snare.

The dungeon of thyself; thy soul
(Which men enjoying sight oft without cause com-

plain)
Imprison'd now indeed,
In real darkness of the body dwells,
Shut up from outward light

160
To incorporate with gloomy night;
For inward light, alas !
Puts forth no visual beam.
O mirror of our fickle state,
Since man on earth unparalleld!

165 The rarer thy example stands, By how much from the top of wondrous glory, Strongest of mortal men, To lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fallen. For him I reckon not in high estate

170 Whom long descent of birth Or the sphere of fortune raises ; But thee whose strength, while virtue was her

mate, Might have subdued the earth Universally crown'd with highest praises.

175 Sam. I hear the sounds of words; their sense

the air Dissolves unjointed ere it reach my ear. Chor. He speaks, let us draw nigh. Matchless

in might, The glory late of Israel, now the grief; We come thy friends and neighbours not unknown From Eshtaol and Zora's fruitsul vale, 181 To visit or bewail thee; or, if better, Counsel or consolation we may bring, Salve to thy sores; apt words have power to swage The tumours of a troubled mind,

135 And are as balm to fester'd wounds. Sam. Your coming, friends, revives me, for I

learn Now of my own experience, not by talk, How counterfeit a coin they are who friends Bear in their superscription (of the most 190 I would be understood), in prosperous days They swarm, but in adverse withdraw their head, Not to be found, though sought. Ye see, O friends, How many evils have inclosed me round; Yet that which was the worst now least afflicts me, Blindness, for had I sight, confused with shame, 196 How could I once look up, or heave the head, Who like a foolish pilot have shipwreck'd My vessel trusted to me from above, Gloriously rigg'd; and for a word, a tear, 200 Fool! have divulged the secret gift of God To a deceitful woman? Tell me, friends, Am I not sung and proverb'd for a fool In every street? do they not say, How well Are come upon him his deserts ? yet why? 205 Immeasurable strength they might behold In me, of wisdom nothing more than mean; This with the other should at least have pair'd,

These two proportion'd ill drove me transverse.

Chor. Tax not divine disposal: wisest men Have err'd, and by bad women been deceived; And shall again, pretend they ne'er so wise. Deject not then so overmuch thyself, Who hast of sorrow thy full load besides; Yet truth to say, I oft have heard men wonder 215 Why thou shouldst wed Philistian women rather Than of thine own tribe fairer, or as fair, At least of thy own nation, and as noble.

Sam. The first I saw at Timna, and she pleased Me, not my parents, that I sought to wed 220 The daughter of an infidel : they knew not That what I motion'd was of God; I knew From intimate impulse, and therefore urged The marriage on; that by occasion hence I might begin Israel's deliverance,

225 The work to which I was divinely call’d. She proving false, the next I took to wife (O that I never had ! fond wish too late) Was in the vale of Sorec, Dalila, That specious monster, my accomplish'd

230 I thought it lawful from my former act, And the same end; still watching to oppress Israel's oppressors; of what now I suffer She was not the prime cause, but I myself, Who vanquish'd with a peal of words (0 weak

ness!) Gave up my fort of silence to a woman. 236

Chor. In secking just occasion to provoke The Philistine, thy country's enemy, Thou never wast remiss, I bear thee witness : Yet Israel still serves with all his sons. 240

Sam. That fault I take not on me, but transfer On Israel's governors, and heads of tribes, [done Who seeing those great acts, which God had Singly by me against their conquerors, Acknowledged not, or not at all consider'd

245 Deliverance offer'd: I on the other side Used no ambition to commend my deeds, The deeds themselves, though mute, spoke loud

the doer; But they persisted deaf, and would not seem To count them things worth notice, till at length

250 Their lords the Philistines with gather'd powers Enter'd Judea seeking me, who then Safe to the rock of Etham was retired, Not flying, but forecasting in what place To set upon them, what advantaged best: 255 Meanwhile the men of Judad, to prevent The harass of their land, beset me round; I willingly on some conditions came Into their hands, and they as gladly yield me To the uncircumcised a welcome prey, 260 Bound with two cords; but cords to me were threads

[flew Touch'd with the flame; on their whole host-I Unarm’d, and with a trivial weapon fellid Their choicest youth ; they only lived who fled. Had Judah that day join'd, or one whole tribe, 265

181. Eshtaol and Zora, two towns belonging to the tribe of Dan.

Josh, xix. 41. Judg. xiii. 2. 25. Josh. xv. 33.

