652 o Or the French League, in which men vow'd To fight to the last Drop of Blood. The Holy League in France, designed and made for the extirpation of the Protestant Religion, was the original out of which the Solemn League and Covenant here was (with the difference only of circumstances) most faithfully transcribed. Nor did the success of both differ more than the intent and purpose; for after the destruction of vast numbers of people of all sorts, both ended with the murder of two Kings, whom they had both sworn to defend: And as our Covenanters swore every man to run one before another in the way of Reformation, so did the French, in the Holy League, to fight to the last drop of blood. PART I. CANTO III. THE ARGUMENT. ------------------------------------------------- The scatter'd rout return and rally, Surround the place; the Knight does sally, And is made pris'ner: Then they seize Th' inchanted fort by storm; release Crowdero, and put the Squire in's place; I should have first said Hudibras. ------------------------------------------------- Ah me! what perils do environ The man that meddles with cold iron! What plaguy mischiefs and mishaps Do dog him still with after-claps! For though dame Fortune seem to smile 5 And leer upon him for a while, She'll after shew him, in the nick Of all his glories, a dog-trick. This any man may sing or say, I' th' ditty call'd, What if a Day? 10 For HUDIBRAS, who thought h' had won The field, as certain as a gun; And having routed the whole troop, With victory was cock a-hoop; Thinking h' had done enough to purchase 15 Thanksgiving-day among the Churches, Wherein his mettle, and brave worth, Might be explain'd by Holder-forth, And register'd, by fame eternal, In deathless pages of diurnal; 20 Found in few minutes, to his cost, He did but count without his host; And that a turn-stile is more certain Than, in events of war, dame Fortune.