Dishonorer of Dagon: what had I
T'oppose against such pow'rful arguments?
Only my love of thee held long debate,
And combated in filence all these reasons
With hard conteft: at length that grounded maxim
So rife and celebrated in the mouths
Of wisest men, that to the public good
Private respects must yield, with grave authority Took full poffeffion of me and prevail'd;
Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty fo injoining. 870 Samf. I thought where all thy circling wiles would In feign'd religion, smooth hypocrify.
But had thy love, ftill odiously pretended,
Been, as it ought, fincere, it would have taught thee
Far other reasonings, brought forth other deeds.
I before all the daughters of my tribe
And of my nation chose thee from among
My enemies, lov'd thee, as too well thou knew’st,
Too well, unbofom'd all my fecrets to thee,
Not out of levity, but over-power'd
By thy request, who could deny thee nothing;
Yet now am judg'd an enemy. Why then
Didft thou at first receive me for thy husband,
Then, as fince then, thy country's foe profefs'd?
Being once a wife, for me thou waft to leave 885
Parents and country; nor was I their fubject,
Nor under their protection but my own,
Thou mine, not theirs: if ought against my
Thy country fought of thee, it fought unjustly,
Against the law of nature, law of nations,
No more thy country, but an impious crew
Of men confpiring to uphold their state
By worse than hostile deeds, violating the ends
For which our country is a name so dear; 894
Not therefore to be' obey'd. But zeal mov'd thee;
To please thy Gods thou didst it; Gods unable
T'acquit themselves and prosecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction.
Of their own deity, Gods cannot be;
Lefs therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd. 900
These false pretexts and varnish'd colors failing,
Bare in thy guilt how foul must thou appear?
Dal. In argument with men a woman ever
Goes by the worse, whatever be her caufe. 904
Samf. For want of words no doubt, or lack of
Witnefs when I was worried with thy peals. (breath;
Dal. I was a fool, too rash, and quite mistaken
In what I thought would have fucceeded beft,
Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson,
Afford me place to fhow what recompense
Tow'ards thee I intend for what I have mifdone,
Misguided; only what remains past cure
Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist
T'afflict thyself in vain: though sight be loft,
Life yet hath many folaces, enjoy'd
Where other fenfes want not their delights
At home in leifure and domestic ease,
Exempt from many a care and chance to which Eye-fight exposes daily men abroad.
I to the lords will intercede, not doubting
Their favorable ears, that I may fetch thee
From forth this loathfome prison-house, to abide
With me, where my redoubled love and care
With nursing diligence, to me glad office,
May ever tend about thee to old age
With all things grateful chear'd, and so supply'd, That what by me thou' haft loft thou least shalt mifs.
Samf. No, no, of my condition take no care ;
It fits not; thou and I long fince are twain;
Nor think me fo unwary or accurs'd,
To bring my feet again into the fnare
Where once I have been caught; I know thy trains
Though dearly to my coft, thy gins, and toils;
Thy fair inchanted cup, and warbling charms
No more on me have pow'r, their force is null`d,
So much of adder's wifdom I have learn'd
To fence my ear against thy forceries.
If in my flower of youth and ftrength, when all men
Lov'd, honor'd, fear'd me, thou alone could'st hate me
Thy husband, flight me, fell me, and forgo me;
How wouldst thou ufe me now, blind, and thereby
Deceivable, in moft things as a child
Helpless, thence easily contemn'd, and scorn'd,
And last neglected? How wouldst thou infult,
When I must live luxurious to thy will
In perfect thraldom, how again betray me,
Bearing my words and doings to the lords
To glofs upon, and cenfuring, frown or fmile?
This jail I count the house of liberty
999
To thine, whofe doors my feet fhall never enter.
Dal. Let me approach at least, and touch thy hand.
Samf. Not for thy life, left fierce remembrance
My fudden rage to tear thee joint by joint. (wake
At distance I forgive thee, go with that;
Bewail thy falfhood, and the pious works
It hath brought forth to make thee memorable
Among illuftrious women, faithful wives:
Cherish thy haften'd widowhood with the gold
Of matrimonial treason: fo farewel.
Dal. I fee thou art implacable, more deaf 960 To pray'rs, than winds and feas, yet winds to feas Are reconcil'd at length, and sea to shore:
Thy anger, unappeafable, still rages,
Eternal tempeft never to be calm'd.
Why do I humble thus myself, and suing
peace, reap nothing but repulse and hate? Bid go with evil omen and the brand
Of infamy upon my name denounc'd?
To mix with thy concernments I defift
Henceforth, nor too much difapprove my own. 970
Fame if not double-fac'd is double-mouth'd,
And with contrary blast proclames most deeds;
On both his wings, one black, the other white,
Bears greatest names in his wild aery flight.
My name perhaps among the circumcis'd
In Dan, in Judah, and the bordering tribes,
To all pofterity may ftand defam'd,
With malediction mentioned, and the blot
Of falfhood moft unconjugal traduc'd.
But in my country where I most desire,
In Ecron, Gaza, Afdod, and in Gath,
I fhall be nam'd among the famousest
Of women, fung at folemn feftivals,
Living and dead recorded, who to fave
Her country from a fierce deftroyer, chofe
Above the faith of wedlock-bands, my tomb
With odors visited and annual flowers;
Not lefs renown'd than in mount Ephraim
Jael, who with inhofpitable guile
Smote Sifera fleeping through the temples nail'd. Nor fhall I count it hainous to enjoy
The public marks of honor and reward
Which to my country I was judg'd to' have shown. At this who ever envies or repines,
I leave him to his lot, and like my own.
Chor. She's gone, a manifest serpent by her sting Discover'd in the end, till now conceal'd.
Samf. So let her go, God sent her to debase me, And aggravate my folly, who committed
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