The miracle of men; then in an hour Insnar'd, assaulted, overcome, led bound, Thy foes' derision, captive, poor and blind, Into a dungeon thrust, to work with slaves? Alas, methinks whom God hath chosen once To worthiest deeds, if he through frailty err, He should not so o'erwhelm, and as a thrall Subject him to so foul indignities
Be' it but for honor's sake of former deeds. SAM. Appoint not heav'nly disposition, Father; Nothing of all these evils hath befall'n me But justly; I myself have brought them on, Sole author I, sole cause: if ought seem vile, As vile hath been my folly, who' have profan'd The mystery of God giv'n me under pledge Of vow, and have betray'd it to a woman, A Canaanite, my faithless enemy. This well I knew, nor was at all surpris'd, But warn'd by oft experience: did not she Of Timna first betray me, and reveal The secret wrested from me in her highth Of nuptial love profess'd, carrying it strait 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, Spousal embraces, vitiated with gold, Though offer'd only, by the sent conceiv'd Her spurious first-born, treason against me? Thrice she assay'd with flattering pray'rs and sighs, And amorous reproaches, to win from me
My capital secret, in what part my strength [know; Lay stor❜d, in what part summ'd, that she might 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 worse Than undissembled hate) with what contempt 400 She sought to make me traitor to myself;
Yet the fourth time, when must'ring all her wiles, With blandish'd parlies, femenine assaults, Tongue-batteries, she surceas'd not day nor night To storm me overwatch'd, and weary'd 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 resolv'd Might easily have shook off all her snares; But foul effeminacy held me yok'd' Her bond-slave; O indignity, O blot To honor and religion! servile mind Rewarded well with servile punishment! The base degree to which I now am fall'n. These rags, this grinding is not yet so base As was my former servitude, ignoble, Unmanly, ignominious, infamous,
True slavery, and that blindnes worse than this, That saw not how degenerately I serv’d.
MAN. I cannot praise thy marriage choices, Son, Rather approv'd them not; but thou didst plead Divine impulsion prompting how thou might'st Find some occasion to infest our foes.
I state not that; this I am sure, our foes Found soon occasion thereby to make thee Their captive, and their triumph; thou the sooner Temptation found'st, or over-potent charms To violate the sacred trust of silence
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 hast thou paid, and still art paying That rigid score. A worse thing yet remains, This day the Philistines a popular feast Here celebrate in Gaza; and proclame Great pomp, and sacrifice, and praises loud To Dagon, as their god who hath deliver'd Thee, Samson, bound and blind into their hands, Them out of thine, who slew'st them many a slain. So Dagon shall be magnify'd, and God, Besides whom is no god, compar'd with idols Disglorify'd, blasphem'd, and had in scorn By the idolatrous rout amidst their wine; Which to have come to pass by means of thee, Samson, of all thy sufferings think the heaviest, 445 Of all reproach the most with shame that ever Could have befall'n thee and thy father's house. SAM. 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 Dishonor, obloquy, and op'd the mouths Of idofists, and atheists; have brought scandal
To Israel, 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 soul, that suffers not Mine eye to harbour sleep, or thoughts to rest. This only hope relieves me, that the strife
With me hath end; all the contést is now 'Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath presum'd, Me overthrown, to enter lists with God,
His deity comparing and preferring Before the God of Abraham.
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 Of all these boasted trophies won on me, And with confusion blank his worshippers.
MAN. With cause 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 Endure 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 miserable loathsome plight Neglected. I already have made way To some Philistian lords, with whom to treat About thy ransome: well they may by this
Have satisfy'd their utmost of revenge
By pains and slaveries, worse than death inflicted 485 On thee, who now no more canst do them harm. SAM. Spare that proposal, Father, spare the trouble Of that solicitation; let me here
As I deserve, pay on my punishment; And expiate, if possible, my crime, Shameful garrulity. To have reveal'd Secrets of men, the secrets of a friend,
How hainous had the fact been, how deserving Contempt, and scorn of all, to be excluded
All friendship, and avoided as a blab, The mark of fool set on his front?
But I God's counsel have not kept, his holy secret Presumptuously have publish'd impiously,
Weakly at least, and shamefully: a sin
That Gentiles in their parables condemn To their abyss and horrid pains confin’d. MAN. Be penitent and for thy fault contrite, But act not in thy own affliction, Son: Repent the sin, but if the punishment Thou canst avoid, self-preservation bids; Or th' execution leave to high disposal,
And let another hand, not thine, exact Thy penal forfeit from thyself; perhaps
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt; Who ever more approves and more accepts ;
(Best pleas'd with humble' and filial submission) Him who imploring mercy sues for life,
Than who self-rigorous chooses death as due;
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