But now, t'observe a romantic method, Let bloody steel a while be sheathed, And all those harsh and rugged sounds Of bastinadoes, cuts, and wounds, Exchang'd to Love's more gentle stile, 5 To let our reader breathe a while; In which, that we may be as brief as Is possible, by way of preface, Is't not enough to make one strange, That some men's fancies should ne'er change, 10 But make all people do and say The same things still the self-same way Some writers make all ladies purloin'd, And knights pursuing like a whirlwind Others make all their knights, in fits 15 Of jealousy, to lose their wits; Till drawing blood o'th' dames, like witches, Th' are forthwith cur'd of their capriches. Some always thrive in their amours By pulling plaisters off their sores; 20 As cripples do to get an alms, Just so do they, and win their dames. Some force whole regions, in despight O' geography, to change their site; Make former times shake hands with latter, 25 And that which was before, come after. But those that write in rhime, still make The one verse for the other's sake; For, one for sense, and one for rhime, I think's sufficient at one time. 30 But we forget in what sad plight We whilom left the captiv'd Knight And pensive Squire, both bruis'd in body, And conjur'd into safe custody. Tir'd with dispute and speaking Latin, 35 As well as basting and bear-baiting, And desperate of any course, To free himself by wit or force, His only solace was, that now His dog-bolt fortune was so low, 40 That either it must quickly end Or turn about again, and mend; In which he found th' event, no less Than other times beside his guess.