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To fuch a viper his most fared trust
Of fecresy, my safety, and my life.

(power,

Chor. Yet beauty, though injurious, hath ftrange

After offence returning, to regain

Love once poffefs'd, nor can be easily

Repuls'd, without much inward passion felt
And fecret fting of amorous remorse.

1005

Samf. Love-quarrels oft in pleasing concord end, Not wedlock-treachery indang'ring life.

Chor. It is not virtue, wisdom, valor, wit, 1010 Strength, comeliness of shape, or amplest merit That woman's love can win or long inherit; But what it is, hard is to say,

Harder to hit,

(Which way foever men refer it)

Much like thy riddle, Samson, in one day
Or fev'n, though one should musing fit.

If

any of these or all, the Timnian bride Had not so soon preferr'd

1015

Thy paranymph, worthless to thee compar'd, 1020 Succeffor in thy bed,

Nor both fo loosly disally'd

Their nuptials, nor this laft fo treacherously

Had fhorn the fatal harvest of thy head.

Is it for that fuch outward ornament

Was lavish'd on their fex, that inward gifts
Were left for hafte unfinish'd, judgment scant,
Capacity not rais'd to apprehend

1025

Or

Or value what is beft

In choice, but ofteft to affect the wrong?
Or was too much of felf-love mix'd,

Of conftancy no root infix'd,

That either they love nothing, or not long?

Whate'er it be, to wisest men and best

1030

Seeming at first all heav'nly under virgin veil, 1035
Soft, modeft, meek, demure,

Once join'd' the contrary fhe proves, a thorn
Inteftin, far within defenfive arms

A cleaving mischief, in his way to virtue
Adverse and turbulent, or by her charms
Draws him awry inflav'd

With dotage, and his fenfe deprav'd,

1040

To folly' and shameful deeds which ruin ends. What pilot fo expert but needs must wreck Imbark'd with such a steers-mate at the helm? 1045

Favor'd of Heav'n who finds

One virtuous rarely found,

That in domestic good combines:

Happy that house! his way to peace is fmooth:

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Smile fhe or lour:

So fhall he leaft confufion draw

On his whole life, not sway'd
By female ufurpation, or dismay'd.

But had we best retire, I see a florm?

1060

Samf. Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain. Chor. But this another kind of tempeft brings. Samf. Be lefs abftrufe, my riddling days are paft. Chor. Look now for no inchanting voice, nor fear The bait of honied words; a rougher tongue 1066 Draws hitherward, I know him by his ftride, The giant Harapha of Gath, his look

1071

Haughty as is his pile high-built and proud.
Comes he in peace? what wind hath blown him hither
I lefs conjecture than when first I faw
The fumptuous Dalila floting this
way:
His habit carries peace, his brow defiance.
Samf. Or peace, or not, alike to me he comes.
Cho. His fraught we foon shall know, he now arrives.
Har. I come not, Samfon, to condole thy chance,
As these perhaps, yet wish it had not been,
Though for no friendly' intent. I am of Gath,
Men call me Harapha, of stock renown'd
As Og or Anak and the Emims old

That Kiriathim held, thou know'ft me now
If thou at all art known. Much I have heard
Of thy prodigious might and feats perform'd
Incredible to me, in this difpleas'd,

S

1080

That

That I was never prefent on the place

1085

Of those encounters, where we might have try'd
Each other's force in camp or listed field:

And now am come to fee of whoin fuch noise
Hath walk'd about, and each limb to furvey,
If thy appearance answer loud report.

1090

Samf. The way to know were not to see but taste.
Har. Doft thou already single me? I thought
Gyves and the mill had tam'd thee. O that fortune
Had brought me to the field, where thou art fam'd
To' have wrought fuch wonders with an afs's jaw;
I should have forc'd thee foon wifh other arms, 1096
Or left thy carcass where the ass lay thrown:
So had the glory' of prowess been recover'd
To Palestine, won by a Philiftine

From the unforeskin'd race, of whom thou bear'st
The highest name for valiant acts; that honor
Certain to have won by mortal duel from thee,
I lose, prevented by thy eyes put out. (but do
Samf. Boast not of what thou wouldst have done,
What then thou wouldst, thou seest it in thy hand.
Har. To combat with a blind man I disdain,
And thou haft need much washing to be touch'd.
Samf. Such usage as your honorable lords
Afford me' affaffinated and betray'd,

Who durft not with their whole united powers 1110
In fight withstand me single and unarm'd,

Nor in the house with chamber ambushes

Clofe

Close-banded durft attack me, no not sleeping,
Till they had hir'd a woman with their gold
Breaking her marriage faith to circumvent me. 1115
Therefore without feign'd shifts let be affign'd
Some narrow place inclos'd, where fight may give
Or rather flight, no great advantage on me; (thee,
Then put on all thy gorgeous arms, thy helmet
And brigandine of brafs, thy broad habergeon, 1120
Vant-brass and greves, and gauntlet, add thy fpear,
A weaver's beam, and seven-times-folded fhield,
I only with an oaken-staff will meet thee,
And raise such outcries on thy clatter'd iron, 1124
Which long shall not withhold me from thy head,
That in a little time while breath remains thee,
Thou oft shalt wish thyself at Gath to boast
Again in fafety what thou wouldst have done
To Samfon, but shalt never see Gath more.

Har. Thou durft not thus disparage glorious arms,
Which greatest heroes have in battel worn, 1131
Their ornament and safety, had not spells
And black inchantments, fome magician's art,
Arm'd thee or charm'd thee ftrong, which thou
from Heaven

Feign'dft at thy birth was giv'n thee in thy hair, 1135
Where ftrength can least abide, though all thy hairs
Were briftles rang'd like those that ridge the back
Of chaf'd wild boars, or ruffled porcupines.
Samf. I know no spells, use no forbidden arts;

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