but a person rais'd With strength sufficient and command from Heav'n To free my Countrey if their servile minds Me their Deliverer sent would not receive But to thir Masters gave me up for nought Th'unworthier they whence to this day they serve I was to do my part from Heav'n assign'd And had perform'd it if my known offence Had not disabl'd me not all your force These shifts refuted answer thy appellant Though by his blindness maim'd for high attempts Who now defies thee thrice to single fight As a petty enterprise of small enforce Har. With thee a Man condemn'd a Slave enrol'd Due by the Law to capital punishment To fight with thee no man of arms will deign Sam. Cam'st thou for this vain boaster to survey me To descant on my strength and give thy verdit Come nearer part not hence so slight inform'd But take good heed my hand survey not thee Har. O Baal-zebub can my ears unus'd Hear these dishonours and not render death Sam. No man with-holds thee nothing from thy hand Fear I incurable bring up thy van My heels are fetter'd but my fist is free Har. This insolence other kind of answer fits Sams Go baffl'd coward left I run upon thee Though in these chains bulk without spirit vast And with one buffet lay thy structure low Or swing thee in the Air then dash thee down To the hazard of thy brains and shatter'd sides Har. By Astaroth e're long thou shalt lament These braveries in Irons loaden on thee Chor. His Giantship is gone somewhat crest-fall'n Stalking with less unconsci'nable strides And lower looks but in a sultrie chafe Sam. I dread him not nor all his Giant-brood Though Fame divulg'd him Father of five Sons All of Gigantic size Goliah chief Chor. He will directly to the Lords I fear And with malitious counsel stir them up Some way or other yet further to afflict thee Sam. He must allege some cause and offer'd fight Will not dare mention lest a question rise Whether he durst accept the offer or not And that he durst not plain enough appear'd Much more affliction then already felt They cannot well impose nor I sustain If they intend advantage of my labours The work of many hands which earns my keeping With no small profit daily to my owners But come what will my deadliest foe will prove My speediest friend by death to rid me hence The worst that he can give to me the best Yet so it may fall out because thir end Is hate not help to me it may with mine Draw thir own ruin who attempt the deed Chor. Oh how comely it is and how reviving To the Spirits of just men long opprest When God into the hands of thir deliverer Puts invincible might To quell the mighty of the Earth th' oppressour The brute and boist'rous force of violent men Hardy and industrious to support Tyrannic power but raging to pursue The righteous and all such as honour Truth He all thir Ammunition And feats of War defeats With plain Heroic magnitude of mind And celestial vigour arm'd Thir Armories and Magazins contemns Renders them useless while With winged expedition Swift as the lightning glance he executes His errand on the wicked who surpris'd Lose thir defence distracted and amaz'd But patience is more oft the exercise Of Saints the trial of thir fortitude Making them each his own Deliverer And Victor over all That tyrannie or fortune can inflict Either of these is in thy lot Samson with might endu'd Above the Sons of men but sight bereav'd May chance to number thee with those Whom Patience finally must crown This Idols day hath bin to thee no day of rest Labouring thy mind More then the working day thy hands And yet perhaps more trouble is behind For I descry this way Some other tending in his hand A Scepter or quaint staff he bears Comes on amain speed in his look By his habit I discern him now A Public Officer and now at hand His message will be short and voluble Off. Ebrews the Pris'ner Samson here I seek Chor. His manacles remark him there he fits Off. Samson to thee our Lords thus bid me say This day to Dagon is a solemn Feast With Sacrifices Triumph Pomp and Games Thy strength they know surpassing human rate And now some public proof thereof require To honour this great Feast and great Assembly Rise therefore with all speed and come along Where I will see thee heartn'd and fresh clad To appear as fits before th' illustrious Lords Sam. Thou knowst I am an Ebrew therefore tell them Our Law forbids at thir Religious Rites My presence for that cause I cannot come Off. This answer be assur'd will not content them Sam. Have they not Sword-players and ev'ry sort Of Gymnic Artists Wrestlers Riders Runners Juglers and Dancers Antics Mummers Mimics But they must pick me out with shackles tir'd 〈…〉 labour'd at thir publick Mill 〈…〉 them sport with blind activity 〈…〉 not seek occasion of new quarrels On my refusal to distress me more Or make a game of my calamities Return the way thou cam'st I will not come Off. Regard thy self this will offend them highly Sam. My self my conscience and internal peace Can they think me so broken so debas'd With corporal servitude that my mind ever Will condescend to such absurd commands Although