They had by this possess'd the towers of Gath,
And lorded over them whom they now serve:
But what more oft in nations grown corrupt,
And by their vices brought to servitude,
Than to love bondage more than liberty; 270
Bondage with ease than strenuous liberty:
And to despise, or envy, or suspect
Whom God hath of his special favour raised
As their deliverer ; if he aught begin,
How frequent to desert him, and at last 275
To heap ingratitude on worthiest deeds ?

Chor. Thy words to my remembrance bring
How Succoth and the fort of Penuel
Their great deliverer contemn'd,
The matchless Gideon in pursuit

280
Of Madian and her vanquish'd kings :
And how ingrateful Ephraim
Had dealt with Jephtha, who by argument,
Not worse than by his shield and spear,
Defended Israel from the Ammonite, 285
Had not his prowess quell'd their pride
In that sore battle, when so many died
Without reprieve adjudged to death,
For want of well pronouncing Shibboleth.

Sam. Of such examples add me to the roll, 290 Me easily indeed mine may neglect, But God's proposed deliverance not so.

Chor. Just are the ways of God, And justifiable to men ; Unless there be who think not God at all; 295 If any be, they walk obscure ; For of such doctrine never was there school, But the heart of the fool, And no man therein doctor but himself. 299

Yet more there be who doubt his ways not just, As to his own edicts found contradicting, Then give the reins to wandering thought, Regardless of his glory's diminution; Till by their own perplexities involved They ravel more, still less resolved,

305 But never find self satisfying solution.

As if they would confine th? Interminable,
And tie him to his own prescript,
Who made our laws to bind us, not himself,
And hath full right to exempt

310
Whom so it pleases him by choice
From national obstriction, without taint
Of sin, or legal debt;
For with his own laws he can best dispense.

He would not else, who never wanted means, 315 Nor in respect of th' enemy just cause To set his people free, Have prompted this heroic Nazarite, Against his vow of strictest purity, To seek in marriage that fallacious bride, 320 Unclean, unchaste. Down reason then, at least vain reasonings

Though reason here aver
That moral verdict quits her of unclean :
Unchaste was subsequent; her stain, not his. 325

But see, here comes thy reverend sire
With careful step, locks white as down,
Old Manoah : advise
Forthwith how thou ought'st to receive him.

Sam. Ay me, another inward grief awaked 330 With mention of that name renews th' assault. Man. Brethren and men of Dan, for such ye

seem, Though in this uncouth place; if old respect, As I suppose, towards your once glory'd friend, My son now captive, hither hath inform’d 335 Your younger feet, while mine cast back with age Came lagging after ; say if he be here?

Chor. As signal now in low dejected state, As erst in highest, behold him where he lies.

Man. O miserable change! is this the man, 340 That invincible Samson, far renown'd, The dread of Israel's foes, who with a strength Equivalent to angels walk'd their streets, None offering fight; who single combatatit Duell'd their armies rank'd in proud array,

345 Himself an army, now unequal match To save himself against a coward arm’d At one spear's length? O ever-failing trust, Immortal strength! and oh what not in man 349 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; Who would be now a father in my stead? 355 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, given with solemn

hand As graces, draw a scorpion's tail behind ? 360 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 Insnared, assaulted, overcome, led bound, 365 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, He should not so o'erwhelm, and as a thrall 370 Subject him to so foul indignities Be' it but for honour's sake of former deeds.

Sam. Appoint not heav'nly disposition, Father : Nothing of all these evils hath befall’n me But justly; I myself have brought them on, 375 Sole author I, sole cause: if aught seem vile, As vile hath been my folly, who have profaned The mystery of God giv'n me under pledge Of vow, and have betray'd it to a woman, A Canaanite, my faithless enemy.

380 359, Luke xi. 12. 373. Appoint, arraign or summon to answor.

I drank, from the clear milky juice allaying 550 Thirst, and refresh'd; nor envy'd them the grape Whose heads that turbulent liquor fills with

fumes. Chor. O madness, to think use of strongest

wines And strongest drinks our chief support of health, When God with these forbidden made choice to

rear

But I God's counsel have not kept, his holy secret
Presumptuously have publish'd impiously,
Weakly at least, and shamefully: a sin
That Gentiles in their parables condemn 500
To their abyss and horrid pains confined.

