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And reconcilement move with feign'd remorse,
Confess, and promise wonders in her change,
Not truly penitent, but chief to try
Her husband, how far urg'd his patience bears,
His virtue or weakness which way to assail :
Then with more cautions and instructed skill
Again transgresses, and again submits;
That wisest and best men full oft beguil'd
With goodness principled not to reject
The penitent, but ever to forgive,
Are drawn to wear out miserable days,
Intangled with a pois'nous bosom snake,
If not by quick destruction soon cut off
As I by thee, to ages an example.

756

760

765

DAL. Yet hear me, Samson; not that I endevor

To lessen or extenuate my offense,

But that on the other side if it be weigh'd
By' itself, with aggravations not surcharg'd,
Or else with just allowance counterpois'd,
I may if possible, thy pardon find

770

The easier tow'ards me, or thy hatred less.

First granting, as I do, it was a weakness

In me, but incident to all our sex,

Curiosity, inquisitive, importune

775

Of secrets, then with like infirmity

To publish them, both common female faults:
Was it not weakness also to make known

For importunity, that is for nought,

Wherein consisted all thy strength and safety? 780 To what I did thou showed'st me first the way.

But I to enemies reveal'd, and should not :

Nor should'st thou have trusted that to woman's

frailty:

786

Ere I to thee, thou to thyself wast cruel.
Let weakness then with weakness come to parle
So near related, or the same of kind,
Thine forgive mine; that men may censure thine
The gentler, if severely thou exact not
More strength from me than in thyself was found.
And what if love, which thou interpret'st hate,
The jealousy of love, powerful of sway
In human hearts, nor less in mind tow'ards thee,
Caus'd what I did? I saw thee mutable

791

796

Of fancy, fear'd lest one day thou would'st leave me
As her at Timna, sought by all means therefore
How to indear, and hold thee to me firmest:
No better way I saw than by' impórtuning
To learn thy secrets, get into my power
The key of strength and safety: thou wilt say,
Why then reveal'd? I was assur'd by those
Who tempted me, that nothing was design'd
Against thee but safe custody and hold :
That made for me; I knew that liberty
Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home sat full of cares and fears, 805

Wailing thy absence in my widow'd bed;
Here I should still enjoy thee day and night
Mine and Love's prisoner, not the Philistines,

Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad,

Fearless at home of partners in my love.

800

810

These reasons in love's law have past for good,
Though fond and reasonless to some perhaps;
And love hathoft, well meaning, wrought much woe,
Yet always pity' or pardon hath obtain'd.

Be not unlike all others, not austere
As thou art strong, inflexible as steel.
If thou in strength all mortals dost exceed,
In uncompassionate anger do not so.

815

SAM. How cunningly the sorceress displays Her own transgressions, to upbraid me mine! 820 That malice not repentance brought thee hither, By this appears: I gave, thou say'st, th' example,

I led the way; bitter reproach, but true;

I to myself was false ere thou to me;

Such pardon therefore as I give my folly,
Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest

825

Impartial, self-severe, inexorable,

Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much rather Confess it feign'd: weakness is thy excuse,

830

And I believe it, weakness to resist
Philistian gold: if weakness may excuse,
What murderer, what traitor, parricide,
Incestuous, sacrilegious, but may plead it ?
All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore
With God or man will gain thee no remission. 835
But love constrain'd thee; call it furious rage
To satisfy thy lust: love seeks to have love;
My love how could'st thou hope, who took'st the way
To raise in me inexpiable hate,

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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

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

615

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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

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