Have prompted this Heroic Nazarite,
Against his vow of strictest purity,
320
To seek in marriage that fallacious46 Bride,
Unclean, unchaste.
Down47 Reason then, at least vain reasonings down,
Though Reason here aver
That moral verdit quits her of unclean:
325
Unchaste was subsequent, her stain not his.
But see here comes thy reverend Sire
With careful48 step, Locks white as doune,
Old Manoah: advise49
Forthwith how thou oughtst to receive him.
330
Samson. Ay me, another inward grief awak’t,
With mention of that name renews th’ assault.
Manoa. Brethren and men of Dan, for such ye seem,
Though in this uncouth50 place; if old respect,
As I suppose, towards your once gloried friend,
335
My Son now Captive, hither hath inform’d51
Your younger feet, while mine cast back with age
Came lagging after; say if he be here.
Chorus. As signal52 now in low dejected state,
As earst in highest, behold him where he lies.
340
Manoa. O miserable change! is this the man,
That invincible Samson, far renown’d,
The dread of Israel’s foes, who with a strength
Equivalent to Angels walk’d thir streets,
None offering fight; who single combatant
345
Duell’d thir Armies rank’t in proud array,
Himself an Army, now unequal match
To save himself against a coward arm’d
At one spears length. O ever failing trust
In mortal strength! and oh what not in man
350
Deceivable and vain! Nay what thing good
Pray’d for, but often proves our woe, our bane?
I pray’d for Children, and thought barrenness
In wedlock a reproach; I gain’d a Son,
And such a Son as all Men hail’d me happy;
355
Who would be now a Father in my stead?
O wherefore did God grant me my request,
And as a blessing with such pomp adorn’d?
Why are his gifts desirable, to tempt
Our earnest Prayers, then giv’n with solemn hand
360
As Graces, draw a Scorpions tail behind?
For this did th’ Angel twice descend? for this
Ordain’d thy nurture holy, as of a Plant;
Select, and Sacred, Glorious for a while,
The miracle of men: then in an hour
365
Ensnar’d, assaulted, overcome, led bound,
Thy Foes derision, Captive, Poor, and Blind
Into a Dungeon thrust, to work with Slaves?
Alas methinks whom God hath chosen once
To worthiest deeds, if he through frailty err,
370
He should not so o’rewhelm, and as a thrall
Subject him to so foul indignities,
Be it but for honours sake of former deeds.
Samson. Appoint53 not heav’nly disposition, Father,
Nothing of all these evils hath befall’n me
375
But justly; I my self have brought them on,
Sole Author I, sole cause: if aught seem vile,
As vile hath been my folly, who have profan’d54
The mystery of God giv’n me under pledge
Of vow, and have betray’d it to a woman,
380
A Canaanite, my faithless enemy.
This well I knew, nor was at all surpris’d,
But warn’d by oft experience: did not she
Of Timna first betray me, and reveal
The secret55 wrested from me in her highth
385
Of Nuptial Love profest, carrying it strait
To them who had corrupted her, my Spies,
And Rivals? In this other was there found
More Faith? who also in her prime of love,
Spousal embraces, vitiated with Gold,
390
Though offer’d only, by the scent conceiv’d
Her spurious first-born; Treason against me?
Thrice she assay’d with flattering prayers and sighs,
And amorous reproaches to win from me
My capital56 secret, in what part my strength
395
Lay stor’d, in what part summ’d, that she might know:
Thrice I deluded her, and turn’d to sport
Her importunity, each time perceiving
How openly, and with what impudence
She purpos’d to betray me, and (which was worse
400
Then undissembl’d hate) with what contempt
She sought to make me Traytor to my self;
Yet the fourth time, when mustring all her wiles,
With blandisht parlies, feminine assaults,
Tongue-batteries, she surceas’d not day nor night
405
To storm me over-watch’t,57 and wearied out.
At times when men seek most repose and rest,
I yielded, and unlock’d her all my heart,
Who with a grain of manhood well resolv’d
Might easily have shook off all her snares:
410
But foul effeminacy held me yok’t
Her Bond-slave; O indignity, O blot
To Honour and Religion! servil mind
Rewarded well with servil punishment!
The base degree to which I now am fall’n,
415
These rags, this grinding, is not yet so base
As was my former servitude, ignoble,
Unmanly, ignominious, infamous,
True slavery, and that blindness worse then this,
That saw not how degeneratly I serv’d.
