When to a legal allegation You turn your excommunication, And for a groat unpaid that's due, Thought he, 'tis no mean part of civil State prudence, to cajole the devil ; And not to handle him too rough, 1525 When h' has us in his cloven hoof. 'Tis true, quoth he, that intercourse Has pass'd between your friends and ours, 1530 To raise your members, and to lay, Your great designs of rage and murder. We onl' have made that title good; And if it were but in our pow'r We should not scruple to do more, 1.540 And not be half a soul behind Of all dissenters of mankind. 1545 Right, quoth the Voice, and as I scorn To be ungrateful in return Of all those kind good offices, I'll free you out of this distress; 1550 And set you down in safety, where It is no time to tell you here. The cock crows, and the morn grows on, And if I leave you here till day, You'll find it hard to get away. With that the spirit grop'd about, 1555 1560 1565 In danger of relapse to worse, Came in to assist him with its aid, And up his sinking vessel weigh'd. No sooner was he fit to trudge, But both made ready to dislodge; 1570 The spirit hors'd him like a sack, And bore him headlong into th' hall, And th' avenues as strongly block'd, H' attack'd the window, storm'd the glass, 1575 Through which he dragg'd the worsted soldier's Fore-quarters out by th' head and shoulders; 1580 And cautiously began to scout, To find their fellow-cattle out. Ere he retriev'd the champion's beast, Tied to a pale instead of a rack, 1585 But ne'er a saddle on his back, Nor pistols at the saddle-bow, Convey'd away the Lord knows how. And let the night too steal away; 1590 But in a trice advanc'd the Knight |