875
But cannot blur my lost renown. 
I am not now in Fortune’s power;
He that is down can fall no lower. 
The ancient heroes were illustrious
For being benign, and not blustrous, 880
Against a vanquish’d foe:  their swords
Were sharp and trenchant, not their words;
And did in fight but cut work out
To employ their courtesies about.

Quoth she, Although thou hast deserv’d 885
Base slubberdegullion, to be serv’d
As thou did’st vow to deal with me,
If thou had’st got the victory
Yet I shall rather act a part
That suits my fame than thy desert. 890
Thy arms, thy liberty, beside
All that’s on th’ outside of thy hide,
Are mine by military law,
Of which I will not hate one straw: 
The rest, thy life and limbs, once more, 895
Though doubly forfeit, I restore,

Quoth Hudibras, It is too late
For me to treat or stipulate
What thou command’st, I must obey: 
Yet those whom I expugn’d to-day 900
Of thine own party, I let go,
And gave them life and freedom too: 
Both dogs and bear, upon their parole,
Whom I took pris’ners in this quarrel.

Quoth TRULLA, Whether thou or they 905
Let one another run away,
Concerns not me; but was’t not thou
That gave Crowdero quarter too? 
Crowdero, whom, in irons bound,
Thou basely threw’st into LOB’S Pound, 910
Where still he lies, and with regret
His gen’rous bowels rage and fret. 
But now thy carcass shall redeem,
And serve to be exchang’d for him.

This said, the Knight did straight submit, 915
And laid his weapons at her feet. 
Next he disrob’d his gaberdine,
And with it did himself resign. 
She took it, and forthwith divesting
The mantle that she wore, said jesting, 920
Take that, and wear it for my sake
Then threw it o’er his sturdy back,
And as the French, we conquer’d once,
Now give us laws for pantaloons,
The length of breeches, and the gathers, 925
Port-cannons, perriwigs, and feathers;
Just so the proud insulting lass
Array’d and dighted Hudibras.

Mean while the other champions, yerst
In hurry of the fight disperst, 930
Arriv’d, when TRULLA won the day,
To share in th’ honour and the prey,
And out of Hudibras his hide
With vengeance to be satisfy’d;
Which now they were about to pour 935
Upon him in a wooden show’r;
But TRULLA thrust herself between,
And striding o’er his back agen,
She brandish’d o’er her head his sword,
And vow’d they should not break her word; 940