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385

Of Timna firft betray me, and reveal
The secret wrefted from me in her highth
Of nuptial love profefs'd, carrying it ftrait
To them who had corrupted her, my spies
And rivals? In this other was there found
More faith, who also in her prime of love,
Spoufal embraces, vitiated with gold,
Though offer'd only, by the fcent conceiv'd
Her spurious first-born, treason against me?
Thrice fhe affay'd with flattering prayers and fighs,
And amorous reproaches, to win from me

My capital fecret, in what part my strength

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Lay stor'd, in what part summ'd, that she might know;
Thrice I deluded her, and turn'd to sport
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 fought to make me traitor to myself;
Yet the fourth time, when mustering all her wiles,
With blandifh'd parlies, feminine affaults,
Tongue-batteries, fhe furceas'd not day nor night
To ftorm me over-watch'd, and wearied out,
At times when men seek most repose and rest,
I yielded, and unlock'd her all my heart,
Who with a grain of manhood well refolv'd
Might eafily have fhook off all her fnares:
But foul effeminacy held me yok'd
Her bond-flave; O indignity, O blot
To honor and religion! fervile mind
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Rewarded

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Rewarded well with fervile punishment !
The base degree to which I now am fall'n,
These rags, 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 degenerately I ferv'd.

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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 infeft 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
To violate the facred truft of filence

Deposited within thee; which to have kept

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Tacit, was in thy power: true; and thou bear'st 430
Enough, and more, the burden of that fault;

Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid score. A worfe thing yet remains,
This day the Philistines a popular feast
Here celebrate in Gaza; and proclame

Great pomp, and facrifice, 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 slain.
So Dagon fhall be magnify'd; and God,
Befides whom is no God, compar'd with idols,
Difglorify'd, blafphem'd, and had in fcorn
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By

By the idolatrous rout amidst their wine;

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Which to have come to pafs by means of thee,
Samfon, of all thy fufferings think the heavieft, 445
Of all reproach the most with shame that ever
Could have befall'n thee and thy father's houfe.
SAMS. Father, I do acknowledge and confefs
That I this honor, I this pomp have brought
To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high
Among the Heathen round; to God have brought
Dishonor, obloquy, and op'd the mouths
Of idolifts, and atheists; have brought scandal
To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt
In feeble hearts, propenfe enough before
To waver, or fall off and join with idols;
Which is my chief affliction, shame, and forrow,
The anguish of my foul, that fuffers not

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Mine eye to harbour fleep, or thoughts to reft.

This only hope relieves me, that the strife

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With me hath end; all the contést is now

'Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath prefum'd, Me overthrown, to enter lifts with God,

His deity comparing and preferring

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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 must stoop, and fhall ere lang receive
Such a discomfit, as fball quite defpoil him
Of all these boasted trophies won on me,
And with confufion blank his worshipers.
MAN. With caufe this hope relieves thee, and these

470 [words

I as a prophecy receive; for God,

Nothing more certain, will not long defer
To vindicate the glory of his name
Against all competition, nor will long
Indure it doubtful whether God be Lord,
Or Dagon. But for thee what shall be done?
Thou must not in the mean while here forgot
Lie in this miferable loathsome plight
Neglected. I already have made way

To fome Philiftian lords, with whom to treat
About thy ranfome: well they may by this
Have fatisfied their utmost of revenge

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By pains and slaveries, worse than death inflicted 485 On thee, who now no more canft do them harm.

SAMS. Spare that proposal, Father, spare the trouble Of that folicitation; 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,

How heinous had the fact been, how deferving

Contempt, and fcorn of all, to be excluded

All friendship, and avoided as a blab,

The mark of fool fet on his front!

But I God's counsel have not kept, his holy fecret

Prefumptuously have publish'd, impiously,

Weakly at least, and fhamefully: a fin
That Gentiles in their parables condemn
To their abyfs and horrid pains confin’d.
MAN. Be penitent and for thy fault contrite,

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But

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But act not in thy own affliction, Son:
Repent the fin; but if the punishment
Thou canst avoid, felf-prefervation bids;
Or th' execution leave to high disposal,
And let another hand, not thine, exact
Thy penal forfeit from thyfelf; perhaps
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt;
Who ever more approves and more accepts
(Beft pleas'd with humble' and filial submission)
Him who imploring mercy fues for life,
Than who felf-rigorous chooses death as due;
Which argues over-juft, and felf-difpleas'd
For felf-offenfe, more than for God offended.
Reject not then what offer'd means; who knows
But God hath fet before us, to return thee
Home to thy country and his facred house,
Where thou mayft bring thy offerings, to avert
His further ire, with prayers and vows renew'd? 520
SAMS. His pardon I implore; but as for life,
To what end fhould I feek it? When in ftrength
All mortals I excell'd, and great in hopes

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With youthful courage and magnanimous thoughts
Of birth from Heav'n foretold and high exploits, 525
Full of divine inftinct, after fome proof

Of acts indeed heroic, far beyond

The fons of Anak, famous now and blaz'd,
Fearless of danger, like a petty God

I walk'd about admir'd of all and dreaded
On hoftile ground, none daring my affront.
Then fwoll'n with pride into the fnare I fell

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