Dishonorer of Dagon: what had I Only my love of thee held long debate, With hard contest: at length that grounded maxim Of wisest men, that to the public good Private respects must yield, with grave authority 866 Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty fo injoining. 870 Sams. I thought where all thy circling wiles would In feign'd religion, smooth hypocrify. But had thy love, ftill odiously pretended, (end; Been, as it ought, fincere, it would have taught thee Far other reasonings, brought forth other deeds. 875 I before all the daughters of my tribe And of my nation chofe thee from among My enemies, lov'd thee, as too well thou knew’st, 880 By thy request, who could deny thee nothing; Thou mine, not theirs: if ought against my life Thy Thy country fought of thee, it fought unjustly, 890 No more thy country, but an impious crew By worse than hoftile deeds, violating the ends Not therefore to be' obey'd. But zeal mov'd thee; 895 Of their own deity, Gods cannot be; Less therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd. 900 905 Sams. For want of words no doubt, or lack of Witness when I was worried with thy peals. (breath; Dal. I was a fool, too rash, and quite mistaken In what I thought would have fucceeded best. Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson, Afford me place to fhow what recompense Tow'ards thee I intend for what I have misdone, Mifguided; only what remains past cure Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist Where other fenfes want not their delights 915 At At home in leisure and domestic ease, Exempt from many a care and chance to which 2 920 I to the lords will intercede, not doubting May ever tend about thee to old age 925 With all things grateful chear'd, and fo fupply'd, It fits not; thou and I long fince are twain; To bring my feet again into the fnare 930 Where once I have been caught; I know thy trains To fence my ear against thy forceries. If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men Helpless, thence easily contemn'd, and scorn'd, When When I must live uxorious to thy will 945 To thine, whose doors my feet shall never enter. 950 At distance I forgive thee, go with that; 955 960 Dal. I fee thou art implacable, more deaf To pray'rs, than winds and seas, yet winds to feas Are reconcil'd at length, and fea to shore: Thy anger, unappeasable, still rages, Eternal tempeft never to be calm'd. Why do I humble thus myself, and suing 965 For peace, reap nothing but repulse 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. 970 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, 975 980 985 Smote Sisera sleeping 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 who ever envies or repines, I leave him to his lot, and like my own. 995 Chor. She's gone, a manifest serpent by her fting Difcover'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 1000 Το |