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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 so supply'd,
That what by me thou' haft loft thou least shalt 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 most things as a child

940

Helpless, thence casily contemn'd, and scorn'd,
And last neglected? How wouldst thou insult,
When I must live uxorious to thy will
In perfect thraldom, how again betray me,
Bearing my words and doings to the lords
To glofs upon, and cenfuring, frown or fimile?
This jail I count the house of liberty

945

To thine, whofe doors my feet fhall never enter.
DAL. Let me approach at least, and touch thy hand.

950

SAMS.

SAMS. Not for thy life, left fierce remembrance wake My fudden rage to tear thee joint by joint. At diftance 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 seas, yet winds to feas
Are reconcil'd at length, and fea to fhore:

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

955

960

Why do I humble thus myfelf, and suing

965

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 difapprove my own.
Fame if not double-fac'd is double-mouth'd,
And with contrary blast 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 pofterity may stand defam'd,
With malediction mention'd, and the blot
Of falfhood most unconjugal traduc'd.
But in my country where I most desire,
In Ecron, Gaza, Afdod, and in Gath,
D 4

970

975

980

I fhall

I fhall be nam'd among the famousest
Of women, fung at folemn festivals,
Living and dead recorded, who, to fave
Her country from a fierce deftroyer, chofe
Above the faith of wedlock-bands, my tomb
With odors vifited and annual flowers;
Not lefs renown'd than in mount Ephraim
Jael, who with inhofpitable guile

985

Smote Sifera fleeping through the temples nail'd. 990 Nor fhall I count it hainous to enjoy

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 manifest serpent by her fting Discover'd in the end, till now conceal'd.

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

To fuch a viper his most facred trust

Of fecrefy, my safety, and my life.

995

1000

CHO. Yet beauty, though injurious, hath ftrange

After offenfe 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 pleasing concord end,

Not wedlock-treachery indangering life.

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

ΠΟΙΟ

That

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That woman's love can win or long inherit ;

But what it is, hard is to fay,

Harder to hit,

(Which way foever men refer it)

Much like thy riddle, Samfon, in one day
Or feven, though one should mufing fit.
of these or all, the Timnian bride

If any
Had not fo foon preferr'd

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

Nor both fo loosly disally'd

Their nuptials, nor this laft fo treacherously

1015

1020

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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

104.0

With dotage, and his fenfe deprav'd

To folly' and fhameful deeds which ruin ends.
What pilot fo expert but needs must wreck
İmbark'd with such a steers-mate at the helm ?

Favor'd of Heav'n who finds

One virtuous rarely found,

That in domestic good combines :

Happy that house! his way to peace is smooth :

1045

But virtue, which breaks through all opposition, 1050

And all temptation can remove,

Moft fhines and most is acceptable above.

Therefore God's univerfal law

Gave to the man defpotic power

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But had we best retire, I see a storm?

SAMS. Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain. CHO. But this another kind of tempest brings. SAMS. Be lefs abftrufe, 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

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