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That thine, while I preserved these locks unshorn, To wring from me, and tell to them, my secret, The pledge of my unviolated vow.

For proof hereof, if Dagon be thy god,
Go to his temple, invocate his aid

With solemnest devotion, spread before him
How highly it concerns his glory now
To frustrate and dissolve these magic spells,
Which I to be the power of Israel's God
Avow, and challenge Dagon to the test,
Offering to combat thee his champion bold,
With the utmost of his godhead seconded:
Then thou shalt see, or rather, to thy sorrow,
Soon feel, whose god is strongest, thine or mine.
Har. Presume not on thy God, whate'er he be:
Thee he regards not, owns not, hath cut off
Quite from this people, and delivered up
Into thy enemies' hand, permitted them

That solved the riddle which I had proposed.
When I perceived all set on enmity,
As on my enemies, wherever chanced,
I used hostility, and took their spoil,
To pay my underminers in their coin.
My nation was subjected to your lords;
It was the force of conquest: force with force
Is well ejected when the conquered can.
But I, a private person, whom my country
As a league bearer gave up bound, presumed
Single rebellion, and did hostile acts.

I was no private, but a person raised
With strength sufficient, and command from Hea-

ven

To free my country: if their servile minds
Me, their deliverer sent, would not receive,

The unworthier they; whence to this day they

serve.

To put out both thine eyes, and fettered send thee But to their masters gave me up for nought,
Into the common prison, there to grind
Among the slaves and asses thy comrades,
As good for nothing else; no better service
With those thy boisterous locks, no worthy match
For valour to assail, nor by the sword
Of noble warrior, so to stain his honour,
But by the barber's razor best subdued.

Sams. All these indignities, for such they are
From thine, these evils I deserve, and more,
Acknowledge them from God inflicted on me
Justly, yet despair not of his final pardon,
Whose ear is ever open, and his eye
Gracious to readmit the suppliant:
In confidence whereof I once again
Defy thee to the trial of mortal fight,

By combat to decide whose god is God,
Thine, or whom I with Israel's sons adore.

I was to do my part from Heaven assigned,
And hath performed it, if my known offence
Hath not disabled me, not all your force;
These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant,
Though by his blindness maimed for high at-
tempts,

Who now defies thee thrice to single fight,
As a petty enterprise of small enforce.

Har. With thee! a man condemned, a slave en-
rolled.

Due by the law to capital punishment!
To fight with thee no man of arms will deign.
Sams. Cam'st thou for this, vain boaster, to sur-
vey me,

To descant on my strength, and give thy verdict?

Har. Fair honour that thou dost thy God, in Come nearer; part not hence so slight informed;

trusting

He will accept thee to defend his cause,

A murderer, a revolter, and a robber!

Sams. Tongue-doughty giant, how dost thou
prove me these?

Har. Is not thy nation subject to our lords?
Their magistrates confessed it when they took thee
As a league breaker, and delivered bound
Into our hands: for hadst thou not committed
Notorious murder on those thirty men
At Ascalon, who never did thee harm,
Then like a robber stripped'st them of their robes?
The Philistines, when thou hadst broke the league,
Went up with armed powers thee only seeking,
To others did no violence or spoil.

Sams. Among the daughters of the Philistines
I chose a wife, which argued me no foe;
And in your city held my nuptial feast:
But your ill meaning politician lords,
Under pretence of bridal friends and guests,
Appointed to await me thirty spies,

But take good heed my hand survey not thee.
Har. O Baal-zebub! can my ears unused
Hear these dishonours, and not render death?
Sams. No man withholds thee, nothing from thy
hand

Fear I incurable; bring up thy van,
My heels are fettered but my fist is free.

Har. This insolence other kind of answer fits.
Sams. Go, baffled coward! lest I run upon thee,
Though in these chains, bulk without spirit vast,
And with one buffet lay thy structure low,
Or swing thee in the air, then dash thee down
To the hazard of thy brains and shattered sides.

Har. By Astaroth, ere long thou shalt lament
These braveries, in irons loaden on thee. [Exit.]
Chor. His giantship is gone somewhat crest-
fallen,

Stalking with less unconscionable strides,
And lower looks, but in a sultry chafe.

