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
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 3
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.
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
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 C 3
By the idolatrous rout amidst their wine;
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
Mine eye to harbour fleep, or thoughts to reft.
This only hope relieves me, that the strife
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
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
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
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,
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
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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