420
Manoa. I cannot praise thy Marriage choises, Son,
Rather approv’d them not; but thou didst plead
Divine impulsion prompting how thou might’st
Find some occasion to infest our Foes.
I state not that; this I am sure; our Foes
425
Found soon occasion thereby to make thee
Thir Captive, and thir triumph; thou the sooner
Temptation found’st, or over-potent charms
To violate the sacred trust of silence
Deposited within thee; which t’ have kept
430
Tacit, was in thy power; true; and thou bear’st
Enough, and more the burden of that fault;
Bitterly hast thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid score. A worse thing yet remains,
This day the Philistines a popular Feast
435
Here celebrate in Gaza; and proclaim
Great Pomp, and Sacrifice, and Praises loud
To Dagon, as their God who hath deliver’d
Thee Samson, bound and blind into thir hands,
Them out of thine, who slew’st them many a slain.
440
So Dagon shall be magnifi’d, and God,
Besides whom is no God, compar’d with Idols,
Disglorifi’d, blasphem’d, and had in scorn
By th’ Idolatrous rout amidst thir wine;
Which to have come to pass by means of thee,
445
Samson, of all thy sufferings think the heaviest,
Of all reproach the most with shame that ever
Could have befall’n thee and thy Fathers house.
Samson. Father, I do acknowledge and confess
That I this honour, I this pomp have brought
450
To Dagon, and advanc’d his praises high
Among the Heathen round; to God have brought
&n
bsp; Dishonour, obloquie, and op’t the mouths
Of Idolists, and Atheists; have brought scandal
To Israel, diffidence58 of God, and doubt
455
In feeble hearts, propense anough before
To waver, or fall off and joyn with Idols;
Which is my chief affliction, shame and sorrow,
The anguish of my Soul, that suffers not
Mine eie to harbour sleep, or thoughts to rest.
460
This only hope relieves me, that the strife
With me hath end; all the contest is now
’Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath presum’d,
Me overthrown, to enter lists with God,
His Deity comparing and preferring
465
Before the God of Abraham. He, be sure,
Will not connive,59 or linger, thus provok’d,
But will arise and his great name assert:
Dagon must stoop, and shall e’re long receive
Such a discomfit, as shall quite despoil him
470
Of all these boasted Trophies won on me,
And with confusion blank his Worshippers.
Manoa. With cause this hope relieves thee, and these words
I as a Prophecy receive: for God,
Nothing more certain, will not long defer
475
To vindicate the glory of his name
Against all competition, nor will long
Endure it, doubtful whether God be Lord,
Or Dagon. But for thee what shall be done?
Thou must not in the mean while here forgot
480
Lie in this miserable loathsom plight
Neglected. I already have made way
To some Philistian Lords, with whom to treat
About thy ransom: well they may by this
Have satisfi’d thir utmost of revenge
485
By pains and slaveries, worse then death inflicted
On thee, who now no more canst do them harm.
Samson. Spare that proposal, Father, spare the trouble
Of that sollicitation; let me here,
As I deserve, pay on my punishment;
490
And expiate, if possible, my crime,
Shameful garrulity. To have reveal’d
Secrets of men, the secrets of a friend,
How hainous had the fact been, how deserving
Contempt, and scorn of all, to be excluded
495
All friendship, and avoided as a blab,
The mark of fool set on his front!60 But I
Gods counsel have not kept, his holy secret
Presumptuously have publish’d, impiously,
Weakly at least, and shamefully: A sin
500
That Gentiles in thir Parables condemn
To thir abyss and horrid pains confin’d.61
Manoa. Be penitent and for thy fault contrite,
But act not in thy own affliction, Son;
Repent the sin, but if the punishment
505
Thou canst avoid, self-preservation bids;
Or th’ execution leave to high disposal,
And let another hand, not thine, exact
Thy penal forfeit from thy self; perhaps
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt;
510
Who evermore approves and more accepts
(Best pleas’d with humble and filial submission)
Him who imploring mercy sues for life,
Then who self-rigorous chooses death as due;
Which argues over-just, and self-displeas’d
515
For self-offence, more then for God offended.
Reject not then what offerd means, who knows
But God hath set before us, to return thee
Home to thy countrey and his sacred house,
Where thou mayst bring thy off’rings, to avert
520
His further ire, with praiers and vows renew’d.
