Prifon within Prifon

Infeparably dark?

Thou art become (O worst imprisonment!)

The Dungeon of thy felf; thy Soul

[plain'd)

(Which Men enjoying fight oft without cause com

Imprifon'd now indeed,

In real darknefs of the body dwells,

Shut up from outward light

T'incorporate with gloomy night;

For inward light alas

Puts forth no visual beam.

O mirror of our fickle state,

Since man on earth unparallel'd?

The rarer thy example stands,

By how much from the top of wond'rous glory,
Strongest of mortal men,

To lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fall'n.

For him I reckon not in high estate

Whom long descent of birth

Or the fphear of fortune raises;

But thee whofe ftrength, while virtue was her mate,

Might have fubdu'd the Earth,

Univerfally crown'd with highest praises.

Sams

Samf. I here the found of words, their sense the air Diffolves unjointed e'er it reach my ear.

Chor. He fpake, let us draw nigh.Matchless in might The glory late of Ifrael, now the grief,

We come thy friends and neighbours not unknown From Efhtaol and Zora's fruitful Vale

To vifit or bewail thee, or if better,

Counsel or confolation we may bring,

Salve to thy Sores, apt words have pow'r to swage The tumours of a troubl'd mind,

And are as Balm to fefter'd wounds.

Samf. Your coming, Friends, revives me, for I learn Now of my own experience, not by talk, How counterfeit a coin they are who friends Bear in their Superfcription (of the most I would be understood) in profp'rous days They fwarm, but in adverse withdraw their head Not to be found, though fought. Ye fee, O friends, How many evils have enclos'd me round; Yet that which was the worst now leaft afflicts me, Blindness, for had I fight, confus'd with shame, How could I once look up, or heave the head,

Who like a foolish Pilot have shipwreck'd

My

My Veffel trusted to me from above,
Gloriously rigg'd; and for a word, a tear,
Fool, have divulg'd the fecret gift of God
To a deceitful Woman; tell me, Friends,
Am I not fung and proverb'd for a Fool
In ev'ry street, do they not say, how well
Are come upon him his deferts? yet why?
Immeasurable strength they might behold
In me, of wisdom nothing more than mean;
This with the other should, at least, have pair'd,
These two proportion'd ill drove me transverse.

Chor. Tax not divine difpofal: wifeft Men
Have err'd, and by bad Women been deceiv'd,
And shall again, pretend they ne'er fo wife.
Deject not then fo overmuch thy felf,

Who haft of forrow thy full load besides;

Yet truth to fay, I oft have heard men wonder

Why thou shouldft wed Philiftian Woman rather
Than of thine own Tribe fairer, or as fair,

At least of thy own Nation, and as noble.
Samf. The first I faw at Timna, and she pleas'd
Me, not my Parents, that I fought to wed,
The daughter of an Infidel, they knew not

That

་་་

That what I mention'd was of God; I knew
From intimate impulfe, and therefore urg'd
The Marriage on, that by occafion hence
I might begin Ifrael's Deliverance,
The work to which I was divinely call'd.
She proving falfe, the next I took to Wife
(O that I never had! fond wish too late,):
Was in the Vale of Sorec, Dalila,
That specious Monster, my accomplisht snare.
I thought it lawful from my former act,
And the fame end; ftill watching to opprefs
Ifrael's Oppreffors: of what now I fuffer!
She was not the prime cause, but I my felf, ..
Who vanquisht with a peal of words (Oweakness!)
Gave up my fort of filence to a Woman.
Chor. In feeking juft occafion to provoke
The Philiftin, thy Country's Enemy,

Thou never waft remifs, I bear thee witnefs:
Yet Ifrael ftill ferves with all his Sons.

Samf. That fault I take not on me, but transfer
On Ifrael's Governors, and Heads of Tribes,
Who fecing thofe great acts which God had done
Singly by me against their Conquerors
I

Acknow

Acknowledg'd not, or not all confider'd
Deliv'rance offer'd: I on th' other fide.

Us'd no ambition to commend

my deeds, The deeds themselves, though mute, spoke loud th But they persisted deaf, and would not feem [doer To count them things worth notice, till at length Their Lords the Philiftins with gather'd pow'rs Enter'd Judea feeking me, who then

Safe to the rock of Etham was retir'd,

Not flying, but fore-cafting in what place
To fet

upon them what advantag'd best;

Mean while the men of Judah to prevent
The harrass of their Land befet me round;
I willingly on fome conditions came

Into their hands, and they as gladly yield me
To the uncircumcis'd a welcom prey,

Bound with two cords; but cords to me were threds
Toucht with the flame: on their whole Hoaft I flew
Unarm'd, and with a trivial weapon fell'd
Their choiceft youth; they only liv'd who fled.
Had Judah that day join'd, or one whole Tribe,
They had by this poffefs'd the Tow'rs of Gath,
And lorded over them whom now they serve;