the impurities have been rigidly expurgated by the omission, whenever possible, of the whole passage in which anything objectionable occurs, no exception being allowed in favour even of such indecent passages as are directly quoted from Scripture. For convenience of class teaching the original numbering of the lines has been preserved,

In conclusion it must be observed that the editor's aim has only been the modest one of usefulness. He will be satisfied if that aim has not been altogether missed—at least he would plead that by that aim he may be judged.

August, 1881..

A. M..

HUDIBRAS.

PART I.-CANTO I.

THE ARGUMENT.

Sir Hudibras his passing worth,
The manner how he sallied forth;
His arms and equipage are shown;
His horse's virtues, and his own.
Th' adventure of the bear and fiddle
Is sung, but breaks off in the middle.

WHEN civil fury first grew high,

WHEN
And men fell out, they knew not why;

When hard words, jealousies, and fears,
Set folks together by the ears,

5 And made them fight, like mad or drunk,
For Dame Religion, as for punk;

Whose honesty they all durst swear for, Though not a man of them knew wherefore: When Gospel-Trumpeter, surrounded

10 With long-eared rout, to battle sounded,
And pulpit, drum ecclesiastic,

Was beat with fist, instead of a stick;
Then did Sir Knight abandon dwelling,
And out he rode a colonelling.

15 A wight he was, whose very sight would Entitle him Mirror of Knighthood;

B

That never bent his stubborn knee
To any thing but Chivalry;

Nor put up blow, but that which laid
20 Right worshipful on shoulder-blade:
Chief of domestic knights and errant,
Either for cartel or for warrant;

Great on the bench, great in the saddle, That could as well bind o'er, as swaddle; 25 Mighty he was at both of these,

And styled of war, as well as peace. So some rats, of amphibious nature, Are either for the land or water. But here our authors make a doubt 30 Whether he were more wise, or stout: Some hold the one, and some the other; But howsoe'er they make a pother,

35

The difference was so small, his brain Outweighed his rage but half a grain; Which made some take him for a tool That knaves do work with, called a fool; For 't has been held by many, that As Montaigne, playing with his cat, Complains she thought him but an ass, 40 Much more she would Sir Hudibras; For that's the name our valiant knight To all his challenges did write. But they're mistaken very much, 'Tis plain enough he was not such; 45 We grant, although he had much wit, H' was very shy of using it; As being loth to wear it out, And therefore bore it not about, Unless on holy-days, or so,

50 As men their best apparel do.

Beside, 'tis known he could speak Greek
As naturally as pigs squeak;
That Latin was no more difficile,

Than to a blackbird 'tis to whistle:
55 Being rich in both, he never scanted
His bounty unto such as wanted;
But much of either would afford

To many, that had not one word. For Hebrew roots, although they're found 60 To flourish most in barren ground, He had such plenty, as sufficed To make some think him circumcised; And truly so, perhaps, he was, 'Tis many a pious Christian's case. He was in logic a great critic, Profoundly skilled in analytic;

65

He could distinguish, and divide

A hair 'twixt south, and south-west side; On either which he would dispute, 70 Confute, change hands, and still confute; He'd undertake to prove, by force Of argument, a man's no horse; He'd prove a buzzard is no fowl, And that a lord may be an owl, A calf an alderman, a goose a justice,

75

And rooks Committee-men and Trustees.
He'd run in debt by disputation,
And pay with ratiocination.

All this by syllogism, true

80 In mood and figure, he would do.
For rhetoric, he could not ope

His mouth, but out there flew a trope;
And when he happened to brake off
I' th' middle of his speech, or cough,