HARAPHA Dost thou already single me? I thought Gyves and the mill had tam'd thee. O that fortune To' have wrought such wonders with an ass's jaw; 1095 From the unforeskinn'd race, of whom thou bear'st 1100 SAMSON. Boast not of what thou would'st have done, but do What then thou would'st, thou seest it in thy hand. 1105 HARAPHA. To combat with a blind man I disdain, And thou hast need much washing to be touch'd. Such usage as your honourable lords Afford me' assassinated and betray'd, Who durst not with their whole united powers 1093. Gyves] Chains, fetters. Cymbeline, act v. sc. 3. 1110 That lets it hop a little from her hand, Like a poor prisoner in his twisted 3 1115 Nor in the house with chamber ambushes 1120. And brigandine of brass, &c] Brigandine, a coat of mail. Jer. li. 3. Against him that bendeth, let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth him- ̧ self up in his brigandine. Habergeon, a coat of mail for the neck and shoulders. Spenser, Faery Queen, b. ii. cant. 6. st. 29. Their mighty strokes, their habergeons dismail'd, And naked made each other's manly spalles. Spalles, that is, shoulders. Fairfax, cant. i. st. 72. Some shirts of mail, some coats of plate put on, and some a habergeon. Vant-brass or Vantbrace, avantbras, armour for the arms. Troilus and Cressida, act i. sc. 6. Nestor speaks. I'll hide my silver beard in a gold beaver, And in my vantbrace put this wither'd brawn. Fairfax, cant. xx. st. 139. 1120 His left arm wounded had the knight of France, His shield was pierc'd, his vantbrace cleft and split. Greves, armour for the legs. 1 Sam. xvii. 6. And he had greves of brass upon his legs. Gauntlet, i. sc. 3. old Northumberland an iron glove. 2 Henry IV. act speaks. -Hence therefore, thou nice crutch; A scaly gauntlet now with joints of steel Must glove this hand. 1121. -add thy spear, &c.] This is Milton's own reading: the other editions have and thy spear, which is not so proper, for it cannot well be said in construction, put on thy spear. A weaver's beam, as Goliath's was, 1 Sam. xvii. 7. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam: and his brother's, 2 Sam. xxi. 19. the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. And seventimes folded shield, as was Ajax's, clypei dominus septemplicis Ajax, Ovid. Met. xiii. 2. And raise such outcries on thy clatter'd iron, Thou durst not thus disparage glorious arms, 1130 Arm'd thee or charm'd thee strong, which thou from heaven Feign'dst at thy birth was giv'n thee in thy hair, 1135 Where strength can least abide, though all thy hairs Were bristles rang'd like those that ridge the back 1132. had not spells &c.] This is natural enough in the mouth of Harapha, and no ways inconsistent with the manners of the age in which this scene is laid, since we are informed in Scripture that they were at that time much addicted to magical superstition. But yet it is very probable, that Milton adopted this notion from the Italian Epics, who are very full of inchanted arms, and sometimes represent their heroes invulnerable by this art. So Ariosto's Orlando is described. Thyer. Milton's idea is immediately and particularly taken from the ritual of the combat in chivalry. When two champions entered the lists, each took an oath, that he had no charm, herb, I know no spells, use no forbidden arts; No less through all my sinews, joints, and bones, For proof hereof, if Dagon be thy God, Go to his temple, invocate his aid With solemnest devotion, spread before him 1140 1145 1150 To frustrate and dissolve these magic spells, Presume not on thy God, whate'er he be, Thee he regards not, owns not, hath cut off Into thy enemies' hand, permitted them To put out both thine eyes, and fetter'd send thee 1160 Among the slaves and asses, thy comrades, 1138. or ruffled porcupines.] Who can doubt that Milton here had Shakespeare in mind? Hamlet, act i. sc. 8. And each particular hair to stand on end, Like quills upon the fretful porcupine. With those thy boist'rous locks, no worthy match All these indignities, for such they are HARAPHA. Fair honour that thou dost thy God, in trusting SAMSON. 1165 1170 1175 1180 Tongue-doughty giant, how dost thou prove me these? HARAPHA. Is not thy nation subject to our lords? Their magistrates confess'd it, when they took thee Into our hands: for hadst thou not committed 1185 1162.thy comrades,] With the accent upon the last syllable, as in 1 Henry IV. act iv. sc. 2. And his comrades, that daft the world aside And bid it pass. 1181.Tongue-doughly] Doughty, that is, valiant. See Skinner. OgaTurrones. Eschylus, Septem contra Thebas, 617. Richardson. |