Page:Hudibras - Volume 1 (Butler, Nash, Bohn; 1859).djvu/91

CANTO I.] And to crack'd fiddle, and hoarse tabor, In merriment did drudge and labour; But now a sport more formidable Had raked together village rabble: 'Twas an old way of recreating, Which learned butchers call bear-baiting; A bold advent'rous exercise, With ancient heroes in high prize; For authors do affirm it came From Isthmian or Nemean game; Others derive it from the bear That's fix'd in northern hemisphere, And round about the pole does make A circle, like a bear at stake, That at the chain's end wheels about, And overturns the rabble-rout. For after solemn proclamation, In the bear's name, as is the fashion, According to the law of arms. To keep men from inglorious harms, That none presume to come so near As forty feet of stake of bear; If any yet be so fool-hardy, T' expose themselves to vain jeopardy, If they come wounded off, and lame, No honour's got by such a maim, Altho' the bear gain much, b'ing bound, In honour to make good his ground, When he's engag'd, and take no notice, If any press upon him, who 'tis, But lets them know, at their own cost, That he intends to keep his post. This to prevent, and other harms, Which always wait on feats of arms, For in the hurry of a fray 'Tis hard to keep out of harm's way. Thither the Knight his course did steer To keep the peace 'twixt dog and bear,