Sams. I dread him not, nor all his giant brood,
Though fame divulge him father of five sons,

Who, threatening cruel death, constrained the All of gigantic size, Goliah chief.

bride

Chor. He will directly to the lords, I fear,

And with malicious counsel stir them up
Some way or other yet further to afflict thee.

Sams. He must allege some cause, and offered
fight

Will not dare mention, lest a question rise
Whether he durst accept the offer or not;
And, that he durst not, plain enough appeared.
Much more affliction than already felt
They can not well impose, nor I sustain;
If they intend advantage of my labours,
The work of many hands which earns my keeping
With no small profit daily to my owners.
But come what will, my deadliest foe will prove
My speediest friend, by death to rid me hence;
The worst that he can give, to me the best.
Yet so it may fall out, because their end
Is hate, not help to me, it may with mine
Draw their own ruin who attempt the deed.
Chor. O how comely it is, and how reviving
To the spirits of just men long oppressed!
When God into the hands of their deliverer
Puts invincible might

To quell the mighty of the earth, the oppressor,
The brute and boisterous force of violent men,
Hardy and industrious to support
Tyrannic power, but raging to pursue
The righteous and all such as honour truth;
He all their ammunition

And feats of war defeats,

With plain heroic magnitude of mind
And celestial vigour armed:

Their armouries and magazines contemns,
Renders them useless; while

With winged expedition,

Swift as the lightning glance, he executes
His errand on the wicked, who, surprised,
Lose their defence, distracted and amazed.
But patience is more oft the exercise
Of saints, the trial of their fortitude,
Making them each his own deliverer,
And victor over all

That tyranny or fortune can inflict.
Either of these is in thy lot,
Samson, with might endued

Above the sons of men; but sight bereaved
May chance to number thee with those
Whom patience finally must crown.

This idol's day hath been to thee no day of rest,

Labouring thy mind

More than the working day thy hands.
And yet perhaps more trouble is behind,
For I descry this way
Some other tending; in his hand
A sceptre or quaint staff he bears,
Comes on amain, speed in his look.
By his habit I discern him now
A public officer, and now at hand.
His
message will be short and voluble.

[Enter] Officer.

Off. Hebrews, the prisoner Samson here I seek.
Chor. His manacles remark him, there he sits.
Off. Samson, to thee our lords thus bade me say;
This day to Dagon is a solemn feast,
With sacrifices, triumph, pomp, and games:
Thy strength they know surpassing human rate,
And now some public proof thereof require
To honour this great feast, and great assembly;
Rise therefore with all speed, and come along,
Where I will see thee heartened, and fresh clad,
To appear, as fits, before the illustrious lords.
Sams. Thou knowest I am an Hebrew, there-
fore tell them,

Our law forbids at their religious rites
My presence, for that cause I can not come.

Off. This answer, be assured, will not content
them.

Sams. Have they not sword-players, and every

sort

Of gymnic artists, wrestlers, riders, runners,
Jugglers, and dancers, antics, mummers, mimics,
But they must pick me out with shackles tired,
And over-laboured at their public mill,
To make them sport with blind activity?
Do they not seek occasion of new quarrels
On my refusal to distress me more,
Or make a game of my calamities?
Return the way thou cam'st, I will not come.
Of Regard thyself; this will offend them
highly.

Sams. Myself! my conscience and internal
peace.

Can they think me so broken, so debased
With corporal servitude, that my mind ever
Will condescend to such absurd commands?
Although their drudge, to be their fool or jester,
And in my midst of sorrow and heart-grief
To show them feats, and play before their god,
The worst of all indignities, yet on me
Joined with extreme contempt? I will not come.
Of. My message was imposed on me with

speed,

Brooks no delay: is this thy resolution?

Sams. So take it with what speed thy message needs.

Off. I am sorry what this stoutness will produce.

[Exit.

Sams. Perhaps thou shalt have cause to sorrow indeed.

Chor. Consider, Samson; matters now are
strained

Up to the height, whether to hold or break:
He's gone, and who knows how he may report
Thy words by adding fuel to the flame?
Expect another message more imperious,
More lordly thundering than thou well wilt bear.
Sams. Shall I abuse this consecrated gift

Of strength, again returning with my hair,
After my great transgression; so requite
Favour renewed, and add a greater sin
By prostituting holy things to idols?
A Nazarite in place abominable,

Vaunting my strength in honour to their Dagon!
Besides, how vile, contemptible, ridiculous,
What act more execrably unclean, profane!

