Living or dying thou hast fulfill'd
The work for which thou wast foretold
To Ifrael, and now ly'st victorious
Among thy nain self-kill'd
Not willingly, but tangled in the fold

1665
Of dire necessity, whose law in death conjoin’d
Thee with thy Naughter'd foes in number more
Than all thy life hath sain before. [fublime,

i SEMICHOR. While their hearts were jocund and Drunk with idolatry, drunk with wine,

1670 And fat regorg’d of bulls and goats, Chaunting their idol, and preferring Before our living Dread who dwells In Silo his bright sanctuary : Among them he a spi'rit of phrenzy sent,

1675 Who hurt their minds, And urg'd them on with mad desire To call in haste for their destroyer; They only set on sport and play Unweetingly importun'd

1686 Their own destruction to come speedy upon them. So fond are mortal men Fall'n into wrath divine, As their own ruin on themselves t'invite, Insensate left, or to sense reprobate,

1685 And with blindness internal struck.

2 SEMICHOR. But he, though blind of light,
Despis'd and thought extinguish'd quite,
With inward eyes illuminated,
His fiery virtue rous'd

1690

From under ashes into sudden flame,
And as an evening dragon came,
Aflailant on the perched roosts,
And nests in order rang'd
Of tame villatic fowl; but as an eagle

1695
His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads.
So virtue giv’n for lost,
Depress’d, and overthrown, as seem'd,
Like that self-begotten bird
In the Arabian woods imbost,

1700 That no second knows nor third, And lay ere while a holocaust, From out her ashy womb now teem’d, Revives, reflorilhes, then vigorous most When most unactive deem'd,

1705 And though her body die, her fame survives A fecular bird ages of lives.

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

1710 A life heroic, on his enemies Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning, And lamentation to the fons of Caphtor Through all Philistian bounds, to Israel Honor hath left, and freedom, let but them 1715 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 favoring and assisting to the end,

1720 Nothing

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

1725
Sok'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, 1730
To fetch him hence, and folemnly attend
With filent obfequy and funeral train
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,

1735 With all his trophies hung, and acts inrollid In copious legend, or sweet lyric fong. Thither shall all the valiant youth resort, And from his memory inflame their breasts To matchless valor, and adventures high : 1740 The virgins also fall on feastful days Visit his tomb with flowers, only bewailing His lot unfortunate in nuptial choice, From whence captivity and loss of eyes.

Cho. All is best, though we oft doubt, 1745 What th' unsearchable dispose Of highest wisdom brings about, And ever beft found in the close. Oft he secms to hide his face, But unexpectedly returns,

1750 VOL. III.

F

And

And to his faithful champion hath in place
Borne witness gloriously; whence Gaza mournsy
And all that band them to resist
His uncontrolable intent;
His servants he with new acquist
Of true experience from this great event
With peace and confolation hath dismist,
And calm of mind, all pallion spent.

1758

END OF SAMSON AGONISTLS.

Ρ Ο Ε Μ S

U PON

SEVERAL OCCASIONS,

COMPOSED AT SEVERAL TIMES,

B Y

Mr. JOHN MILTON.

Baccare frontem Cingite, ne vati noceat mala lingua futuro."

VIRGIL, Eclog. vii.