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Of fair fallacious looks, venereal trains,
Soften'd with pleasure and voluptuous life;
At length to lay my head and hallow'd pledge
Of all my ftrength in the lafcivious lap
Of a deceitful concubine, who shore me
Like a tame wether, all my precious fleece,
Then turn'd me out ridiculous, despoil'd,
Shavn, and difarm'd among mine enemies.

535

CHO. Defire of wine and all delicious drinks, Which many a famous warrior overturns, Thou couldst reprefs, nor did the dancing ruby Sparkling, out-pour'd, the flavor, or the fmell, Or taste that chears the heart of Gods and men, 545 Allure thee from the cool crystallin fream.

550

SAMS. Wherever fountain or fresh current flow'd Against the eastern ray, tranflucent, pure With touch ethereal of Heav'n's fiery rod, I drank, from the clear milky juice allaying Thirst, and refresh'd; nor envy'd them the grape Whose heads that turbulent liquor fills with fumes. Сно. O madness, to think ufe of strongest wines And strongest drinks our chief fupport of health, When God with thefe forbidd'n made choice to rear His mighty champion, ftrong above compare, Whose drink was only from the liquid brook!

SAMS. But what avail'd this temp'rance, not com

Against another object more enticing?

What boots it at one gate to make defense,

And at another to let in the foe,

Effeminately vanquifh'd? by which means,

[plete

560

Now blind, dishearten'd, fham'd, difhonor'd, quell'd, To what can I be useful, wherein serve

My nation, and the work from Heav'n impos'd, 565
But to fit idle on the houshold hearth,

A burd'nous drone; to vifitants a gaze,
Or pity'd object, thefe redundant locks
Robuftious to no purpose clustering down,

Vain monument of ftrength; till length of years 570
And fedentary numness craze my limbs

To a contemptible old-age obfcure?

Here rather let me drudge and earn my bread,

Till vermin or the draff of fervile food

Confume me, and oft-invoked death

575

Haften the welcome end of all my pains.

MAN. Wilt thou then ferve the Philiftines with that

Which was exprefly giv'n thee to annoy them?

[gift

Better at home lie bed-rid, not only idle,

Inglorious, unemploy'd, with age outworn.
But God, who caus'd a fountain at thy prayer

580

From the dry ground to fpring, thy thirst t' allay

After the brunt of battel, can as easy

Caufe light again within thy eyes to spring,

Wherewith to ferve him better than thou haft; 585
And I perfuade me fo; why else this strength.
Miraculous yet remaining in those locks?
His might continues in thee not for nought,
Nor fhall his wondrous gifts be fruftrate thus.

SAMS. All otherwife to me my thoughts portend, That thefe dark orbs no more shall treat with light, Nor th' other light of life continue long,

But

But yield to double darkness nigh at hand:
So much I feel my genial fpirits droop,
My hopes all flat, nature within me seems
In all her functions weary of herself,
My race of glory run, and race of shame,
And I shall shortly be with them that rest.

595

MAN. Believe not these suggestions, which proceed

From anguish of the mind and humors black,
That mingle with thy fancy. I however
Must not omit a father's timely care

To prosecute the means of thy deliverance

By ransome, or how elfe: mean while be calm,

600

And healing words from these thy friends admit. 605 SAMS. O that torment fhould not be confin'd

To the body's wounds and fores,

With maladies innumerable

In heart, head, breast and reins;
But muft fecret paffage find

To th' inmoft mind,

There exercise all his fierce accidents,
And on her pureft fpirits prey,

As on entrails, joints, and limbs,

610

With answerable pains, but more intense,
Though void of corporal fenfe.

615

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Thoughts my tormentors arm'd with deadly ftings
Mangle my apprehensive tendereft parts,

Exafperate, exulcerate, and raise

Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb
Or medicinal liquor can affwage,

625

Nor breath of vernal air from fnowy Alp.

Sleep hath forfook and giv'n me o'er

To death's benumming opium as my only cure:
Thence faintings, fwoonings of despair,

630

And fenfe of Heav'n's defertion.

I was his nurfling once and choice delight, His deftin'd from the womb,

Promis'd by heav'nly meffage twice defcending. 635

Under his fpecial eye

Abftemious I grew up and thriv'd amain;

He led me on to mightiest deeds

Above the nerve of mortal arm

Against th' uncircumcis'd, our enemies :

640

But now hath caft me off as never known,
And to those cruel enemies,

Whom I by his appointment had provok'd, Left me all helpless with th' irreparable lofs of fight, referv'd alive to be repeated

645

The subject of their cruelty or scorn.

Nor am I in the list of them that hope;

Hopeless are all my evils, all remedilefs;

This one prayer yet remains, might I be heard,

"No long petition, speedy death,

650

The close of all my miferies, and the balın.

CHO. Many are the fayings of the wife

In

In ancient and in modern books inroll'd,
Extolling patience as the truest fortitude:
And to the bearing well of all calamities,
All chances incident to man's frail life,
Confolotaries writ

655

With study'd argument, and much persuasion fought
Lenient of grief and anxious thought:

But with th' afflicted in his pangs their found
Little prevails, or rather seems a tune

Harsh, and of diffonant mood from his complaint;

Unless he feel within

Some fource of confolation from above,

Secret refreshings, that repair his ftrength,

And fainting spirits uphold.

God of our fathers, what is man!

That thou tow'ards him with hand fo various,

Or might I fay contrarious,

660

665

Temper'ft thy providence through his fhort course, 670
Not ev'nly, as thou rul'ft

Th' angelic orders and inferior creatures mute,
Irrational and brute.

Nor do I name of men the common rout,
That wandering locfe about

Grow up and perish, as the fummer flie,
Heads without name no more remember'd,
But fuch as thou haft folemnly elected,
With gifts and graces eminently adorn'd
To fome great work, thy glory,

And people's fafety, which in part they' effect:
Yet toward these thus dignify'd, thou oft

675

680

Amidst

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