i

But warn'd by oft experience: did not the
Of Timna firft betray me, and reveal
The secret wrested from me in her height
Of Nuptial love profeft, carrying it ftreight
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 scent conceiv'd
Her spurious first-born; Treafon against me?
Thrice fhe affay'd with flatt'ring pray'rs 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 fhe might
Thrice I deluded her, and turn'd to sport
[know;
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 thought to make me Traitor to my self,
Yet the fourth time, when muftring all her wiles,
With blandisht parlies, feminine affaults,

Tongue-batteries, fhe furceas'd not day nor night

To storm me over-watch'd, and weary'd out.
At times when men seek most repofe and reft,
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 snarès:
But foul effeminacy held me yok'd
Her bond-flave; O indignity, O blot
To Honour and Religion! fervile mind
Rewarded well with fervile punishment!
The bafe degree to which I now am fall'n,
These raggs, this grinding, is not yet so base
As was my former fervitude, ignoble,

Unmanly, ignominious, infamous,

True flavery, and that blindness worse than this, That faw not how degen'rately I ferv'd.

Man. I cannot praise thy Marriage choices, Son, Rather approv❜d them not; but thou didst plead Divine impulfion prompting how thou might'st Find fome occafion to infest our Foes.

I ftate not that; this I am fure our Foes
Found foon occafion thereby to make thee

Their Captive, and their Triumph; thou the fooner
Temptation found'ft, or over-potent charms

Το

To violate the facred truft of filence

Deposited within thee; which to have kept
Tacit, was in thy pow'r: true; and thou bear'st
Enough, and more the burthen of that fault;
Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid score. A worse thing yet remains,
This day the Philistins a pop'lar Feast
Here celebrate in Gaza; and proclaim
Great Pomp, and Sacrifice, 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 flew'ft them many a flain.
So Dagon shall be magnify'd, and God,
Besides 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,
Of all reproach the most with shame that ever
Could have befall'n thee and thy Father's house.

Samf. Father, I do acknowledge and confess
That I this honour, I this pomp have brought
To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high

Among

Among the Heathen round; to God have brought Dishonour, obloquy, and op't the mouths

Of Idolifts, and Atheists; have brought scandal To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt

In feeble hearts, propenfe enough before

To wayer, or fall off and join with Idols;
Which is my chief affliction, shame and forrow,
The anguish of my Soul, that fuffers not
Mine eye to harbour fleep, or thoughts to rest.
This only hope relieves me, that the strife
With me hath end; all the contest 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 muft ftoop, and shall e'er long receive
Such a difcomfit, as fhall quite defpoil him
Of all these boasted Trophies won on me,
And with confufion blank his Worshippers.

I

Man. With cause this hope relieves thee, and these as a Prophecy receive, for God,

[words

Nothing

Nothing more certain, will not long defer
To vindicate the glory of his Name
Against all competition, nor will long
Endure it, doubtful whether God be Lord,
Or Dagon. But for thee what fhall be done?
Thou must not in the mean while here forgot
Lye in this miferable loathsome plight

Neglected. I already have made way

To fome Philiftian Lords, with whom to treat 'About thy ranfom: well they may by this Have fatisfy'd their utmost of revenge

By pains and flav'ries, worse than death, inflicted On thee who now no more canft do them harm.

Samf. Spare that proposal, Father, fpare the

Of that follicitation; 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,

[trouble

How heinous had the fact been, how deserving
Contempt and fcorn of all, to be excluded

All friendship and avoided as a blab,

The mark of fool fet on his front?

But