And for a life who will not change his purpose?
(So mutable are all the ways of men;)
Yet this be sure, in nothing to comply
Scandalous or forbidden in our law.

Off. I praise thy resolutions: doff these links:
By this compliance thou wilt win the lords
To favour, and perhaps to set thee free.

Sams. Brethren, farewell; your company along

Chor. Yet with this strength thou serv'st the I will not wish, lest it perhaps offend them
Philistines,

Idolatrous, uncircumcised, unclean.

To see me girt with friends: and how the sight
Of me, as of a common enemy,

Sams. Not in their idol-worship, but by labour So dreaded once, may now exasperate them,
Honest and lawful, to deserve my food

Of those who have me in their civil power.

I know not: lords are lordliest in their wines;
And the well-feasted priest then soonest fired

Chor. Where the heart joins not, outward acts With zeal, if aught religion seem concerned; defile not.

No less the people, on their holy-days,

Sams. Where outward force constrains, the Impetuous, insolent, unquenchable:

sentence holds,

But who constrains me to the temple of Dagon,
Not dragging? The Philistine lords command.
Commands are no constraints. If I obey them,
I do it freely, venturing to displease
God for the fear of man, and man prefer,
Set God behind; which in his jealousy
Shall never, unrepented, find forgiveness.
Yet that he may dispense with me, or thee,
Present in temples at idolatrous rites
For some important cause thou need'st not doubt.
Chor. How thou wilt here come off surmounts
my reach.

Sams. Be of good courage; I begin to feel
Some rousing motions in me, which dispose
To something extraordinary my thoughts.
I with this messenger will go along,
Nothing to do, be sure, that may dishonour
Our law, or stain my vow of Nazarite.
If there be aught of presage in the mind,
This day will be remarkable in my life
By some great act, or of my days the last.

Happen what may, of me expect to hear
Nothing dishonourable, impure, unworthy
Our God, our law, my nation, or myself,
The last of me or no I can not warrant. [Erit.]
Chor. Go, and the Holy One

Of Israel be thy guide

To what may serve his glory best, and spread his

name

Great among the heathen round:

Send thee the angel of thy birth, to stand
Fast by thy side, who from thy father's field
Rode up in flames after his message told
Of thy conception, and be now a shield
Of fire; that Spirit, that first rushed on thee
In the camp of Dan,

Be efficacious in thee now at need!
For never was from Heaven imparted
Measure of strength so great to mortal seed,
As in thy wondrous actions hath been seen.—
But wherefore comes old Manoah in such haste
With youthful steps? much livelier than erewhile
He seems; supposing here to find his son,

Chor. In time thou hast resolved, the man re- Or of him bringing to us some glad news?

turns.

[Enter] Officer.

Off. Samson, this second message from our lords
To thee I am bid say. Art thou our slave,
Our captive, at the public mill our drudge,
And darest thou at our sending and command
Dispute thy coming? come without delay;
Or we shall find such engines to assail
And hamper thee, as thou shalt come of force,
Though thou wert firmlier fastened than a rock.
Sams. I could be well content to try their art,
Which to no few of them would prove pernicious,
Yet, knowing their advantages too many,
Because they shall not trail me through their

streets

Like a wild beast, I am content to go.
Masters' commands come with a power resistless
To such as owe them absolute subjection;

[Enter] Manoah.

Man. Peace with you, brethren; my induce

ment hither

Was not at present here to find my son,

By order of the lords now parted hence

To come and play before them at their feast.

I heard all as I came, the city rings,

And numbers thither flock: I had no will,
Lest I should see him forced to things unseemly.
But that which moved my coming now, was chiefly
To give ye part with me what hope I have
With good success to work his liberty.

