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 fent conceiv'd
Her spurious first-born, treason against me?
Thrice fhe affay'd with flattering pray'rs and fighs,
And amorous reproaches, to win from me
My capital fecret, in what part my strength 394
Lay flor'd, in what part fumm'd, that she 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 worse
Than undissembled hate) with what contempt 400
She fought to make me traitor to myself;
Yet the fourth time, when must'ring all her wiles,
With blandish'd parlies, feminine assaults,
Tongue-batteries, she furceas'd not day nor night
To ftorm me over-watch'd, and weary'd out, 405
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 easily have shook off all her fnares:
But foul effeminacy held me yok'd
Her bond-flave; O indignity, O blot
To honor and religion! fervile mind
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 serv'd.
Man. I cannot praise thy marriage choices, Son, Rather approv'd them not; but thou didft plead 421 Divine impulsion prompting how thou might'st Find fome occafion to infeft our foes.
I ftate not that; this I am fure, our foes
Found foon occasion thereby to make thee
Their captive, and their triumph; thou the fooner
Temptation found'st, or over-potent charms
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 burden of that fault; 431
Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid fcore. A worse thing yet remains,
This day the Philislines 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 flain.
So Dagon fhall be magnify'd, and God,
Besides whom is no God, compar'd with idols,
Difglorify'd, blasphem'd, and had in scorn
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, 445
Of all reproach the most with fhame that ever
Could have befall'n thee and thy father's house.
Samf. Father, I do acknowledge and confess That I this honor, I this pomp have brought To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high 450 Among the Heathen round; to God have brought Difhonor, obloquy, and op'd the mouths' Of idolists, and atheists: have brought scandal To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt In feeble hearts, propense enough before To waver, or fall off and join with idols; Which is my chief affliction, shame and sorrow, The anguish of my foul, that fuffers not Mine eye to harbour sleep, or thoughts to reft. This only hope relieves me, that the ftrife With me hath end; all the contéft 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 arise and his great name affert: Dagon must stoop, and fhall ere long receive Such a discomfit, as fhall quite despoil him
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 421 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 sooner
Temptation found'st, or over-potent charms
To violate the sacred 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 burden of that fault; 431
Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid fcore. A worse thing yet remains,
This day the Philislines 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 flain.
So Dagon fhall 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, 445
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 honor, I this pomp have brought
To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high 450
Among the Heathen round; to God have brought
Difhonor, obloquy, and op'd the mouths'
Of idolifts, and atheists: have brought scandal
To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt
In feeble hearts, propense enough before
To waver, or fall off and join with idols;
Which is my chief affliction, fhame and forrow,
The anguish of my foul, that suffers not
Mine eye to harbour sleep, or thoughts to rest.
This only hope relieves me, that the ftrife
With me hath end; all the contéft is now
'Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath presum'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 arise and his great name assert:
Dagon must stoop, and shall ere long receive
Such a discomfit, as shall quite despoil him
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