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 fome New-light;

A liberal art, that costs no pains

Of study, industry, or brains.

His wit was fent him for a token,

But in the carriage crack'd and broken;

Like commendation nine-pence crookt

With-" To and from my love"-it lookt.

He ne'er confider'd it, as loth

To look a gift-horse in the mouth,

And very wifely would lay forth
No more upon it than 'twas worth;
But, as he got it freely, fo

485

499

He spent it frank and freely too:

For faints themselves will fometimes be,

495.

Of gifts that coft them nothing, free.

By means of this, with hem and cough,
Prolongers to enlighten'd ftuff,

He

Ver. 485.] His wits were fent him, in all editions to 1704 inclufive.

Ver. 487. 488.] Until the year 1696, when all money, not milled, was called in, a ninepenny piece of filver was as common as fixpences or fhillings, and thefe ninepences were ufually bent as fixpences commonly are now, which bending was called, To my love, and From my love ;" and fuch ninepences the ordinary fellows gave or fent to their fweethearts as tokens of love.

He could deep myfteries unriddle,

As eafily as thread a needle:
For as of vagabonds we say,

500

That they are ne'er beside their way,
Whate'er men speak by this New-light,

Still they are fure to be i' th' right.

'Tis a dark-lantern of the Spirit,

505

Which none fee by but those that bear it;

To dive, like wild-fowl, for falvation,

And fish to catch regeneration.
This light infpires and plays upon
The nose of faint, like bag-pipe drone,
And speaks, through hollow empty foul,
As through a trunk, or whispering-hole,
Such language as no mortal ear

But fpirit'al eaves-droppers can hear :
So Phoebus, or fome friendly Muse,

515

520

Ver. 511.] Alluding to Ralpho's religion, who was,

probably, an Anabaptift or Dipper.

The ancient cup, or modern chair;
Spoke truth point blank, though unaware.
For myftic learning, wondrous able
In magic, talisman, and cabal,
Whose primitive tradition reaches
As far as Adam's firft green breeches;
Deep-fighted in intelligences,
Ideas, atoms, influences;

And much of Terra Incognita,

530

335

When they cry Rope, and Walk, knave, walk.

He'd extract numbers out of matter,

And keep them in a glass, like water,

Ver. 546.] Alluding to the Philofopher's Stone.

of

Of fovereign power to make men wife;
For, dropt in blear thick-fighted eyes,
They 'd make them see in darkest night,
Like owls, though purblind in the light.
By help of thefe (as he profeft)
He had First Måtter feen undrest:
He took her naked, all alone,

Before one rag of form was on.
The Chaos, too, he had descry'd,
And feen quite through, or elfe he ly'd;
Not that of Pafteboard, which men fhew
For groats, at fair of Barthol'mew;
But its great grandfire, firft o' th' name,
Whence that and Reformation came,
Both coufin-germans, and right able
T' inveigle and draw in the rabble:
But Reformation was, fome fay,
O' th' younger houfe to Puppet-play.
He could foretel whats ever was
By confequence to come to pafs :

555

560

565

570

As

Ver. 573.] The rebellious clergy would in their prayers pretend to foretel things, to encourage people in their rebellion. I meet with the following inftance in the prayers of Mr. George Swathe, minister of Denham in Suffolk: "O my good Lord God, I praife thee "for difcovering the last week, in the day-time, a vi"fion, that there were two great armies about York, "one of the malignant party about the King, the "other party Parliament and profeffors; and the bet"ter fide fhould have help from Heaven against the

worst ;

As death of great men, alterations,

575

Diseases, battles, inundations :

All this without th' eclipfe of th' fun,

Like Knights o' th' Poft, and falfely charge

Upon themselves what others forge;

As if they were confenting to

585

All mischiefs in the world men do:

Or, like the devil, did tempt and fway 'em
To rogueries, and then betray 'em.
They 'll fearch a planet's house, to know
Who broke and robb'd a house below;

590 Examine

"worst; about, or at which inftant of time, we heard the foldiers at York had raised up a fconce againft "Hull, intending to plant fifteen pieces against Hull; "against which fort Sir John Hotham, Keeper of "Hull, by a garrifon, difcharged four great ordnance, " and broke down their sconce, and killed divers Ca"valiers in it.-Lord, I praife thee for difcovering this "victory, at the inftant of time that it was done, to "my wife, which did then prefently confirm her droop"ing heart, which the laft week had been dejected "three or four days, and no arguments could comfort "her against the dangerous times approaching; but "when he had prayed to be established in faith in thee, "then prefently thou didft, by this vifion, ftrongly "poffefs her foul that thine and our enemies should be * overcome."