The jaw of a dead afs, his fword of bone,

A thousand fore-fkins fell, the flower of Palaftine,
In Ramath-lechi famous to this day.

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Then by main force pull'd up, and on his fhoulders bore,
The gates of Azza, poft, and maffy bar,

Up to the hill by Hebron, feat of giants old,
No journey of a fabbath-day, and loaded fo;

Like whom the Gentiles feign to bear up heav'n. 150
Which fhall I first bewail,

Thy bondage or loft fight,

Prifon within prison

Infeparably dark?

Thou art become (O worst imprisonment!)

The dungeon of thyself; thy foul

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(Which men enjoying fight oft without caufe complain)

Imprifon'd now indeed,

In real darkness of the body dwells,

Shut up from outward light,

To incorporate with gloomy night;
For inward light, alas!

Puts forth no vifual beam.

O mirror of our fickle ftate,

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Since man on earth unparallel'd!

165

The rarer thy example ftands,

By how much from the top of wondrous glory,

Strongest of mortal men,

To lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fall'n.
For him I reckon not in high estate

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Whom long descent of birth

Or the sphere of fortune raises;

But thee, whofe ftrength, whofe virtue was her mate,

Might have fubdu'd the earth,

Univerfally crown'd with highest praises.

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SAM. I hear the found of words, their fense the air

Diffolves unjointed ere it reach my ear.

CHOR. He speaks; let us draw nigh. Matchless in The glory late of Ifrael, now the grief;

[might,

We come thy friends and neighbours not unknown,
From Efhtaol and Zora's fruitful vale,
To vifit or bewail thee; or, if better,

18

Counfel or confolation we may bring,

Salve to thy fores; apt words have power to fwage
The tumours of a troubled mind,

And are as balm to feiter'd wounds.

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190

SAM. 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 fuperfcription, (of the most I would be understood;) in profp'rous days They fwarm, but in adverfe withdraw their head, Not to be found, though fought. Ye fee, O friends, How many evils have inclos'd me round; 194 Yet that which was the worst now least afflicts me, Blindness; for had I fight, confus'd with fhame, How could I once look up, or heave the head, Who like a foolish pilot have fhipwreck'd My veffel trusted to me from above, Gloriously rigg'd: and for a word, a tear, Fool, have divulg'd the fecret gift of God To a deceitful woman? Tell me, friends, Am I not fung and proverb'd for a fool In every street? do they not fay, how well Are come upon him his deserts? yet why? Immeasurable frength they might behold In me, of wisdom nothing more than mean; This with the other should, at leaft, have pair'd: These two proportion'd ill drove me transverse.

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205

CHOR. Tax not divine difpofal; wifeft men Have err'd, and by bad women been deceiv'd ; And fhall again, pretend they ne'er so wife. Deject not then fo overmuch thyfelf,

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Who hast of sorrow thy full load besides ;

Yet truth to fay, I oft have heard men wonder

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Why thou shouldft wed Philiftian women rather
Than of thine own tribe fairer, or as fair,

At least of thy own nation, and as noble.

SAM. The first I saw at Timna, and she pleas'd

Me, not my parents, that I fought to wed
The daughter of an infidel: they knew not
That what I motion'd was of God; I knew
M

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From intimate impulfe, and therefore urg'd
The marriage on; that by occafion hence
I might begin Ifrael's deliverance,

The work to which I was divinely call'd.
She proving falfe, the next I took to wife
(0 that I never had! fond wish too late)
Was is the vale of Sorec, Dalila,

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That fpecious monfter, my accomplish'd snare.
I thought it lawful from my former act,
And the fame end; ftill watching to oppress
Ifrael's oppreffors: of what now I fuffer
She was not the prime caufe, but I myself,

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Who, vanquish'd with a peal of words, (O weakness !)

Gave up my fort of filence to a woman.

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CHOR. In feeking just occafion to provoke

The Philiftine, thy country's enemy,

Thou never waft remifs, I bear thee witness:
Yet Ifrael ftill ferves with all his fons.

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SAM. That fault I take not on me, but transfer
On Ifrael's governors, and heads of tribes,
Who feeing thofe great acts, which God had done
Singly by me against their conquerors,
Acknowledg'd not, or not at all confider'd
Deliverance offer'd: I on the other fide
Us'd no ambition to commend my deeds;

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[doer;

The deeds themfelves, though mute, fpoke 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 powers
Enter'd Judea, feeking me, who then
Safe to the rock of Etham was retir'd;
Not flying, but fore-cafting in what place
To fet upon them, what advantag'd best
Meanwhile the men of Judah, to prevent
The harrals of their land, befet me round:
I willingly on fome conditions came

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Into their hands, and they as gladly yield me

To th' uncircumcis'd a welcome prey,

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Bound with two cords; but cords to me were threads.

Touch'd with the flame: on their whole hoft I flew

Unarm'd and with a trivial weapon fell'd

Their choiceft youth; they only liv'd who fled.
Had Judah that day join'd, or one whole tribe,
They had by this poflefs'd the towers of Gath,
And lorded over them whom now they ferve:
But what more oft, in nations grow corrupt,
And by their vices brought to fervitude,
Than to love bondage more than liberty,
Bondage with ease than strenuous liberty;
And to defpife, or envy, or fufpect

Whom God hath of his fpecial favour rais'd
As their deliverer? if he ought begin,

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270

How frequent to defert him, and at laft

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To heap ingratitude on worthiest deeds?

CHOR. Thy words to my remembrance bring

Had dealt with Jephtha, who by argument,

Not worse than by his fhield and spear,
Defended Ifrael from the Ammonite,
Had not his prowels quell'd their pride
In that fore battle, when fo many dy'd
Without reprieve, adjudg'd to death,

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For want of well pronouncing Shibboleth.

SAM. Of such examples add me to the roll;

290

Me eafily indeed mine may neglect,

But God's propos'd deliverance not so.

CHOR. Juft are the ways of God,

And juftifiable to men ;

Unleis there be who think not God at all:

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If any be, they walk obfcure;

For of fuch doctrine never was their school,

But the heart of the fool,

And no man therein doctor but himself.

Yet more there be who doubt his ways not juft,

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As to his own edicts found contradicting,

Then give the reins to wand'ring thought,

Regardless of his glory's diminution ;
Till by their own perplexities involv'd,
They ravel more, ftill lefs refolv'd,

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But never find felf- fatisfying folution.

As if they would confine th' Interminable,

And tie him to his own prefcript,

Who made our laws to bind us, not himself,
And hath full right to exempt

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Whom so it pleases him by choice

From national obftriction, without taint

Offin, or legal debt;

For with his own laws he can best dispense.

He would not elfe, who never wanted means,

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Down, reason, then, at least vain reasonings down,

Though reafon here aver,

That moral verdi&t quits her of unclean:

Unchafte was fubfequent, her ftain not his.

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But fee here comes thy reverend fire

With careful step, locks white as down,
Old Manoah: advise

Forthwith how thou ought'ft to receive him.
SAM. Ay me, another Inward grief, awak'd

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With mention of that name, renews th' affault,

MAN. Brethren and men of Dan, for fuch ye feem,

Though in this uncouth place; if old refpect,

As I fuppofe, towards your once glory'd friend,

My fon, now captive, hither hath inform'd

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Your younger feet, while mine caft back with age
Came lagging after; fay if he be here ?

CHOR. As fignal now in low dejected state,
As erft in highest, behold him where he lies.
MAN. O miferable change! is this the man,
That invincible Samion, far renown'd,
The dread of Ifrael's foes, who with a strength.

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