Semichor. While thir hearts were jocund and sublime, Then all thy life had slain before. Drunk with Idolatry, drunk with Wine, And fat regorg'd of Bulls and Goats, 1670 Chaunting thir Idol, and preferring Among them he a spirit of phrenzie sent, And urg'd them on with mad desire To call in hast for thir destroyer; They only set on sport and play Unweetingly importun'd Thir own destruction to come speedy upon them. Fall'n into wrath divine, As thir own ruin on themselves to invite, Semichor. But he though blind of sight, Despis'd and thought extinguish't quite, His fierie vertue rouz'd From under ashes into sudden flame, Assailant on the perched roosts, And nests in order rang'd Of tame villatic Fowl; but as an Eagle His cloudless thunder bolted on thir heads. So vertue giv'n for lost, Deprest, and overthrown, as seem'd, Like that self-begott❜n bird In the Arabian woods embost, That no second knows nor third, And lay e're while a Holocaust, From out her ashie womb now teem'd Revives, reflourishes, then vigorous most When most unactive deem'd, And though her body die, her fame survives, A secular bird ages of lives. Man. Come, come, no time for lamentation now, Nor much more cause, Samson hath quit himself 1680 1690 1700 Like Samson, and heroicly hath finish'd A life Heroic, on his Enemies Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning, Will send for all my kindred, all my friends With silent obsequie and funeral train Home to his Fathers house: there will I build him A Monument, and plant it round with shade Of highest wisdom brings about, And ever best found in the close. Oft he seems to hide his face, But unexpectedly returns 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750 And to his faithful Champion hath in place Bore witness gloriously; whence Gaza mourns His servants he with new acquist Of true experience from this great event The End. APPENDIX. (a) Specimen of Milton's spelling, from the Cambridge autograph manuscript. Fly envious Time till thou run out thy race so little is our losse so little is thy gaine for when as each thing bad thou hast entomb'd & last of all thy greedie selfe consum'd then long Eternity shall greet our blisse wth an individuall kisse and Joy shall overtake us as a flood when every thing yt is sincerely good & pfectly divine with Truth, & Peace, & Love shall ever shine about the supreme throne of him t' whose happy-making sight alone when once our heav'nly-guided soule shall clime then all this earthie grossnesse quit attir'd wth starres wee shall for ever sit Triumphing over Death, & Chance, & thee O Time. |