With both his arms on those two massy pillars,
That to the arched roof gave main support.
He unsuspicious led him; which when Samson 1635
Felt in his arms, with head awhile inclin'd,
And eyes fast fixt he stood, as one who pray'd,
Or some great matter in his mind revolv'd:

At last with head erect thus cried aloud,
Hitherto, lords, what your commands impos'd 1640
I have perform'd, as reason was, obeying,
Not without wonder or delight beheld:
Now of my own accord such other trial

1645

I mean to show you of my strength, yet greater,
As with amaze shall strike all who behold.
This utter'd, straining all his nerves he bow'd,
As with the force of winds and waters pent,
When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars
With horrible convulsion to and fro

He tugg'd, he shook, till down they came and drew
The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder
Upon the heads of all who sat beneath,
Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests,
Their choice nobility and flower, not only
Of this, but each Philistian city round,
Met from all parts to solemnize this feast.
Samson, with these immixt, inevitably
Pull'd down the same destruction on himself;
The vulgar only scap'd who stood without.

CHOR. O dearly bought revenge, yet glorious! Living or dying thou hast fulfill'd

The work for which thou wast foretold

1655

To Israel, and now liest victorious

Among thy slain, self kill'd

Not willingly, but tangled in the fold

Of dire necessity, whose law in death conjoin'd

Thee with thy slaughter'd foes, in number more
Than all thy life had slain before.

1665

SEMICHOR. While their hearts were jocund and sublime,

Drunk with idolatry, drunk with wine,
And fat regorg'd of bulls and goats,
Chanting their idol, and preferring
Before our living Dread who dwells
In Silo his bright sanctuary:

Among them he a spirit of frenzy sent,
Who hurt their minds,

And urged them on with mad desire

To call in haste for their destroyer;
They, only set on sport and play,
Unweetingly importun'd

1670

1675

1680

Their own destruction to come speedy upon them.

So fond are mortal men

Fall'n into wrath divine,

As their own ruin on themselves to invite,
Insensate left, or to sense reprobate,

And with blindness internal struck.

SEMICHOR. But he, though blind of sight, Despis'd and thought extinguish'd quite, With inward eyes illuminated,

1689 inward] H. More, Song of the Soul, 1642. c. iii. st. 9. 'Our inward eyes that they be nothing bright.'

1685

His fiery virtue rous'd

From under ashes into sudden flame,
And as an ev'ning dragon came,

1690

Like that self-begotten bird

In the Arabian woods imbost,

That no second knows nor third,

And lay ere while a holocaust,

From out her ashy womb now teem'd,

Revives, reflourishes, then vigorous most
When most unactive deem'd;

And though her body die, her fame survives

A secular bird ages of lives.

1700

1705

MAN. Come, come, no time for lamentation now, Nor much more cause: Samson hath quit himself Like Samson, and heroically hath finish'd

A life heroic, on his enemies

1710

Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning,
And lamentation to the sons of Caphtor
Through all Philistian bounds. To Israel

1695 villatic] Plin. lib. xxiii. sect. 17. Villaticas alites.'

1700 imbost] Sandy's Psalms, p. 65. with heat.' Quarles's Emblems, p. 290,

Richardson.

Lord! as the hart imbost 'imbost doth fly.' Marino's

Slaugh. of the Innocents, p. 61. Whiting's Albino and Bellama,

p.107.

Honour hath left and freedom, but let them
Find courage to lay hold on this occasion;
To himself and father's house eternal fame;
And, which is best and happiest yet, all this
With God not parted from him, as was fear'd,
But favouring and assisting to the end.
Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail

Or knock the breast, no weakness, no contempt,
Dispraise, or blame, nothing but well and fair,
And what may quiet us in a death so noble.
Let us go find the body where it lies

1715

1720

1725

Soak'd in his enemies' blood, and from the stream
With lavers pure and cleansing herbs wash off
The clotted gore. I with what speed the while,
(Gaza is not in plight to say us nay,)

Will send for all my kindred, all my friends,
To fetch him hence, and solemnly attend
With silent obsequy and funeral train

1730

1735

Home to his father's house: there will I build him
A monument, and plant it round with shade
Of laurel ever green, and branching palm,
With all his trophies hung, and acts inroll'd
In copious legend, or sweet lyric song.
Thither shall all the valiant youth resort,
And from his memory inflame their breasts
To matchless valour and adventures high:
The virgins also shall on feastful days

1733 Home] See Par. Reg. iv. 638.

'Home to his mother's house private return'd.' 1740 high] Hawes's Past. of Pleasure, 1554. ch. xxxii. 'Right high aduentures unto you shall fall.' Todd.

1740

Visit his tomb with flowers, only bewailing
His lot unfortunate in nuptial choice,
From whence captivity and loss of eyes.

CHOR. All is best, though we oft doubt,
What th' unsearchable dispose

Of highest wisdom brings about,
And ever best found in the close.

Oft he seems to hide his face,

But unexpectedly returns,

And to his faithful champion hath in place

Bore witness gloriously; whence Gaza mourns,
And all that band them to resist

His uncontrollable intent:

1745

1750

His servants he, with new acquist

1755

Of true experience from this great event,
With peace and consolation hath dismiss'd,
And calm of mind, all passion spent.

1755 acquist] Heath's Chron. of Civil Wars, fol. p. 402, 'his unjust acquists.' Todd.

Note] It was the custom of the scholars who lived in the age just previous to that of Milton, and who possessed a command of poetical language, to form dramas in Latin verse from scripture histories. Besides the two volumes of the 'Dramata Sacra,' there is the 'Abramus' of Th. Beza, the 'Parabata Vinctus' of Thuanus, the 'Christus Patiens,' the 'Sophom-paneas,' and the Adamus Exsul,' of Grotius, the 'Jephthas,' and 'Baptistes' of Buchanan, the 'Herodes Infanticida' of Dan. Heinsius. These I have read; probably there are others with which I am not acquainted; there are also many Italian dramas formed on the sacred history, and our old mysteries. The Greek translation of this play, by G. H. Glasse, has been pronounced to be 'a work constructed with such precision, and expressed with such elegance, as never appeared in Europe since the revival of learning.' Parr's Letters, i. p. 637.