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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
Impartial, self-severe, inexorable,
Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much rather Confess it feign'd: weakness is thy excuse,
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,
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,
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
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,
With study'd argument, and much persuasion
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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