That conscience, quoth Hudibras,
Is mis-inform’d:  I’ll state the case
A man may be a legal donor,
Of any thing whereof he’s owner, 680
And may confer it where he lists,
I’ th’ judgment of all casuists,
Then wit, and parts, and valour, may
Be ali’nated, and made away,
By those that are proprietors, 685
As I may give or sell my horse.

Quoth she, I grant the case is true
And proper ’twixt your horse and you;
But whether I may take as well
As you may give away or sell? 690
Buyers you know are bid beware;
And worse than thieves receivers are. 
How shall I answer hue and cry,
For a roan gelding, twelve hands high,
All spurr’d and switch’d, a lock on’s hoof, 695
A sorrel mane?  Can I bring proof
Where, when, by whom, and what y’ were sold for,
And in the open market toll’d for? 
Or should I take you for a stray,
You must be kept a year and day 700
(Ere I can own you) here i’ the pound,
Where, if y’ are sought, you may be found
And in the mean time I must pay
For all your provender and hay.

Quoth he, It stands me much upon 705
T’ enervate this objection,
And prove myself; by topic clear
No gelding, as you would infer. 
Loss of virility’s averr’d
To be the cause of loss of beard, 710
That does (like embryo in the womb)
Abortive on the chin become. 
This first a woman did invent,
In envy of man’s ornament;
semiramis, of Babylon, 715
Who first of all cut men o’ th’ stone,
To mar their beards, and lay foundation
Of sow-geldering operation. 
Look on this beard, and tell me whether
Eunuchs wear such, or geldings either? 720
Next it appears I am no horse;
That I can argue and discourse
Have but two legs, and ne’er a tail.

Quoth she, That nothing will avail
For some philosophers of late here, 725
Write, men have four legs by nature,
And that ’tis custom makes them go
Erron’ously upon but two;
As ’twas in Germany made good
B’ a boy that lost himself in a wood, 730
And growing down to a man, was wont
With wolves upon all four to hunt. 
As for your reasons drawn from tails,
We cannot say they’re true or false,
Till you explain yourself, and show, 735
B’ experiment, ’tis so or no.

Quoth he, If you’ll join issue on’t,
I’ll give you satisfactory account;
So you will promise, if you lose,
To settle all, and be my spouse. 740