Chor. That hope would much rejoice us to par-
take

With thee; say, reverend sire, we thirst to hear.
Man. I have attempted one by one the lords,
Either at home, or through the high street passing,
|With supplication prone and father's tears,

To accept of ransom for my son, their prisoner.
Some much averse I found and wondrous harsh,
Contemptuous, proud, set on revenge and spite,
That part most reverenced Dagon and his priests;
Others more moderate seeming, but their aim
Private reward, for which both God and state
They easily would set to sale: a third
More generous far and civil, who confessed
They had enough revenged; having reduced
Their foe to misery beneath their fears,
The rest was magnanimity to remit,
If some convenient ransom were proposed.-
What noise or shout was that? it tore the sky.
Chor. Doubtless the people shouting to behold
Their once great dread, captive, and blind before
them,

Or at some proof of strength before them shown.
Man. His ransom, if my whole inheritance
May compass it, shall willingly be paid
And numbered down: much rather I shall choose
To live the poorest in my tribe, than richest,
And he in that calamitous prison left.
No, I am fixed not to part hence without him.
For his redemption all my patrimony,

If need be, I am ready to forego

And quit; not wanting him, I shall want nothing.

Man. Of ruin indeed methought I heard the
noise;

Oh! it continues, they have slain my son.
Chor. Thy son is rather slaying them; that

outcry

From slaughter of one foe could not ascend.

Man. Some dismal accident it needs must be;
What shall we do, stay here or run and see?
Chor. Best keep together here, lest, running
thither,

We unawares run into danger's mouth.
This evil on the Philistines is fallen;
From whom could else a general cry be heard?
The sufferers then will scarce molest us here
From other hands we need not much to fear.
What if, his eyesight (for to Israel's God
Nothing is hard) by miracle restored,
He now be dealing dole among his foes,
And over heaps of slaughtered walk his way?
Man. That were a joy presumptuous to be
thought.

Chor. Yet God hath wrought things as incre-
dible

For his people of old; what hinders now?

Man. He can, I know, but doubt to think he will;

Yet hope would fain subscribe, and tempts belief.

Chor. Fathers are wont to lay up for their sons, A little stay will bring some notice hither.

Thou for thy son art bent to lay out all;
Sons wont to nurse their parents in old age,
Thou in old age carest how to nurse thy son,
Made older than thy age through eyesight lost.
Man. It shall be my delight to tend his eyes.
And view him sitting in the house, ennobled
With all those high exploits by him achieved,
And on his shoulders waving down those locks
That of a nation armed the strength contained:
And I persuade me, God had not permitted
His strength again to grow up with his hair,
Garrisoned round about him like a camp
Of faithful soldiery, were not his purpose
To use him further yet in some great service;
Not to sit idle with so great a gift
Useless, and thence ridiculous about him.
And since his strength with eyesight was not lost,
God will restore him eyesight to his strength.

Chor. Thy hopes are not ill founded, nor seem
vain

Of his delivery, and thy joy thereon
Conceived agreeable to a father's love,
In both which we, as next, participate.

Man. I know your friendly minds and-O what

noise!

Chor. Of good or bad so great, of bad the sooner;
For evil news rides post, while good news baits.
And to our wish I see one hither speeding,
An Hebrew, as I guess, and of our tribe.

[Enter] Messenger.

Mess. O whither shall I run, or which way fly
The sight of this so horrid spectacle,
Which erst my eyes beheld and yet behold?
For dire imagination still pursues me.
But providence or instinct of nature seems,
Or reason though disturbed, and scarce consulted,
To have guided me aright I know not how,
To thee first, reverend Manoah, and to these
My countrymen, whom here I knew remaining,
As at some distance from the place of horror,
So in the sad event too much concerned.

Man. The accident was loud, and here before

thee

With rueful cry, yet what it was we hear not;
No preface needs, thou seest we long to know.
Mess. It would burst forth, but I recover breath
And sense distract, to know well what I utter.
Man. Tell us the sum, the circumstance defer.
Mess. Gaza yet stands, but all her sons are fallen,

Mercy of heaven, what hideous noise was that? All in a moment overwhelmed and fallen.
Horribly loud, unlike the former shout.

Chor. Noise call you that, or universal groan,
As if the whole inhabitation perished!

Blood, death, and deathful deeds are in that noise,
Ruin, destruction at the utmost point.

Man. Sad, but thou know'st to Israelites not saddest

The desolation of a hostile city.

Mess. Feed on that first; there may in grief be

surfeit.

Man. Relate by whom.

Mess.

Man.