Man. Be penitent and for thy fault contrite,
But act not in thy own affliction, Son:
Repent the sin, but if the punishment
Thou canst avoid, self-preservation bids ; 505
Or th' execution leave to high disposal,
And let another hand, not thine, exact
Thy penal forfeit from thyself; perhaps
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt;
Who ever more approves, and more accepts 510
(Best pleased with humble' and filial submission)
Him who imploring mercy sues for life,
Than who self-rigorous chooses death as due:
Which argues over-just, and self-displeased
For self-offence, more than for God offended. 515
Reject not then what offerd means; who knows
But God hath sent before us, to return thee
Home to thy country and his sacred house,
Where thou mayst bring thy offerings, to avert
His further ire, with pray’rs and vows renew'd ?

Sam. His pardon I implore; but as for life 521 To what end should I seek it? when in strength All mortals I excell'd, and great in hopes With youthful courage and magnanimous thoughts Of birth from Heav'n foretold and high exploits, Full of divine instinct, after some proof 526 Of acts indeed heroic, far beyond The sons of Anak, famous now and blazed, Fearless of danger, like a petty god, I walk'd about admired of all, and dreaded 530 On hostile ground, none daring my affront. Then swollen with pride into the snare I fell Of fair fallacious looks, venereal trains, Soften’d with pleasure and voluptuous life; At length to lay my head and hallow'd pledge 535 Of all my strength in the lascivious lap Of a deceitful concubine, who shore me Like a tame wether, all my precious fleece, Then turn'd me out ridiculous, despoil'd, Shaven and disarm'd among mine enemies. 540

Chor. Desire of wine and all delicious drinke, Which many a famous warrior overturns, Thou couldst repress, nor did the dancing ruby Sparkling, out-pour'd, the flavour, or the

smell, Or taste that cheers the heart of gods and men, Allure thee from the cool crystalline stream. 546

Sam. Wherever fountain or fresh current flow'd Against the eastern ray, translucent, pure With touch ethereal of Heav'n's fiery rod,

500. The allusion is to the story of Tantalus, who it is said revealed the secrets of the gods, and was for that condemned to punishment in the infernal regions. 538. Of is to be understood before all, &c.

541. Allusion is here made to the strictness of living imposed by the Nazarite's vow, which Samson kept in all respects, but in his marriage with a strange woman.

545. Judges ix. 13. Gods here means the false gods of the heathen cities, or the conquerors and great men, so called in honour of their famous deeds.

His mighty champion, strong above compare, 556
Whose drink was only from the liquid brook.
Sam. But what avail'd this temp’rance, not

complete
Against another object more enticing ?
What boots it at one gate to make defence,, 560
And at another to let in the foe,
Effeminately vanquish'd ? by which means,
Now blind, dishearten'd sham'd, dishonour'd,

quellid, To what can I be useful, wherein serve My nation, and the work from Heav'n imposed, But to sit idle on the household hearth, 566 A burdenous drone; to visitants a gaze, Or pitied object, these redundant locks Robustious to no purpose clust'ring down, Vain monument of strength; till length of years And sedentary numbness craze my limbs 271 To a contemptible old age obscure ? Here rather let me drudge and earn my bread, Till vermin, or the draff of servile food, Consume me,

and oft-invocated death 575 Hasten the welcome end of all my pains. Man. Wilt thou then serve the Philistines with

that gift Which was expressly given thee to annoy them Better at home lie bed-rid, not only idle, Inglorious, unemploy'd, with age out-wom. 580 But God, who caused a fountain at thy prayer From the dry ground to spring, thy thirst to allay After the brunt of battle, can as easy Cause light again within thy eyes to spring, Wherewith to serve him better than thou hast; And I persuade me so; why else this strength Miraculous yet remaining in those locks ? 587 His might continues in thee not for nought, Nor shall his wondrous gifts be frustrate thus.

Sam. All otherwise to me my thoughts portend, That these dark orbs no more shall treat with light,

591 Nor th' other light of life continue long, But yield to double darkness nigh at hand : So much I feel my genial spirits droop: My hopes all flat, Nature within me seems 595 In all her functions weary of herself,

571. Craze, so used Par. Lost, xii. 210.

281. There is a difference between this account of the fountain which rose in answer to Samson's prayer, and that which is given in our translation of the Scripo ture. In the latter, it is said the water sprang from tho cleft jaw, but by most of the commentators it is said, that as the word translated jaw is the proper name of a spot of ground, it should not in this place be translated in the sense given in our version.

