And that both are so near of kin,

And like in all, as well as fin,

840

That, put them in a bag, and shake them,

Yourself o' th' fudden would mistake them,

And not know which is which, unless

You measure by their wickedness;

For 'tis not hard t' imagine whether

845

O' th' two is worst, though I name neither.
Quoth Hudibras, Thou offer'ft much,

But art not able to keep touch.
Mira de lente, as 'tis i' th' adage,
Id eft, to make a leek a cabbage;
Thou wilt at best but suck a bull,
Or fhear fwine, all cry, and no wool;

850

Ver. 851.] This and the following line thus altered

1674,

Thou canst at best but overstrain

A paradox, and thy own brain.

Thus they continued in the editions 1684, 1689, 1700. Reftored in 1704, in the following blundering manner, Thou 'It be at best but fuch a bull, &c.

and the blunder continued in all the editions till Dr. Gray's.

3

And then what genus rightly doth

Include and comprehend them both?
If animal, both of us may

As juftly pass for bears as they;
For we are animals no less,
Although of different fpecieses.
But, Ralpho, this is no fit place,
Nor time, to argue out the cafe:
For now the field is not far off,

860

865

Where we must give the world a proof

Of deeds, not words, and fuch as fuit

Nor fhall they be deceiv'd, unless
We're flurr'd and outed by fuccefs;
Succefs, the mark no mortal wit,

Or fureft hand, can always hit:

880

For whatfoe'er we perpetrate,

We do but row, w' are steer'd by Fate,

Which in fuccefs oft difinherits,

For fpurious causes, nobleft merits.

Great

Ver.860.Include, &c.] in the two first editions of 1663,

Comprehend them inclufive both.

Ver. 862.] As likely, in the two first editions.

Great actions are not always true fons
Of great and mighty resolutions;
Nor do the bold'ft attempts bring forth
Events ftill equal to their worth;
But fometimes fail, and in their stead
Fortune and cowardice fucceed.
Yet we have no great cause to doubt,

Our actions ftill have borne us out;

Which though they 're known to be so ample,

We need not copy from example;

We're not the only perfon durft

895

Attempt this province, nor the first.
In northern clime a valourous knight
Did whilom kill his Bear in fight,
And wound a Fiddler: we have both
Of these the objects of our wroth,
And equal fame and glory from
Th' attempt, or victory to come.
'Tis fung there is a valiant Mamaluke,

In foreign land yclep'd

To whom we have been oft compar'd

900

905

For perfon, parts, address, and beard i
Both equally reputed stout,

And in the fame cause both have fought;

He

Ver. 904.] The writers of the General Hiftorical Dictionary, vol. vi. p. 291, imagine, "That the chafm "here is to be filled with the words Sir Samuel Luke, "because the line before it is of ten fyllables, and the "measure of the verse generally used in this Poem is "of eight."

Certes our authors are to blame,
For to make some well-founding name
A pattern fit for modern knights
Το copy out in frays and fights
(Like those that a whole street do raze
To build a palace in the place)
They never care how many others
They kill, without regard of mothers,
Or wives, or children, fo they can
Make fome fierce, dead-doing man,
Compos'd of many ingredient valours,
Just like the manhood of nine tailors:
So a wild Tartar, when he fpies

up

A man that 's handfome, valiant, wife,
If he can kill him, thinks t' inherit
His wit, his beauty, and his fpirit;
As if juft fo much he enjoy'd,

15

20

25

As in another is destroy'd:

For when a giant 's flain in fight,

And mow'd o'erthwart, or cleft downright,
It is a heavy cafe, no doubt,

30

A man should have his brains beat out,
Because he's tall, and has large bones,

As men kill beavers for their stones.
But as for our part, we shall tell
The naked truth of what befel,

And as an equal friend to both

The Knight and Bear, but more to Troth,
With neither faction fhall take part,

But give to each his due desert,

35

40

And

And never coin a formal lie on 't,

To make the knight o'ercome the giant.
This b'ing profeft, we've hopes enough,
And now go on where we left off.

They rode, but authors having not
Determin'd whether pace or trot,
(That is to fay, whether tollutation,
As they do term 't, or fuccuffation)
We leave it, and go on, as now
Suppose they did, no matter how;

45

50

As Indian Britains were from Penguins..
So let them be, and, as I was faying,
They their live engines ply'd, not staying
Until they reach'd the fatal champain
Which th' enemy did then encamp on;
The dire Pharfalian plain, where battle
Was to be wag'd 'twixt puiffant cattle
And fierce auxiliary men,

60

65

That came to aid their brethren;

Who now began to take the field,
As Knight from ridge of steed beheld.

70

For