For now the late faint-hearted rout,
O'erthrown and scatter'd round about,
Chas'd by the horror of their fear,
From bloody fray of Knight and Bear,
All but the dogs, who, in pursuit
Of the Knight's victory, stood to't,
And most ignobly sought to get
The honour of his blood and sweat,"
Seeing the coast was free and clear
O' the conquer'd and the conqueror,
Took heart again, and fac'd about,
As if they meant to stand it out:
For now the half defeated bear,
Attack'd by th' enemy i' th' rear,
Finding their number grew too great
For him to make a safe retreat,
Like a bold chieftain fac'd about;
But wisely doubting to hold out,

Gave way to fortune, and with haste
Fac'd the proud foe, and fled, and fac❜d,
Retiring still, until he found

H'ad got the advantage of the ground;
And then as valiantly made head
To check the foe, and forthwith fled,

• And most ignobly sought to get

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The honour of his blood and sweat,] An allusion to the complaint of the presbyterian commanders against the independents, when the self-denying ordinance had brought in these, and excluded the others. Both Butler and Milton complain of not receiving satisfaction and reward for their labours and expences. This looks as if our poet had an allegorical view in some of his characters and passages.

Leaving no art untry'd, nor trick
Of warrior stout and politick,
Until, in spite of hot pursuit,
He gain'd a pass, to hold dispute
On better terms, and stop the course
Of the proud foe. With all his force
He bravely charg'd, and for a while
Forc'd their whole body to recoil;
But still their numbers so increas'd,
He found himself at length oppress'd,
And all evasions so uncertain,
To save himself for better fortune,
That he resolv'd, rather than yield,

To die with honour in the field,
And sell his hide and carcase at
A price as high and desperate
As e'er he could. This resolution
He forthwith put in execution,
And bravely threw himself among
Th' enemy i' th' greatest throng;
But what could single valour do

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Against so numerous a foe?

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Yet much he did, indeed too much

To be believ'd, where th' odds were such;

But one against a multitude,

Is more than mortal can make good :
For while one party he oppos'd,

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His rear was suddenly enclos'd,
And no room left him for retreat,
Or fight against a foe so great.

For now the mastives, charging home,
To blows and handy-gripes were come;
While manfully himself he bore,

And, setting his right foot before,
He rais'd himself to shew how tall
His person was above them all.
This equal shame and envy stirr'd
In th' enemy, that one should beard
So many warriors, and so stout,
As he had done, and stav'd it out,
Disdaining to lay down his arms,
And yield on honourable terms.
Enraged thus, some in the rear

Attack'd him, and some ev'ry where,7
Till down he fell; yet falling fought,
And, being down, still laid about;
As Widdrington, in doleful dumps,
Is said to fight upon his stumps.

7 Enraged thus, some in the rear

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Attack'd him, and some ev'ry where,] Thus Spenser in his Fairy

Queen :

Like dastard curs, that having at a bay

The savage beast, emboss'd in weary chace,

Dare not adventure on the stubborn prey,

Ne bite before, but rome from place to place

To get a snatch, when turned is his face.

As Widdrington, in doleful dumps,

Is said to fight upon his stumps.] In the famous song of Chevy

chase :

For Witherington needs must I wail,

As one in doleful dumps,

For when his legs were smitten off

He fought upon his stumps.

The battle of Chevy-chase, or Otterbourne, on the borders of Scotland, was fought on St. Oswald's day, August 5, 1388, between the

But all, alas! had been in vain, And he inevitably slain,

If Trulla and Cerdon, in the nick,

To rescue him had not been quick :
For Trulla, who was light of foot,

As shafts which long-field Parthians shoot,'
But not so light as to be borne

Upon the ears of standing corn,'

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families of Percy and Douglas-the song was probably wrote much after that time, though long before 1588, as Hearne supposes.-The sense of the stanza is, I, as one in doleful dumps (deep concern) must lament Witherington.

In the old copy of the ballad, the lines run thus:

For Wetharryngton my harte was wo

That ever he slayne shulde be

For when both his leggis weare hewyne in to
He knyled and fought upon his kne.

As shafts which long-field Parthians shoot,] Bishop Warburton offers an amendment here, which improves the sense, viz. longfiled, or drawn up in long ranks. But as all the editions read long-field, I was unwilling to alter it. Perhaps the poet may be justified in the use of this epithet, from the account which Trogus gives of the Parthians. He says, "they were banished, and vagabond Scythians; "their name, in the Scythian language, signifying banished. They "settled in the deserts near Hyrcania; and spread themselves over "vast open fields and wide champaigns-' immensa ac profunda 66 6 camporum.' They are continually on horseback: they fight, con“sult, and transact all their business on horseback." Justin. lib. xli.

[Bishop Warburton and Mr. Nash are wide a-field of their mark here. Long-field is a term of archery, and a long fielder is still a hero at a cricket match.]

1 But not so light as to be borne

Upon the ears of standing corn,] Alluding to Camilla, whose speed is hyperbolically described by Virgil, at the end of the seventh Eneid:

Illa vel intactæ segetis per summa volaret

Gramina, nec teneras cursu læsisset aristas :

Or trip it o'er the water quicker

Than witches, when their staves they liquor,'

As some report, was got among

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The foremost of the martial throng;
Where pitying the vanquish'd bear,

She call'd to Cerdon, who stood near,
Viewing the bloody fight; to whom,
Shall we, quoth she, stand still hum-drum,
And see stout bruin, all alone,

By numbers basely overthrown?
Such feats already he'as atchiev'd,
In story not to be believ❜d,

And 'twould to us be shame enough,
Not to attempt to fetch him off.

I would, quoth he, venture a limb
To second thee, and rescue him;
But then we must about it straight,
Or else our aid will come too late:

Quarter he scorns, he is so stout,

And therefore cannot long hold out.

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This said, they wav'd their weapons round 125
About their heads, to clear the ground;
And joining forces, laid about

So fiercely, that th' amazed rout
Turn'd tail again, and straight begun,
As if the devil drove, to run.

Vel mare per medium, fluctu suspensa tumenti,
Ferret iter, celeres nec tingeret æquore plantas.

Or trip it o'er the water quicker

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Than witches, when their staves they liquor,] Witches are said to

ride upon broomsticks, and to liquor, or grease them, that they may