Samuel Butler (poet): Likeness

“When civil fury first grew high,
And men fell out, they knew not why;
When hard words, jealousies, and fears,
Set folks together by the ears,
And made them fight, like mad or drunk,
For Dame Religion, as for punk; Whose honesty they all durst swear for,
Though not a man of them knew wherefore:”

Samuel Butler (poet) Hudibras

Canto I, first lines
Hudibras, Part I (1663–1664)
Context: When civil fury first grew high,
And men fell out, they knew not why;
When hard words, jealousies, and fears,
Set folks together by the ears,
And made them fight, like mad or drunk,
For Dame Religion, as for punk; Whose honesty they all durst swear for,
Though not a man of them knew wherefore:
When Gospel-Trumpeter, surrounded
With long-ear'd rout, to battle sounded,
And pulpit, drum ecclesiastick,
Was beat with fist, instead of a stick;
Then did Sir Knight abandon dwelling,
And out he rode a colonelling.

Men , Fear , Jealousy , Religion

“Like men condemn'd to thunder-bolts,
Who, ere the blow, become mere dolts;
Or fools besotted with their crimes,
That know not how to shift betimes,
And neither have the hearts to stay,
Nor wit enough to run away.”

Samuel Butler (poet) Hudibras

Hudibras, Part III (1678)
Context: We idly sit, like stupid blockheads,
Our hands committed to our pockets,
And nothing but our tongues at large,
To get the wretches a discharge:
Like men condemn'd to thunder-bolts,
Who, ere the blow, become mere dolts;
Or fools besotted with their crimes,
That know not how to shift betimes,
And neither have the hearts to stay,
Nor wit enough to run away.

Men , Fools , Heart

“Each window like a pill'ry appears,
With heads thrust thro' nail'd by the ears.”

Samuel Butler (poet)

Canto III, line 391
Source: Hudibras, Part II (1664)

Appearance

“The sun had long since in the lap
Of Thetis taken out his nap,
And, like a lobster boil'd, the morn
From black to red began to turn.”

Samuel Butler (poet)

Canto II, line 29
Source: Hudibras, Part II (1664)

Sun

“With books and money plac'd for show
Like nest-eggs to make clients lay,
And for his false opinion pay.”

Samuel Butler (poet)

Canto III, line 624
Source: Hudibras, Part III (1678)

Money , Books , Falseness

“As the ancients
Say wisely, have a care o' th' main chance,
And look before you ere you leap;
For as you sow, ye are like to reap.”

Samuel Butler (poet)

Canto II, line 501
Source: Hudibras, Part II (1664)

Chance

“Like feather bed betwixt a wall
And heavy brunt of cannon ball.”

Samuel Butler (poet)

Canto II, line 872
Source: Hudibras, Part I (1663–1664)

“For Rhime the Rudder is of Verses,
With which like Ships they steer their courses.”

Samuel Butler (poet)

Canto I, line 463
Source: Hudibras, Part I (1663–1664)

“This Light inspires, and plays upon
The nose of Saint like Bag-pipe drone,
And speaks through hollow empty Soul,
As through a Trunk, or whisp'ring hole,
Such language as no mortal Ear
But spiritual Eve-droppers can hear.”

Samuel Butler (poet)

Source: Hudibras, Part I (1663–1664)

Soul , Light

“That each man Swore to do his best,
To damn and perjure all the rest!
And bid the Devil take the hin'most,
Which at this race is like to win most.”

Samuel Butler (poet) Hudibras

Hudibras, Part I (1663–1664)
Context: Shall we that in the Cov'nant swore,
Each man of us to run before
Another, still in Reformation,
Give dogs and bears a dispensation?
How will Dissenting Brethren relish it?
What will malignants say? videlicet,
That each man Swore to do his best,
To damn and perjure all the rest!
And bid the Devil take the hin'most,
Which at this race is like to win most.

“Still amorous and fond and billing,
Like Philip and Mary on a shilling.”

Samuel Butler (poet)

Canto I, line 687
Source: Hudibras, Part III (1678)