That light is in the Soul,
She all in ev'ry part; why was the fight
To fuch a tender ball as th' eye confin'd?
So obvious and fo easy to be quench'd,
And not, as feeling, through all parts diffus'd,
That the might look at will through ev'ry pore?
Then had I not been thus exil'd from light;
As in the land of darkness yet in light,
To live a life half dead, a living death,
And bury'd; but O yet more miferable!
My felf, my Sepulchre, a moving Grave,
By privilege of death and burial
From worst of other evils, pains and wrongs,
But made hereby obnoxious more
To all the miferies of Life,
But who are these ? for with joint pace I hear
The tread of many feet fleering this way;
Perhaps my enemies who come to ftare
At my affliction, and perhaps t' infult,
Their daily practice to afflict me more.
Chor. This, this is he; foftly a while,
Let us not break in upon him;
O change beyond report, thought or belief!
See how he lies at random, carelefly diffus'd,
With languish'd head unpropt,
As one past hope, abandon'd,
And by himself given over?
In flavish habit, ill-fitted weeds
Or do my eyes misrepresent? Can this be he,
- That Heroick, that Renown'd,
Irresistible Samfon; whom unarm'd
No strength of man, or fiercest wild beast could with-
Who tore the Lion, as the Lion tears the Kid,
Ran on imbattl'd Armies clad in Iron,
And weaponless himself,
Made Arms ridiculous, useless the forgery
Of brazen Shield and Spear, the hammer'd Cuirass,
Chalybean temper'd steel, and frock of mail
But fafeft he who stood aloof,
When insupportably his foot advanc'd,
In fcorn of their proud arms and warlike tools,
Spurn'd them to death by Troops. The bold Afcalonite
Fled from his Lion ramp, old Warriors turn'd
Their plated backs under his heel;
Or grov'ling foil'd their crested helmets in the dust.
Then with what trivial weapon came to hand,
The Jaw of a dead Ass, his fword of bone,
A thousand foreskins fell, the flow'r of Palestin,
In Ramath-lechi famous to this day :
Then by main force pull'd up and on his shoulders bore
The Gates of Azza, Post, and massy bar
Up to the Hill by Hebron, feat of Giants old,
No journey of a Sabbath-day, and loaded fo;
Like whom the Gentiles feign to bear up Heav'n;
T' incorporate with gloomy night;
Puts forth no visual beam.
O mirror of our fickle flate,
Since man on earth unparallel'd !
The rarer thy example stands,
By how much from the top of wond'rous glory,
To lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fall'n.
For him I reckon not in high eftate,
Whom long defcent of birth
Or the sphere of fortune raises;
But thee whose strength, while virtue was her mate,
Might have fubdu'd the Earth,
Universally crown'd with highest praises.
Samf. I hear the found of words, their fenfe the air Diffolves unjointed ere it reach my ear.
Chor. He fpake, let us draw nigh. Matchless in might, The glory late of Ifrael, now the grief, We come thy friends and neighbours not unknown 180
From Efhtaol and Zora's fruitful Vale
To vifit or bewail thee, or if better,
Counsel or confolation we may bring,
Salve to thy Sores, apt words have pow'r to swage
The tumours of a troubled mind,
And are as Balm to fester'd wounds.
Samf. Your coming, Friends, revives me, for I learn
Now of my own experience, not by talk,
How counterfeit a coin they are who friends
Bear in their Superfcription (of the most
I would be understood) in profp'rous days
They swarm, but in adverse withdraw their head
Not to be found, though fought. Ye fee, O friends,
How many evils have inclos'd me round;
Yet that which was the worst now least afflicts me, 195
Blindness, for had I fight, confus'd with shame,
How could I once look up, or heave the head,
Who like a foolish Pilot have shipwreck'd
My Vessel trusted to me from above,
Gloriously rigg'd; and for a word, a tear,
Fool, have divulg'd the secret gift of God
To a deceitful Woman ? tell me, Friends,
Am I not fung and proverb'd for a Fool
In ev'ry street, do they not say, how well
Are come upon him his deferts? yet why?
Immeasurable strength they might behold
In me, of wisdom nothing more than mean;
This with the other should, at least, have pair'd,
These two proportion'd ill drove me transverse.
Chor. Tax not divine disposal, wifeft Men
Have err'd, and by bad Women been deceiv'd;
And shall again, pretend they ne'er so wife.
Deject not then so overmuch thy felf,
Who hast of forrow thy full load besides;
Yet truth to say, I oft have heard men wonder
Why thou should'st wed Philiftian Woman rather
Than of thine own Tribe fairer, or as fair,
At least of thy own Nation, and as noble.
Sams. The first I saw at Timna, and the pleas'd
Me, not my Parents, that I fought to wed,
The daughter of an Infidel; they knew not
That what I mention'd was of God; I knew
From intimate impulfe, and therefore urg'd
The Marriage on; that by occafion hence
I might begin Israel's Deliverance,
The work to which I was divinely call'd.
She proving false, the next I took to Wife
(O that I never had! fond wish too late,)
Was in the Vale of Sorec, Dalila,
That specious Monfter, my accomplisht snare.
I thought it lawful from my former act,
And the fame end; ftill watching to opprefs
Ifrael's Oppreffors: of what now I fuffer
She was not the prime caufe, but I my felf,
Who vanquisht with a peal of words (O weakness !)
Gave up my fort of filence to a Woman.
Chor. In feeking just occafion to provoke
The Philiflin, thy Country's Enemy,
Thou never wast remiss, I bear thee witness:
Yet Ifrael ftill ferves with all his Sons.
Sams. That fault I take not on me, but transfer
On Ifrael's Governors, and Heads of Tribes,
Who feeing those great acts which God had done
Singly by me against their Conquerors,
Acknowledg'd not, or not at all confider'd
Deliv'rance offer'd: I on th' other fide
Us'd no ambition to commend my deeds,
The deeds themselves, though mute, spoke loud the
But they perfifted deaf, and would not feem
To count them things worth notice, till at length 250 Their Lords the Philistines with gather'd pow'rs
Enter'd Judea feeking me, who then
Safe to the rock of Etham was retir'd,
Not flying, but fore-calting in what place
To fet upon them what advantag'd belt,
Mean while the men of Judah to prevent
The harrass of their Land befet me round;
I willingly on some conditions came
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