Against th' uncircumcis'd, our enemies :
But now hath caft me off as never known,
And to thofe cruel enemies,

640

Whom I by his appointment had provok'd,
Left me all helpless with th' irreparable lofs

Of fight, referv'd alive to be repeated

645

The fubject of their cruelty or scorn.

Nor am I in the list of them that hope;

Hopeless are all my evils, all remedilefs;

This one prayer yet remains, might I be heard,
No long petition, speedy death,

2

The close of all my miferies, and the balm.

CHO. Many are the sayings of the wife

In ancient and in modern books inroll'd,
Extolling patience as the trueft fortitude:
And to the bearing well of all calamities,
All chances incident to man's frail life,
Confolotaries writ

655

With study'd argument, and much perfuafion fought Lenient of grief and anxious thought:

But with th' afflicted in his pangs their found 660 Little prevails, or rather seems a tune

Harsh, and of diffonant mood from his complaint;

Unless he feel within

Some, fource of confolation from above,

Secret refreshings, that repair his ftrength,
And fainting fpirits uphold.

God of our fathers, what is man!

That thou towards him with hand so various,

Or might I fay contrarious,

665

Temper'ft thy providence through his fhort courfe, 670
Not ev'nly, as thou rul'st

Th' angelic orders and inferior creatures mute,
Irrational and brute.

Nor do I name of men the common rout,
That wandering loose about

Grow up and perish, as the fummer flie,
Heads without name no more remember'd,
But fuch as thou haft folemnly elected,
With gifts and graces eminently adorn'd
To fome great work, thy glory,

And people's fafety, which in part they' effect:
Yet toward these thus dignify'd, thou oft

679

680

Amidft their highth of noon

Changest thy count'nance, and thy hand with no regard

Of highest favors past

From thee on them, or them to thee of service.

685

Nor only doft degrade them, or remit

To life obfcur'd, which were a fair difmiffion,

But throw'ft them lower than thou didst exalt them high, Unseemly falls in human eye,

690

Too grievous for the trefpafs or omiffion;

Oft leav'ft them to the hoftile fword

Of Heathen and profane, their carcafes

To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captiv'd;

Or to th' unjust tribunals, under change of times, 695 And condemnation of th' ingrateful multitude.

If these they scape, perhaps in poverty

With fickness and disease thou bow'ft them down,
Painful difeafes and deform'd,

In crude old-age;

Though not difordinate, yet causeless suffering
The punishment of diffolute days: in fine,
Juft or unjust alike feem miferable,

For oft alike both come to evil end.

700

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion,
The image of thy ftrength, and mighty minister.
What do I beg? how haft thou dealt already?
Behold him in this state calamitous, and turn

His labors, for thou canft, to peaceful end.
But who is this, what thing of sea or land?

Female of fex it seems,

That fo bedeck'd, ornate, and gay,

Comes

Comes this way failing

Like a stately fhip

Of Tarfus, bound for th' iles

715

Cf Javan or Gadire

With all her bravery on, and tackle trim,

Sails fill'd, and ftreamers waving,

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,
An amber fent of odorous perfume

720

Her harbinger, a damfel train behind;

Some rich Philiftian matron fhe may feem,
And now at nearer view, no other certain
Than Dalila thy wife.

[near me.

SAMS. My Wife, my Traitress, let her not come CHO. Yet on the moves, now ftands, and eyes thee,

fix'd,

About t' have spoke, but now, with head declin'd
Like a fair flower furcharg'd with dew, fhe weeps,
And words addrefs'd feem into tears diffolv'd,
Wetting the borders of her filken veil:

But now again she makes address to speak.

730

DAL. With doubtful feet and wavering resolution

I came, ftill dreading thy displeasure, Samfon,
Which to have merited, without excuse,
I cannot but acknowledge; yet if tears

May expiate (though the fact more evil drew
In the perverse event than I forefaw)

My penance hath not slacken'd, though my pardon
No way affur'd. But conjugal affection,
Prevailing over fear and timorous doubt,

Hath led me on defirous to behold

735

740

Once

Once more thy face, and know of thy estate,
If ought in my ability may serve

To lighten what thou fuffer'ft, and appease
Thy mind with what amends is in my power,
Though late, yet in fome part to recompenfe
My rash but more unfortunate misdeed.

745

ŞAMS. Out, out, Hyæna; these are thy wonted arts, And arts of every woman false like thee,

To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray,
Then as repentant to fubmit, befeech,
And reconcilement move with feign'd remorse,
Confefs, and promise wonders in her change,
Not truly penitent, but chief to try

750

Her husband, how far urg'd his patience bears,
His virtue or weakness which way to affail:
Then with more cautious and inftructed skill
Again tranfgreffes, and again fubmits;

755

That wifeft and best men full oft beguil'd
With goodness principled not to reject

760

The penitent, but ever to forgive,

Are drawn to wear out miserable days,
Intangled with a pois'nous bofom snake,
If not by quick destruction foon cut off

As I by thee, to ages an example.

765

DAL. Yet hear me, Samfon; not that I endevor

To leffen or extenuate my offense,

But that on th' other fide if it be weigh'd

By' itself, with aggravations not surcharg'd,
Or elfe with just allowance counterpois'd,
I may, if poffible, thy pardon find

770

The