By ransome, or how else: mean while be calm,
And healing words froin these thy friends admit.

SAM. O that Torment should not be confin'd

As on entrails, joints, and limbs,
With answerable pains, but more intense,

615

Thoughts my tormentors arm'd with deadly stings

Mangle my apprehensive tenderest parts,

Exasperate, exulcerate, and raise

Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb
Or medicinal liquor can asswage,
Nor breath of vernal air from snowy Alp.
Sleep hath forsook and giv'n me o'er

625

To death's benumming opium as my only cure: 630

Thence faintings, swoonings of despair,
And sense of Heav'n's desertion.

I was his nursling once and choice delight, His destin'd from the womb,

Promis'd by heav'nly message twice descending.

Under his special eye

Abstemious I grew up and thriv'd amain;
He led me on to mightiest deeds
Above the nerve of mortal arm

Against th' uncircumcis'd, our enemies:
But now hath cast me off as never known,
And to those cruel enemies,

Whom I by his appointment had provok'd,
Left me all helpless with th' irreparable loss
Of sight, reserv'd alive to be repeated
The subject of their cruelty or scorn.
Nor am I in the list of them that hope;
Hopeless are all my evils, all remediless;
This one prayer yet remains, might I be heard,
No long petition, speedy death,

The close of all my miseries, and the balm.
CHOR. Many are the sayings of the wise
In ancient and in modern books inroll'd,
Extolling patience as the truest fortitude;
And to the bearing well of all calamities,
All chances incident to man's frail life,

Consolitaries writ

636

640

645

650

655

With study'd argument, and much persuasion

sought

Lenient of grief and anxious thought:
But with th' afflicted in his pangs their sound 660
Little prevails, or rather seems a tune

Harsh, and of dissonant mood from his complaint; Unless he feel within

Some source of consolation from above,

Secret refreshings, that repair his strength, 665 And fainting spirits uphold.

God of our fathers, what is man!

That thou towards him with hand so various,

Or might I say contrarious,

Temper'st thy providence through his short course,
Not ev'nly, as thou rul'st

Th' angelic orders and inferior creatures mute,
Irrational and brute.

671

Nor do I name of men the common rout,

That wand'ring loose about

675

Grow up and perish, as the summer flie,

Heads without name no more remember'd,

But such as thou hast solemnly elected,

With gifts and graces eminently adorn'd

To some great work, thy glory,

680

And people's safety, which in part they' effect :

[gard

Yet toward these thus dignify'd, thou oft

Amidst their highth of noon

Changest thy count'nance, and thy hand with no re

Of highest favours past

From thee on them, or them to thee of service.

Nor only dost degrade thein, or remit

685

To life obscur'd, which were a fair dismission,
But throw'st them lower than thou didst exalt them

Unseemly falls in human eye,

Too grievous for the trespass or omission;

[high,

691 Oft leav'st them to the hostile sword

Of Heathen and profane, their carcases

To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captiv'd; 694 Or to the unjust tribunals, under change of times,

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion, The image of thy strength, and mighty minister. What do I beg? how hast thou dealt already? 707 Behold him in this state calamitous, and turn His labors, for thou canst, to peaceful end.

But who is this, what thing of sea or land? 710 Female of sex it seems,

With all her bravery on, and tackle trim,

Sails fill'd, and streamers waving,

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,

An amber sent of odorous perfume

720

Her harbinger, a damsel train behind;

Volume III.

K

Some rich Philistian matron she may seem,
And now at nearer view, no other certain

Than Dalila thy wife.

724

SAM. My wife, my traitress, let her not come near

me.

[thee fix'd, CHOR. Yet on she moves, now stands and eyes About t' have spoke, but now, with head declin'd Like a fair flower surcharg`d with dew, she weeps, And words address'd seem into tears dissolv'd, Wetting the borders of her silken veil: But now again she makes address to speak.

730

DAL. With doubtful feet and wavering resolution

I came, still dreading thy displeasure, Samson,
Which to have merited, without excuse,
I cannot but acknowledge; yet if tears
May expiate (though the fact more evil drew
In the perverse event than I foresaw)

735

My penance hath not slacken'd, though my pardon
No way assur'd. But conjugal affection
Prevailing over fear, and timorous doubt,
Hath led me on desirous to behold

740

Once more thy face, and know of thy estate,
If ought in my ability may serve
To lighten what thou suffer'st, and appease
Thy mind with what amends is in my power, 745
Though late, yet in some part to recompense
My rash but more unfortunate misdeed.

SAM. Out, out hyæna; these are thy wonted arts,
And arts of every women false like thee,
To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray, 750
Then as repentant to submit, beseech,