Quotes
Quotes - Butler
And pulpit, drum ecclesiastick,
Was beat with fist instead of a stick.
We grant, although he had much wit,
He was very shy of using it.
Beside, 't is known he could speak Greek
As naturally as pigs squeak;
That Latin was no more difficile
Than to a blackbird 't is to whistle.
He could distinguish and divide
A hair 'twixt south and southwest side.
For rhetoric, he could not ope
His mouth, but out there flew a trope.
For all a rhetorician's rules
Teach nothing but to name his tools.
A Babylonish dialect
Which learned pedants much affect.
For he by geometric scale
Could take the size of pots of ale.
And wisely tell what hour o' the day
The clock does strike, by algebra.
Whatever sceptic could inquire for,
For every why he had a wherefore.
Where entity and quiddity,
The ghosts of defunct bodies, fly.
He knew what's what, and that's as high
As metaphysic wit can fly.
Such as take lodgings in a head
That's to be let unfurnished.
'T was Presbyterian true blue.
And prove their doctrine orthodox,
By apostolic blows and knocks.
As if religion was intended
For nothing else but to be mended.
Compound for sins they are inclined to,
By damning those they have no mind to.
The trenchant blade, Toledo trusty,
For want of fighting was grown rusty,
And ate into itself, for lack
Of somebody to hew and hack.
For rhyme the rudder is of verses,
With which, like ships, they steer their courses.
He ne'er consider'd it, as loth
To look a gift-horse in the mouth.
And force them, though it was in spite
Of Nature and their stars, to write.
Quoth Hudibras, "I smell a rat!
Ralpho, thou dost prevaricate."
Or shear swine, all cry and no wool.
And bid the devil take the hin'most.
With many a stiff thwack, many a bang,
Hard crab-tree and old iron rang.
