515
From hence, to spring a variance;
And raise among themselves new scruples,
Whom common danger hardly couples. 
Remember how, in arms and politicks,
We still have worsted all your holy tricks; 520
Trepann’d your party with intrigue,
And took your grandees down a peg;
New modell’d th’ army, and cashier’d
All that to legion SMEC adher’d;
Made a mere utensil o’ your Church, 525
And after left it in the lurch
A scaffold to build up our own,
And, when w’ had done with’t, pull’d it down
Capoch’d your Rabbins of the Synod,
And snap’d their Canons with a why-not; 530
(Grave Synod Men, that were rever’d
For solid face and depth of beard;)
Their classic model prov’d a maggot,
Their direct’ry an Indian Pagod;
And drown’d their discipline like a kitten, 535
On which they’d been so long a sitting;
Decry’d it as a holy cheat,
Grown out of date, and obsolete;
And all the Saints of the first grass
As casting foals of Balaam’s ass. 540

At this the Knight grew high in chafe,
And staring furiously on Ralph,
He trembled, and look’d pale with ire
Like ashes first, then red as fire. 
Have I (quoth he) been ta’en in fight, 545
And for so many moons lain by’t,
And, when all other means did fail,
Have been exchang’d for tubs of ale? 
Not but they thought me worth a ransome
Much more consid’rable and handsome, 550
But for their own sakes, and for fear
They were not safe when I was there
Now to be baffled by a scoundrel,
An upstart sect’ry, and a mungrel;
Such as breed out of peccant humours, 555
Of our own Church, like wens or tumours,
And, like a maggot in a sore,
Would that which gave it life devour;
It never shall be done or said;
With that he seiz’d upon his blade; 560
And Ralpho too, as quick and bold,
Upon his basket-hilt laid hold,
With equal readiness prcpar’d
To draw, and stand upon his guard;
When both were parted on the sudden, 565
 With hideous clamour, and a loud one
As if all sorts of noise had been
Contracted into one loud din;
Or that some member to be chosen,
Had got the odds above a thousand, 570
And by the greatness of its noise,
Prov’d fittest for his country’s choice. 
This strange surprisal put the Knight
And wrathful Squire into a fright;
And though they stood prepar’d, with fatal 575
Impetuous rancour to join battel,
Both thought it was the wisest course
To wave the fight and mount to horse,
And to secure by swift retreating,
Themselves from danger of worse beating. 580
Yet neither of them would disparage,
By utt’ring of his mind, his courage,
Which made them stoutly keep their ground,
With horror and disdain wind-bound.