From forth this loathfome prifon-house, to abide
With me, where my redoubled love and care
With nurfing diligence, to me glad office,

May ever tend about thee to old age

925

With all things grateful chear'd, and fo fupply'd,
That what by me thou' haft loft thou leaft fhalt mifs.
SAMS. No, no, of my condition take no care;

It fits not; thou and I long fince are twain:
Nor think me fo unwary or accurs'd,

To bring my feet again into the snare

930

Where once I have been caught; I know thy trains
Though dearly to my coft, thy gins, and toils;.
Thy fair inchanted cup, and warbling charms
No more on me have power, their force is null'd, 935
So much of adder's wifdom I have learn'd

'To fence my ear against thy forceries.

If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men
Lov'd, honor'd, fear'd me, thou alone could'st hate me
Thy husband, flight me, fell me, and forego me;
How wouldst thou use me now, blind, and thereby
Deceivable, in moft things as a child

949

Helpless, thence cafily contemn'd, and scorn'd,
And last neglected? How wouldst thou insult,
When I muft live uxorious to thy will
In perfect thraldom, how again betray me,
Bearing my words and doings to the lords

945.

To glofs upon, and cenfuring, frown or fmile?
This jail I count the house of liberty

To thine, whofe doors my feet shall never enter.

950

DAL: Let me approach at least, and touch thy hand,

SAMS.

SAMS. Not for thy life, left fierce remembrance wake My fudden rage to tear thee joint by joint. At distance I forgive thee, go with that; Bewail thy falfhood, and the pious works It hath brought forth to make thee memorable Among illuftrious women, faithful wives : Cherish thy haften'd widowhood with the gold Of matrimonial treafon: fo farewel.

DAL. I fee thou art implacable, more deaf

To prayers, than winds and feas, yet winds to feas
Are reconcil'd at length, and fea to shore :

Thy anger, unappeafable, ftill rages,
Eternal tempeft never to be calm'd.

955

960

Why do I humble thus myself, and suing

For peace, reap nothing but repulfe and hate?
Bid go
with evil omen and the brand

Of infamy upon my name denounc'd ?
To mix with thy concernments I defift
Henceforth, nor too much disapprove my own.
Fame if not double-fac'd is double-mouth'd,
And with contrary blaft proclames most deeds;
On both his wings, one black, the other white,
Bears greatest names in his wild aery flight.
My name perhaps among the circumcis'd
In Dan, in Judah, and the bordering tribes,
To all posterity may stand defam'd,
With malediction mention'd, and the blot
Of falfhood most unconjugal traduc’d.
But in my country where I moft defire,
In Ecron, Gaza, Afdod, and in Gath,

D 4

965

970

975

982

I fhall

I shall be nam'd among the famoufest
Of women, fung at folemn festivals,
Living and dead recorded, who, to fave
Her country from a fierce destroyer, chose
Above the faith of wedlock-bands, my tomb
With odors vifited and annual flowers;

985

Not lefs renown'd than in mount Ephraim

Jael, who with inhospitable guile

Smote Sifera fleeping through the temples nail'd.
Nor fhall I count it hainous to enjoy

990

The public marks of honor and reward,

Conferr'd upon me, for the piety

Which to my country I was judg'd to' have shown.
At this whoever envies or repines,

I leave him to his lot, and like my own.

CHO. She's gone, a manifeft ferpent by her fting Discover'd in the end, till now conceal'd.

SAMS. So let her go, God fent her to debafe me, And aggravate my folly, who committed

To fuch a viper his moft facred trust

Of fecrefy, my fafety, and my life.

995

1000

CHO. Yet beauty, though injurious, hath ftrange

After offense returning, to regain

Love once poffefs'd, nor can be easily

Repuls'd, without much inward paffion felt

And fecret fting of amorous remorse.

[power,

1005

SAMS. Love-quarrels oft in pleafing concord end, Not wedlock-treachery indangering life.

CHO. It is not virtue, wisdom, valor, wit, Strength, comeliness of shape, or ampleft merit

ΙΟΙΟ

That

That woman's love can win or long inherit;
But what it is, hard is to say,

Harder to hit,

(Which way foever men refer it)

Much like thy riddle, Samfon, in one day
Or feven, though one should mufing fit.

If any of these or all, the Timnian bride
Had not fo foon preferr'd

Thy paranymph, worthlefs to thee compar'd,
Succeffor in thy bed,

Nor both fo loofly difally'd

Their nuptials, nor this laft fo treacherously

1015

1020

In choice, but ofteft to affect the wrong?
Or was too much of felf-love mix'd,

1030

Of conftancy no root infix'd,

That either they love nothing, or not long?

Whate'er it be, to wifeft men and best

Seeming at first all heav'nly under virgin veil,
Soft, modeft, meek, demure,

1035

Once join'd, the contrary fhe proves, a thorn
Inteftin, far within defenfive arms

A cleaving mischief, in his way to virtue
Adverse and turbulent, or by her charms
Draws him awry inflav'd

1040

With dotage, and his sense deprav'd

To folly' and shameful deeds which ruin ends.
What pilot fo expert but needs must wreck
Imbark'd with fuch a fteers-mate at the helm ?

Favor'd of Heav'n who finds

One virtuous rarely found,

That in domeftic good combines :

1045

Happy that houfe! his way to peace is fmooth :
But virtue, which breaks through all oppofition, 1050
And all temptation can remove,

Moft fhines and moft is acceptable above.

Therefore God's univerfal law

Gave to the man defpotic power

Over his female in due awe,

1055

Nor from that right to part an hour,

Smile the or lour:

So fhall he leaft confufion draw

On his whole life, not fway'd

By female ufurpation, or dismay'd.

1060

But had we beft retire, I fee a storm?

SAMS. Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain. CHO. But this another kind of tempeft brings. SAMS. Be less abftruse, my riddling days are past.

CHO. Look now for no inchanting voice, nor fear The bait of honied words; a rougher tongue Draws hitherward, I know him by his ftride, The giant Harapha of Gath, his look Haughty as is his pile high-built and proud.

Comes he in peace? what wind hath blown him hither I lefs conjecture than when firft I faw

The