Had dealt with Jephtha, who by argument, Of such examples add me to the roll, CHORUS. Just are the ways of God, 285 290 And justifiable to men ; Unless there be who think not God at all: 295 If any be, they walk obscure; For of such doctrine never was there school, But the heart of the fool, And no man therein doctor but himself. Yet more there be who doubt his ways not just, 300 As to his own edicts found contradicting, Then give the reins to wand'ring thought, men of Gilead smote Ephraim, and took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites, and there slew those of them who could not rightly pronounce the word Shibboleth, and there fell at that time two and forty thousand of them. See Judg. xii. 1-6. 298. But the heart of the fool,] Alluding to Psal. xiv. 1. and the sentiment is not very unlike that of a celebrated divine. "The 66 fool hath said in his heart, "There is no God: and who "but a fool would have said "so?" 299. And no man therein doctor but himself.] There is something rather too quaint and fanciful in this conceit, and it appears the worse, as this speech of the Chorus is of so serious a nature, and filled with so many deep and solemn truths. Thyer. Regardless of his glory's diminution ; But never find self-satisfying solution. 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 Whom so it pleases him by choice 305 310 From national obstriction, without taint Of sin, or legal debt ; For with his own laws he can best dispense. Down reason then, at least vain reasonings down, Though reason here aver That moral verdict quits her of unclean : 320 324. That moral verdict quits her of unclean:] That is, by the law of nature a Philistian woman was not unclean, yet the law of Moses held her to be so. I do not know why the poet thought fit to make his hero scepticize on a point, as irreconcileable to reason, which may be very well accounted for by the best rules of human prudence and policy. The institution of Moses was to keep the Jewish people distinct Unchaste was subsequent, her stain not his. Forthwith how thou ought'st to receive him. Aye me, another inward grief awak'd With mention of that name renews th' assault. MANOAH. Brethren and men of Dan, for such ye seem, Your younger feet, while mine cast back with age CHORUS. As signal now in low dejected state, As erst in high'est, behold him where he lies. MANOAH. O miserable change! is this the man, and separate from the nations. This the lawgiver effected by a vast variety of means: one of which was to hold all other nations under a legal impurity; the best means of preventing intermarriages with them. Warburton. 336. —while mine cast back with age] This is very artfully and properly introduced, to account for the Chorus coming to Samson before Manoah, for it is not to be supposed that any of his friends should be more concerned for his welfare, or more 325 330 335 340 desirous to visit him than his father. 340. O miserable change! &c.] This speech of Manoah's is in my opinion very beautiful in its kind. The thoughts are exactly such as one may suppose would occur to the mind of the old man, and are expressed with an earnestness and impatience very well suited to that anguish of mind he must be in at the sight of his son under such miserable afflicted circumstances. It is not at all unbecoming the pious grave That invincible Samson, far renown'd, The dread of Israel's foes, who with a strength character of Manoah to represent him, as Milton does, even complaining and murmuring at this disposition of heaven, in the first bitterness of his soul. Such sudden starts of infirmity are ascribed to some of the greatest personages in Scripture, and it is agreeable to that well known maxim, that religion may regulate, but can never eradicate, natural passions and affections. Thyer. 352. I pray'd for children, and Γυναι, φίλον μεν φέγγος ήλιου τοδε, 345 350 Who would be now a father in my stead? Our earnest pray'rs, then giv'n with solemn hand As graces, For this did th' Angel twice descend? for this Be it but for honour's sake of former deeds. Appoint not heav'nly disposition, father; so Milton himself corrected it, and so Mr. Jortin and Mr. Sympson conjectured it should be read. And at the time of writing this, in all probability the author remembered the happy father in Terence. Andria i. i. 69. Cum id mihi placebat, tum uno ore omnes omnia Bona dicere, et laudare fortunas meas, Qui natum haberem tali ingenio præditum. VOL. III. 355 360 365 370 375 |