Hudibras | Page 7

he had, whose name was RALPH,?That in th' adventure went his half:?Though writers, for more stately tone,?Do call him RALPHO; 'tis all one; 460 And when we can with metre safe,?We'll call him so; if not, plain RALPH:?(For rhyme the rudder is of verses,?With which like ships they steer their courses.)?An equal stock of wit and valour 465 He had laid in; by birth a taylor.?The mighty Tyrian Queen, that gain'd?With subtle shreds a tract of land,?Did leave it with a castle fair?To his great ancestor, her heir. 470 From him descended cross-legg'd Knights,?Fam'd for their faith, and warlike fights?Against the bloody cannibal,?Whom they destroy'd both great and small.?This sturdy Squire, he had, as well 475 As the bold Trojan Knight, seen Hell;?Not with a counterfeited pass?Of golden bough, but true gold-lace.?His knowledge was not far behind?The Knight's, but of another kind, 480 And he another way came by 't:?Some call it GIFTS, and some NEW-LIGHT;?A liberal art, that costs no pains?Of study, industry, or brains.?His wit was sent him for a token, 485 But in the carriage crack'd and broken.?Like commendation nine-pence crook'd,?With -- To and from my love -- it look'd.?He ne'er consider'd it, as loth?To look a gift-horse in the mouth; 490 And very wisely wou'd lay forth?No more upon it than 'twas worth.?But as he got it freely, so?He spent it frank and freely too.?For Saints themselves will sometimes be 495 Of gifts, that cost them nothing, free.?By means of this, with hem and cough,?Prolongers to enlighten'd stuff,?He cou'd deep mysteries unriddle?As easily as thread a needle. 500 For as of vagabonds we say,?That they are ne'er beside their way;?Whate'er men speak by this New Light,?Still they are sure to be i' th' right.?'Tis a dark-lanthorn of the Spirit, 505 Which none see by but those that bear it:?A light that falls down from on high,?For spiritual trades to cozen by?An Ignis Fatuus, that bewitches?And leads men into pools and ditches, 510 To make them dip themselves, and sound?For Christendom in dirty pond?To dive like wild-fowl for salvation,?And fish to catch regeneration.?This light inspires and plays upon 515 The nose of Saint like bag-pipe drone,?And speaks through hollow empty soul,?As through a trunk, or whisp'ring hole,?Such language as no mortal ear?But spirit'al eaves-droppers can hear: 520 So PHOEBUS, or some friendly muse,?Into small poets song infuse,?Which they at second-hand rehearse,?Thro' reed or bag-pipe, verse for verse.
Thus RALPH became infallible 525 As three or four-legg'd oracle,?The ancient cup, or modern chair;?Spoke truth point-blank, tho' unaware.
For MYSTICK LEARNING, wond'rous able?In magick Talisman and Cabal, 530 Whose primitive tradition reaches?As far as ADAM'S first green breeches:?Deep-sighted in intelligences,?Ideas, atoms, influences;?And much of Terra Incognita, <> 535 Th' intelligible world, cou'd say:?A deep OCCULT PHILOSOPHER,?As learn'd as the wild Irish are,?Or Sir AGRIPPA ; for profound?And solid lying much renown'd. 540 He ANTHROPOSOPHUS, and FLOUD,?And JACOB BEHMEN understood:?Knew many an amulet and charm,?That wou'd do neither good nor harm:?In ROSY-CRUCIAN lore as learned, 545 As he that Vere adeptus earned.?He understood the speech of birds?As well as they themselves do words;?Cou'd tell what subtlest parrots mean,?That speak, and think contrary clean: 550 What Member 'tis of whom they talk,?When they cry, Rope, and walk, knave, walk.?He'd extract numbers out of matter,?And keep them in a glass, like water;?Of sov'reign pow'r to make men wise; 555 For drop'd in blear thick-sighted eyes,?They'd make them see in darkest night?Like owls, tho' purblind in the light.?By help of these (as he profess'd)?He had First Matter seen undress'd: 560 He took her naked all alone,?Before one rag of form was on.?The Chaos too he had descry'd,?And seen quite thro', or else he ly'd:?Not that of paste-board which men shew 565 For groats, at fair of Barthol'mew;?But its great grandsire, first o' the name,?Whence that and REFORMATION came;?Both cousin-germans, and right able?T' inveigle and draw in the rabble. 570 But Reformation was, some say,?O' th' younger house to Puppet-play.?He cou'd foretel whats'ever was?By consequence to come to pass;?As death of great men, alterations, 575 Diseases, battles, inundations.?All this, without th' eclipse o' th' sun,?Or dreadful comet, he hath done,?By inward light; away as good,?And easy to be understood; 580 But with more lucky hit than those?That use to make the stars depose,?Like Knights o' th' post, and falsely charge?Upon themselves what others forge:?As if they were consenting to 585 All mischiefs in the world men do:?Or, like the Devil, did tempt and sway 'em?To rogueries, and then betray 'em.?They'll search a planet's house, to know?Who broke and robb'd a house below: 590 Examine VENUS, and the MOON,?Who stole a thimble or a spoon;?And tho' they nothing will confess,?Yet by their very looks can guess,?And tell what guilty aspect bodes, 595 Who stole, and who receiv'd the goods.?They'll