PART II

CANTO III.

THE ARGUMENT

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The Knight, with various Doubts possest,
To win the Lady goes in quest
Of Sidrophel, the Rosy-Crucian,
To know the Dest’nies’ Resolution;
With whom being met, they both chop Logick
About the Science Astrologick,
Till falling from Dispute to Fight,
The Conj’rer’s worsted by the Knight.
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Doubtless the pleasure is as great
Of being cheated as to cheat;
As lookers-on feel most delight,
That least perceive a jugler’s slight;
And still the less they understand, 5
The more th’ admire his slight of hand.

Some with a noise, and greasy light,
Are snapt, as men catch larks by night;
Ensnar’d and hamper’d by the soul,
As nooses by their legs catch fowl l0
Some with a med’cine, and receipt,
Are drawn to nibble at the bait;
And tho’ it be a two-foot trout,
’Tis with a single hair pull’d out.

Others believe no voice t’ an organ 15
So sweet as lawyer’s in his bar-gown,
Until with subtle cobweb-cheats
Th’are catch’d in knotted law, like nets;
In which, when once they are imbrangled,
The more they stir, the more they’re tangled; 20
And while their purses can dispute,
There’s no end of th’ immortal suit.

Others still gape t’ anticipate
The cabinet-designs of fate;
Apply to wizards, to foresee 25
What shall and what shall never be;
And, as those vultures do forebode,
Believe events prove bad or good: 
A flam more senseless than the roguery
Of old aruspicy and aug’ry. 30
That out of garbages of cattle
Presag’d th’ events of truce or battle;
From flight of birds, or chickens pecking,
Success of great’st attempts would reckon: