My truft is in the living God, who gave me
At my nativity this ftrength, diffus'd

J'40

No lefs through all my finews, joints and bones, Than thine, while I preferv'd thefe locks unfhorn, The pledge of my unviolated vow.

For proof hereof, if Dagon be thy God,

1145

Go to his temple invocate his aid

With folemneft devotion, fpread before him
How highly it concerns his glory now

To frustrate and diffolve these magic spells,

1150

Which I to be the power of Ifrael's God
Avow, and challenge Dagon to the test,
Offering to combat thee his champion bold,
With th'utmost of his Godhead feconded:
Then thou fhalt fee, or rather to thy forrow
Soon feel, whose God is ftrongest, thine or mine. 1155
Har. Presume not on thy God, whate'er he be,
Thee he regards not, owns not, hath cut off
Quite from his people, and deliver'd up
Into thy enemies hand, permitted them

Το put out both thine eyes, and fetter'd fend thee
Into the common prison, there to grind

1161

Among the flaves and affes thy comrades,

As good for nothing else, no better service

With those thy boift'rous locks, no worthy match

For valor to affail, nor by the sword

1165

Of noble warrior, so to stain his honor,

But by the barber's razor best subdued.

Sams.

Sams. All these indignities, for fuch they are
From thine, these evils I deferve and more,
Acknowledge them from God inflicted on me
Justly, yet despair not of his final pardon
ever open, and his eye
Gracious to re-admit the fuppliant;
In confidence whereof I once again
Defy thee to the tryal of mortal fight,

Whose ear is ever open,

1170

1175

By combat to decide whose God is God,
Thine or whom I with Ifrael's fons adore.
Har. Fair honor that thou doft thy God, in trusting
He will accept thee to defend his cause,

1180

A Murderer, a Revolter, and a Robber. Sams.Tongue-doughty Giant, how doft thou prove me Har. Is not thy nation subject to our lords? (these? Their magistrates confess'd it, when they took thee As a league-breaker and deliver'd bound

Into our hands: for hadst thou not committed 1185 Notorious murder on those thirty men

At Afcalon, who never did thee harm,

Then like a robber stripp'dst them of their robes?
The Philiftines, when thou hadst broke the league,
Went up with armed pow'rs thee only feeking, 1190
To others did no violence nor spoil..

Sams. Among the daughters of the Philiftines
I chose a wife, which argued me no foe;
And in your city held my nuptial feast:

But your ill-meaning politician lords,

1195 Under

Under pretence of bridal friends and guests,
Appointed to await me thirty spies,

1200

Who threatning cruel death constrain'd the bride
To wring from me and tell to them my secret,
That folv'd the riddle which I had propos'd.
When I perceiv'd all set on enmity,
As on my enemies, wherever chanc'd,
I us'd hoftility, and took their spoil
To pay my underminers in their coin.
My nation was fubjected to your lords.

1205

It was the force of conqueft; force with force

Is well ejected when the conquer'd can.

But I a private perfon, whom my country
As a league-breaker gave up bound, presum'd
Single rebellion and did hostile acts.

I was no private but a person rais’d

1210

With ftrength fufficient and command from Heaven
To free my country; if their servile minds

Me their deliverer fent would not receive,
But to their mafters gave me up for nought,

1215

Th'unworthier they; whence to this day they serve.
I was to do my part from Heav'n affsign'd,
And had perform'd it, if my known offense

Had not difabled me, not all

your force:

These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant

1220

Though by his blindness maim'd for high attempts, Who now defies thee thrice to fingle fight,

As a petty enterprise of small enforce.

Har.

Har. With thee a man condemn'd, a flave enroll'd, Due by the law to capital punishment?

1225

To fight with thee no man of arms will deign.
Sams. Cam'ft thou for this, vain boafter, to furvey me,
To defcant on my strength, and give thy verdict?
Come nearer, part not hence fo flight inform'd;
But take good heed my hand survey not thee. 1230
Har. O Baal-zebub! can my ears unus'd

Hear these dishonors, and not render death?

Sams. No man withholds thee, nothing from thy hand Fear I incurable; bring up thy van,

My heels are fetter'd, but my fift is free.

1235

Har. This infolence other kind of answer fits. Sams. Go baffled coward, left I run upon thee, Though in these chains, bulk without spirit vast, And with one buffet lay thy ftructure low,

Or swing thee in the air, then dash thee down 1240. To th❜hazard of thy brains and shatter'd fides.

Har. By Aftaroth ere long thou shalt lament These braveries in irons loaden on thee.

Chor. His giantship is gone somewhat crest-fall'n, Stalking with lefs unconscionable strides,

And lower looks, but in a fultry chafe.

1245

Sams. I dread him not, nor all his giant-brood.
Though fame divulge him father of five sons,
All of gigantic size, Goliah chief.

1250

Chor. He will directly to the lords, I fear, And with malicious counsel stir them up

Some

Some way or other yet further to afflict thee.

Sams. He muft allege fome cause, and offer'd fight Will not dare mention, left a question rife

Whether he durft accept the' offer or not,
And that he durft not plain enough appear'd.
Much more affliction than already felt
They cannot well impose, nor I sustain;
If they intend advantage of my labors,

1255

The work of many hands, which earns my keeping
With no fmall profit daily to my owners.

But come what will, my deadliest foe will prove
My fpeedieft friend, by death to rid me hence,
The worst that he can give, to me the best.
Yet so it may fall out, because their end
Is hate, not help to me, it may with mine

Draw their own ruin who attempt the deed.

Chor. Oh how comely it is, and how reviving To the fpirits of just men long oppress'd!

1261

1265

When God into the hands of their deliverer 1270

Puts invincible might

To quell the mighty of the earth, th'oppreffor,

The brute and boift'rous force of violent men