655

My race of glory run, and race of shame,
And I shall shortly be with them that rest.
Man. Believe not these suggestions which pro-

ceed
From anguish of the mind and humours black,
That mingle with thy fancy. I however 601
Must not omit a father's timely care
To prosecute the means of thy deliverance
By ransom, or how else; meanwhile be calm,
And healing words from these thy friends admit.

Sam. O that torment should not be confined To the body's wounds and sores,

607 With maladies innumerable In heart, head, breast and reins; But must secret passage find

610
To th' inmost mind,
There exercise all his fierce accidents,
And on her purest spirits prey,
As on entrails, joints, and limbs,
With answerable pains, but more intense, 615
Though void of corporal sense.

My griefs not only pain me
As a lingering disease,
But, finding no redress, ferment and rage;
Nor less than wounds immedicable

620
Rankle, and fester, and gangrene,
To black mortification
Thoughts my tormentors arm'd with deadly

stings Mangle my apprehensive tenderest parts, Exasperate, exulcerate, and raise

625
Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb
Or medicinal liquor can assuage,
Nor breath of vernal air from snowy Alp.
Sleep hath forsook and given me o'er

To death's benumbing opium as my only cure: 630
Thence faintings, swoonings of despair,
And sense of Heav'n's desertion.

I was his nursling once and choice delight,
He destined from the womb,
Promised by heav'nly message twice descending.
Under his special eye

636 Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain ; He led me on to mightiest deeds Above the nerve of mortal arm Against th’ uncircumcised, our enemies : 640 But now hath cast me off as never known, And to those cruel enemies, Whom I by his appointinent had provoked, Left me all helpless with th' irreparable loss Of sight, reserved alive to be repeated 645 The subject of their cruelty or scorn. Nor am I in the list of them that hope ; Hopeless are all my evils, all remediless; This one prayer yet remains, might I be heard, No long petition, speedy death,

650 The close of all my miseries, and the balm.

Chor. Many are the sayings of the wise In ancient and in modern books inroll d, Extolling patience as the truest fortitude :

628. Alp, here used as a general name for moun(ains : seo also Par. Lost, ii. 628.

And to the bearing well of all calamities,
All chances incident to man's frail life,
Consolatories writ
With studied argument, and much persuasion

sought
Lenient of grief and anxious thought :
But with th' afflicted in his pangs their sound 660
Little prevails, or rather seems a tune
Harsh, and of dissonant mood from his complaint ;
Unless he feel within
Some source of consolation from above,
Secret refreshings, that repair his strength, 665
And fainting spirits uphold.

God of our Fathers! what is man, That thou towards him with hand so various, Or might I say contrarious, Temper'st thy providence through his short course, Not evenly, as thou rul'st

671 Th' angelic orders and inferior creatures mute, Irrational and brute ? Nor do I name of men the common rout, That, wand'ring loose about,

675 Grow up and perish as the summer fly, Heads without name no more rememberd; But such as thou hast solemnly elected, With gifts and graces eminently adorn'd To some great work, thy glory,

680 And people's safety, which in part they effect: Yet toward these thus dignified, thou oft Amidst their highth of noon Changest thy countnance, and thy hand with no

regard Of highest favours past From thee on them, or them to thee of service. 686 Nor only dost degrade them, or remit To life obscured, which were a fair dismission, But throw'st them lower than thou didst exalt

them high, Unseemly falls in human eye, Too grievous for the trespass or omission; 691 Oft leavest them to the hostile sword Of Heathen and profane, their carcases To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captived; Or to the unjust tribunals, under change of times, And condemnation of th' ungrateful multitude. 696 If these they 'scape, perhaps in poverty With sickness and disease thou bow'st them

down, Painful diseases and deform'd, In crude old age :

700 Though not disordinate, yet causeless suffering The punishment of dissolute days; in fine, Just or unjust alike seem miserable, For oft alike both come to evil end. So deal not with this once thy glorious champion

705 The image of thy strength, and mighty minister. What do I beg ? how hast thou dealt already?