By Samson.

That still lessens
The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy.
Mess. Ah, Manoah, I refrain too suddenly
To utter what will come at last too soon;
Lest evil tidings, with too rude irruption
Hitting thy aged ear, should pierce too deep.
Man. Suspense in news is torture; speak them

out.

Had filled their hearts with mirth, high cheer, and
wine,
When to their sports they turned. Immediately
Was Samson as a public servant brought,
In their state livery clad; before him pipes
And timbrels, on each side went armed guards,
Both horse and foot, before him and behind
Archers, and slingers, cataphracts, and spears.
At sight of him the people with a shout
Rifted the air, clamouring their god with praise

Mess. Take then the worst in brief, Samson is Who had made their dreadful enemy their thrall.
dead.
He patient, but undaunted, where they led him,
Man. The worst indeed! O all my hopes de- Came to the place; and what was set before him,
feated
Which without help of eye might be assayed,
To heave, pull, draw, or break, he still performed
All with incredible, stupendous force,
None daring to appear antagonist.

To free him hence! but death, who sets all free,
Hath paid his ransom now and full discharge.
What windy joy this day had I conceived
Hopeful of his delivery, which now proves
Abortive as the first-born bloom of spring
Nipt with the lagging rear of winter's frost!
Yet ere I give the reins to grief, say first,
How died he; death to life is crown or shame.
All by him fell, thou sayest; by whom fell he?
What glorious hand gave Samson his death's
wound?

Mess. Unwounded of his enemies he fell.
Man. Wearied with slaughter then, or how?
explain.

Mess. By his own hands.
Man.

Self-violence? what cause
Brought him so soon at variance with himself
Among his foes?

Mess.

Inevitable cause

At once both to destroy and be destroyed;
The edifice, where all were met to see him,
Upon their heads and on his own he pulled.
Man. O lastly overstrong against thyself!
A dreadful way thou took'st to thy revenge.
More than enough we know; but while things yet
Are in confusion, give us, if thou canst,
Eyewitness of what first or last was done,
Relation more particular and distinct.

Mess. Occasions drew me early to this city;
And, as the gates I entered with sunrise,
The morning trumpets festival proclaimed
Through each high street: little I had despatched,
When all abroad was rumoured that this day
Samson should be brought forth, to show the people
Proof of his mighty strength in feats and games;
I sorrowed at his captive state, but minded
Not to be absent at that spectacle.
The building was a spacious theatre
Half-round, on two main pillars vaulted high,
With seats where all the lords, and each degree
Of sort, might sit in order to behold;
The other side was open, where the throng
On banks and scaffolds under sky might stand;
I among these aloof obscurely stood.
The feast and noon grew high, and sacrifice

At length for intermission sake they led him
Between the pillars; he his guide requested
(For so from such as nearer stood we heard)
As overtired to let him lean a while
With both his arms on those two massy pillars,
That to the arched roof gave main support.
He, unsuspicious, led him; which, when Samson
Felt in his arms, with head a while inclined,
And eyes fast fixed he stood, as one who prayed,
Or some great matter in his mind revolved:
At last, with head erect, thus cried aloud;
"Hitherto, lords, what your commands imposed
I have performed, as reason was, obeying,
Not without wonder or delight beheld:
Now of my own accord such other trial

I mean to show you of my strength, yet greater,
As with amaze shall strike all who behold.'
This uttered, straining all his nerves he bowed
As with the force of winds and waters pent,
When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars
With horrible convulsion to and fro

He tugged, he shook, till down they came, and drew
The whole roof after them with burst of thunder
Upon the heads of all who sat beneath,
Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests,
Their choice nobility and flower, not only
Of this but each Philistian city round,
Met from all parts to solemnize this feast.
Samson, with these immixed, inevitably
Pulled down the same destruction on himself;
The vulgar only scaped who stood without.

Chor. O dearly-bought revenge, yet glorious!
Living or dying thou hast fulfilled

The work for which thou wast foretold
To Israel, and now liest victorious
Among thy slain, self-killed,

Not willingly, but tangled in the fold
Of dire necessity, whose law in death conjoined
Thee with thy slaughtered foes, in number more
Than all thy life hath slain before.

1 Semichor. While their hearts were jocund and

sublime

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