ver. 831, 832.] Thefe two lines left out in the edi

tions 1674, 1684, 1689, 1700, and restored 1704.