Were its claim
only founded on the colloquial notes of Udall, it is entitled to
consideration, as therein may be traced several of the familiar
phrases and common-place idioms, which have occasioned many
conjectural speculations among the annotators upon our early drama."
The work consists of only two books of the original, comprising the
apophthegms of Socrates, Aristippus, Diogenes, Philippus, Alexander,
Antigonus, Augustus Caesar, Julius Caesar, Pompey, Phocion, Cicero,
and Demosthenes.
On folio 239. occurs the following apophthegm, which is the one
relating to the subject before us:--
"That same man, that renneth awaie,
May again fight, on other daie.
" Judgeyng that it is more for the benefite of
one's countree to renne awaie in battaile, then to lese
his life. For a ded man can fight no more; but who
hath saved hymself alive, by rennyng awaie, may, in
many battailles mo, doe good service to his countree.
"Sec. At lest wise, if it be a poinet of good service, to
renne awaie at all times, when the countree hath most
neede of his helpe to sticke to it."
Thus we are enabled to throw back more than a century these famous
Hudibrastic lines, which have occasioned so many inquiries for their
origin.
I take this opportunity of noticing a mistake which has frequently
been made concerning the _French_ translation of Butler's
_Hudibras_.
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