SEMICHORUS. But he though blind of sight, Despis'd and thought extinguish'd quite, With inward eyes illuminated, His fiery virtue rous'd From under ashes into sudden flame, And as an evening dragon came, Assailant on the perched roosts, Of tame villatic fowl; but as an eagle His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads. Depress'd, and overthrown, as seem'd, 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 inactive deem'd, And though her body die, her fame survives A secular bird ages of lives. MANOAH. Come, come, no time for lamentation now, Nor much more cause; Samson hath quit himself A life heroic, on his enemies Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning, Through all Philistian bounds; to Israel Or knock the breast, no weakness, no contempt, Soak'd in his enemies blood, and from the stream Home to his father's house: there will I build him And from his memory inflame their breasts CHORUS. All is best, though we oft doubt, Of highest wisdom brings about, Oft he seems to hide his face, And to his faithful champion hath in place Bore witness gloriously; whence Gaza mourns And all that band them to resist His uncontrollable intent; His servants he with new acquist Of true experience from this great event |