Then give the reins to wand'ring thought,
Regardless of his glory's diminution;
Till by their own perplexities involv'd
They ravel more, ftill less resolv'd,
But never find self-satisfying solution.

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As if they would confine th' Interminable,

And tie him to his own prescript,

Who made our laws to bind us, not himself,

And hath full right t' exempt

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Whom so it pleases him by choice

From national obftriction, without taint

Of fin, or legal debt;

For with his own laws he can best dispense.

He would not else who never wanted means, 315

Nor in respect of th' enemy just cause

To fet his people free,

Have prompted this heroic Nazarite,

Against his vow of strictest purity,

To seek in marriage that fallacious bride,

320

Unclean, unchafte.

Down reason then, at least vain reasonings down,

Sams. Ay me, another inward grief awak'd With mention of that name renews th' assault.

330

Man. Brethren and men of Dan, for fuch ye feem, Though in this uncouth place; if old respect, As I suppose, tow'ards your once glory'd friend, My Son now captive, hither hath inform'd 335 Your younger feet, while mine caft back with age Came lagging after; say if he be here.

Chor. As fignal now in low dejected state, As earst in high'eft, behold him where he lies.

Man. O miserable change! is this the man, 340

That invincible Samfon, far renown'd,

345

The dread of Ifrael's foes, who with a strength
Equivalent to Angels walk'd their streets,
None offering fight; who fingle combatant
Duel'd their armies rank'd in proud array,
Himself an army, now unequal match
To fave himself against a coward arm'd
At one fpear's length. O ever failing trust
In mortal strength! and oh what not in man
Deceivable and vain? Nay what thing good 350
Pray'd for, but often proves our woe, our bane?
I pray'd for children, and thought barrenness
In wedlock a reproach; I gain'd a fon,
And such a son as all men hail'd me happy;
Who would be now a father in my ftead?
O wherefore did God grant me my request,
And as a bleffing with fuch pomp adorn'd?

355

Why

Why are his gifts defirable, to tempt

Our earnest pray'rs, then giv'n with folemn hand

As graces, draw a scorpion's tail behind?

360

For this did th' Angel twice defcend? for this

Ordain'd thy nurture holy, as of a plant
Select, and facred, glorious for a while,
The miracle of men; then in an hour
Infnar'd, affaulted, overcome, led bound,
Thy foes derision, captive, poor and blind,
Into a dungeon thruft, to work with flaves?
Alas methinks whom God hath chofen once
To worthieft deeds, if he through frailty err,
He should not fo o'erwhelm, and as a thrall
Subject him to fo foul indignities,

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370

Be it but for honor's fake of former deeds.

Sams. 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, fole caufe: 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 furpris'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

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380

Of nuptial love profess'd, carrying it strait

385 To

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?

390

Thrice she assay'd with flattering pray'rs and sighs,
And amorous reproaches, to win from me
My capital fecret, in what part my strength

396

Lay ftor'd, in what part fumm'd, that she might know;
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 fought to make me traitor to myself;

Yet the fourth time, when muft'ring all her wiles,
With blandish'd parlies, feminine assaults,
Tongue-batteries, fhe furceas'd not day nor night
To ftorm me over-watch'd, and weary'd out,
At times when men seek most repose and rest,
Į yielded, and unlock'd her all my heart,
Who with a grain of manhood well refolv'd
Might easily have shook off all her snares:
But foul effeminacy held me yok'd
Her bond-flave; O indignity, O blot
To honor and religion! fervile mind
Rewarded well with servile punishment!

405

410

The

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 blindness worse than this,
That faw not how degenerately I serv'd.

415

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 occasion thereby to make thee

425

Their captive, and their triumph; thou the sooner Temptation found'ft, 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 430 Enough, and more, the burden of that fault;

Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying

435

That rigid score. A worse thing yet remains,
This day the Philistines 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 slain.
So Dagon fhall be magnify'd, and God,
Besides whom is no God, compar'd with idols,

440