Samson. His pardon I implore; but as for life,
To what end should I seek it? when in strength
All mortals I excell’d, and great in hopes
With youthful courage and magnanimous62 thoughts
525
Of birth from Heav’n foretold and high exploits,
Full of divine instinct, after some proof
Of acts indeed heroic, far beyond
The Sons of Anac, famous now and blaz’d,
Fearless of danger, like a petty God
530
I walk’d about admir’d of all and dreaded
On hostile ground, none daring my affront.
Then swoll’n with pride into the snare I fell
Of fair fallacious looks, venereal trains,63
Soft’n’d with pleasure and voluptuous life;
535
At length to lay my head and hallow’d pledge
Of all my strength in the lascivious lap
Of a deceitful Concubine who shore me
Like a tame Weather, all my precious fleece,
Then turn’d me out ridiculous, despoil’d,
540
Shav’n, and disarm’d among my enemies.
Chorus. Desire of wine and all delicious drinks,
Which many a famous Warriour overturns,
Thou couldst repress, nor did the dancing Rubie
Sparkling, out-pow’rd, the flavor, or the smell,
545
Or taste that cheers the heart of Gods and men,
Allure thee from the cool Crystalline stream.
Samson. Where ever fountain or fresh current flow’d
Against the Eastern ray, translucent, pure,
With touch ætherial of Heav’ns fiery rod
550
I drank, from the clear milkie juice64 allaying
Thirst, and refresht; nor envy’d them the grape
Whose heads that turbulent liquor fills with fumes.
Chorus. O madness, to think use of strongest wines
And strongest drinks our chief support of health,
555
When God with these forbid’n made choice to rear
His mighty Champion, strong above compare,
Whose drink was only from the liquid brook.
Samson. But what avail’d this temperance, not compleat
Against another object more enticing?
560
What boots it at one gate to make defence,
And at another to let in the foe
Effeminatly vanquish’t? by which means,
Now blind, disheart’n’d, sham’d, dishonours, quell’d,
To what can I be useful, wherein serve
565
My Nation, and the work from Heav’n impos’d,
But to sit idle on the houshold hearth,
A burdenous drone; to visitants a gaze,
Or pitied object, these redundant locks
Robustious to no purpose clustring down,
570
Vain monument of strength; till length of years
And sedentary numness craze65 my limbs
To a contemptible old age obscure.
Here rather let me drudge and earn my bread,
Till vermin or the draff66 of servil food
575
Consume me, and oft-invocated death
Hast’n the welcom end of all my pains.
Manoa. Wilt thou then serve the Philistines with that gift
Which was expresly giv’n thee to annoy them?
Better at home lie bed-rid, not only idle,
580
Inglorious, unimploy’d, with age out-worn.
But God who caus’d a fountain at thy prayer
From the dry ground to spring,67 thy thirst t’ allay
After the brunt of battel, can as easie
Cause light again within thy eies to spring,
585
Wherew
ith to serve him better then thou hast;
And I perswade me so; why else his strength
Miraculous yet remaining in those locks?
His might continues in thee not for naught,
Nor shall his wondrous gifts be frustrate thus.
590
Samson. All otherwise to me my thoughts portend,
That these dark orbs no more shall treat with light,
Nor th’ other light of life continue long,
But yield to double darkness nigh at hand:
So much I feel my genial68 spirits droop,
595
My hopes all flat, nature within me seems
In all her functions weary of her self;
My race of glory run, and race of shame,
And I shall shortly be with them that rest.
Manoa. Believe not these suggestions which proceed
600
From anguish of the mind and humours black,69
That mingle with thy fancy. I however
Must not omit a Fathers timely care
To prosecute the means of thy deliverance
By ransom or how else: mean while be calm,
605
And healing words from these thy friends admit.
Samson. O that torment should not be confin’d
To the bodies wounds and sores
With maladies innumerable
In heart, head, brest, and reins;
610
But must secret passage find
To th’ inmost mind,
There exercise all his fierce accidents,70
And on her purest spirits prey,
As on entrails, joints, and limbs,
615
With answerable pains, but more intense,
Though void of corporal sense.
My griefs not only pain me
As a lingring disease,
But finding no redress, ferment and rage,
620
Nor less then wounds immedicable
Ranckle, and fester, and gangrene,
To black mortification.
Thoughts my Tormentors arm’d with deadly stings
Mangle my apprehensive tenderest parts,71