In wedlock a reproach; I gain'd a fon,
And fuch a fon as all men hail'd me happy; Who would be now a father in my stead?
O wherefore did God grant me my request,
And as a blessing with such pomp adorn'd?
Why are his gifts defirable, to tempt
Our earnest pray'rs, then, giv'n with folemn hand
As graces, draw a scorpion's tail behind?
For this did th' Angel twice defcend? for this
Ordain'd thy nurture holy, as of a plant
Select, and facred, glorious for a while, The miracle of men; then in an hour Infnar'd, affaulted, overcome, led bound, Thy foes derifion, captive, poor and blind, Into a dungeon thruft, to work with flaves? Alas methinks whom God hath chofen once To worthieft deeds, if he through frailty err, He should not fo o'erwhelm, and as a thrall Subject him to so foul indignities,
SAMS. Appoint not heav'nly difpofition, Father;
Be it but for honor's fake of former deeds.
Nothing of all these evils hath befall'n me
But juftly; I myself have brought them on, Sole author I, fole caufe: if ought feem vile, As vile hath been my folly, who' have profan'd The mystery of God giv'n me under pledge Of vow, and have betray'd it to a woman, A Canaanite, my faithless enemy. This well I knew, nor was at all furpris'd, But warn'd by oft' experience: did not she
Of Timna first betray me, and reveal The fecret wrefted from me in her highth Of nuptial love profefs'd, carrying it ftrait To them who had corrupted her, my spies And rivals? In this other was there found More faith, who alfo in her prime of love, Spoufal embraces, vitiated with gold, Though offer'd only, by the fcent conceiv'd Her fpurious first-born, treason against me? Thrice fhe affay'd with flattering prayers and fighs, And amorous reproaches, to win from me My capital fecret, in what part my strength
Lay ftor'd, in what part fumm'd, that she might know; Thrice I deluded her, and turn'd to sport Her importunity, each time perceiving How openly, and with what impudence, She purpos'd to betray me, and (which was worfe Than undiffembled hate) with what contempt She fought to make me traitor to myself; Yet the fourth time, when muftering all her wiles, With blandifh'd parlies, feminine affaults, Tongue-batterics, fhe furceas'd not day nor night To ftorm me over-watch'd, and wearied out, At times when men seek most repose and rest, I yielded, and unlock'd her all my heart, Who with a grain of manhood well refolv'd Might easily have shook off all her fnares : But foul effeminacy held me yok'd Her bond-flave; O indignity, O blot To honor and religion! fervile mind
Rewarded well with fervile punishment! The bafe degree to which I now am fall'n, These rags, this grinding is not yet so base As was my former servitude, ignoble, Unmanly, ignominious, infamous,
True flavery, and that blindness worse than this, That faw not how degenerately I serv’d.
MAN. I cannot praise thy marriage choices, Son, Rather approv'd them not; but thou didst plead Divine impulfion prompting how thou might'ft Find fome occafion to infeft our foes.
I state not that; this I am fure, our foes Found foon occasion thereby to make thee
Their captive, and their triumph; thou the fooner Temptation found'ft, or over-potent charms
To violate the facred truft of filence
Depofited within thee; which to have kept
Tacit, was in thy power: true; and thou bear'ft 430 Enough, and more, the burden of that fault;
Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid fcore. A worse thing yet remains, This day the Philistines a popular feast Here celebrate in Gaza; and proclame Great pomp, and facrifice, and praises loud To Dagon, as their God who hath deliver'd Thee, Samfon, bound and blind into their hands, Them out of thine, who slew'st them many a slain. So Dagon fhall be magnify'd; and God, Befides whom is no God, compar'd with idols Difglorify'd, blafphem'd, and had in fcorn
By the idolatrous rout amidst their wine;
Which to have come to pass by means of thee, Samfon, of all thy fufferings think the heaviest, 445 Of all reproach the most with shame that ever Could have befall'n thee and thy father's house. SAMS. Father, I do acknowledge and confess That I this honor, I this pomp have brought To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high Among the Heathen round; to God have brought Dishonor, obloquy, and op'd the mouths
Of idolists, and atheists; have brought scandal To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt In feeble hearts, propense enough before To waver, or fall off and join with idols; Which is my chief affliction, fhame, and forrow, The anguish of my foul, that fuffers not
Mine eye to harbour sleep, or thoughts to rest. This only hope relieves me, that the strife
With me hath end; all the contéft is now "Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath prefum'd, Me overthrown, to enter lifts with God, His deity comparing and preferring
Before the God of Abraham. He, be fure, Will not connive, or linger, thus provok'd, But will arife and his great name affert : Dagon must stoop, and shall ere long receive Such a discomfit, as fhall quite defpoil him Of all these boasted trophies won on me, And with confufion blank his worshipers.. MAN. With cause this hope relieves thee, and these
I as a prophecy receive; for God,
Nothing more certain, will not long defer To vindicate the glory of his name Against all competition, nor will long Indure it doubtful whether God be Lord, Or Dagon. But for thee what shall be done! Thou must not in the mean while here forgot Lie in this miserable loathsome plight Neglected. I already have made way
To fome Philiftian lords, with whom to treat About thy ranfome: well they may by this Have fatisfied their utmost of revenge
By pains and flaveries, worse than death inflicted 485
On thee, who now no more canft do them harm.
SAMS. Spare that proposal, Father, fpare the trouble Of that folicitation; let me here,
As I deferve, pay on my punishment; And expiate, if poffible, my crime, Shameful garrulity. To have reveal'd Secrets of men, the fecrets of a friend,
How heinous had the fact been, how deferving
Contempt, and fcorn of all, to be excluded
All friendship, and avoided as a blab,
The mark of fool fet on his front!
But I God's counsel have not kept, his holy fecret
Prefumptuously have publish'd, impiously,
Weakly at least, and shamefully: a fin That Gentiles in their parables condemn To their abyss and horrid pains confin'd. MAN. Be penitent and for thy fault contrite,
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