thir drudge to be thir fool or jester And in my midst of sorrow and heart-grief To shew them feats and play before thir god The worst of all indignities yet on me Joyn'd with extream contempt I will not come Off. My message was impos'd on me with speed Brooks no delay is this thy resolution Sam. So take it with what speed thy message needs Off. I am sorry what this stoutness will produce Sa. Perhaps thou shalt have cause to sorrow indeed Chor. Consider Samson matters now are strain'd Up to the highth whether to hold or break He 's gone and who knows how he may report Thy words by adding fuel to the flame Expect another message more imperious More Lordly thund'ring then thou well wilt bear Sam. Shall I abuse this Consecrated gift Of strength again returning with my hair After my great transgression so requite Favour renew'd and add a greater sin By prostituting holy things to Idols A Nazarite in place abominable Vaunting my strength in honour to thir Dagon Besides how vile contemptible ridiculous What act more execrably unclean prophane Chor. Yet with this strength thou serv'st the Philistines Idolatrous uncircumcis'd unclean Sam. Not in thir Idol-worship but by labour Honest and lawful to deserve my food Of those who have me in thir civil power Chor. Where the heart joins not outward acts defile not Sam. Where outward force constrains the sentence holds But who constrains me to the Temple of Dagon Not dragging the Philistian Lords command Commands are no constraints If I obey them I do it freely venturing to displease God for the fear of Man and Man prefer
To them who had corrupted her my Spies And Rivals In this other was there found More Faith who also in her prime of love Spousal embraces vitiated with Gold Though offer'd only by the sent conceiv'd Her spurious first-born Treason against me Thrice she assay'd with flattering prayers and sighs And amorous reproaches to win from me My capital secret in what part my strength Lay stor'd in what part summ'd that she might know Thrice I deluded her and turn'd to sport Her importunity each time perceiving How openly and with what impudence She purpos'd to betray me and which was worse Then undissembl'd hate with what contempt She sought to make me Traytor to my self Yet the fourth time when mustring all her wiles With blandisht parlies feminine assaults Tongue-batteries she surceas'd not day nor night To storm me over-watch't and wearied out At times when men seek most repose and rest I yielded and unlock'd her all my heart Who with a grain of manhood well resolv'd Might easily have shook off all her snares But foul effeminacy held me yok't Her Bond-slave O indignity O blot To Honour and Religion servil mind Rewarded well with servil punishment The base degree to which I now am fall'n These rags this grinding is not yet so base As was my former servitude ignoble Unmanly ignominious infamous True slavery and that blindness worse then this That saw not how degeneratly I serv'd Man I cannot praise thy Marriage choises Son Rather approv'd them not but thou didst plead Divine impulsion prompting how thou might'st Find some occasion to infest our Foes I state not that this I am sure our Foes Found soon occasion thereby to make thee Thir Captive and thir triumph thou the sooner Temptation found'st or over-potent charms To violate the sacred trust of silence Deposited within thee which to have kept Tacit was in thy power true and thou bear'st Enough and more the burden of that fault Bitterly hast thou paid and still art paying That rigid score A worse thing yet remains This day the Philistines a popular Feast Here celebrate in Gaza and proclaim Great Pomp and Sacrifice and Praises loud To Dagon as their God who hath deliver'd Thee Samson bound and blind into thir hand◠Them out of thine who slew'st them many a 〈◊〉 So Dagon shall be magnifi'd and God Besides whom is no God compar'd with Idols Disglorifi'd blasphem'd and had in scorn By th' Idolatrous rout amidst thir wine Which to have come to pass by means of thee Samson of all thy sufferings think the heaviest Of all reproach the most with shame that ever Could have befall'n thee and thy Fathers house Sam. Father I do acknowledge and confess That I this honour I this pomp have brought To Dagon and advanc'd his praises high Among the Heathen round to God have brought Dishonour obloquie and op't the mouths Of Idolists and Atheists have brought scandal To Israel diffidence of God and doubt In feeble hearts propense anough before To waver or fall off and joyn with Idols Which is my chief affliction shame and sorrow The anguish of my Soul that suffers not Mine eie to harbour sleep or thoughts to rest This only hope relieves me that the strife With me hath end all the contest is now 'Twixt God and Dagon Dagon hath presum'd Me overthrown to enter lists with God His Deity comparing and preferring Before the God of Abraham He be sure Will not connive or linger thus provok'd But will arise and his great name assert Dagon must stoop and shall e're long receive Such a discomfit as shall quite despoil him Of all these boasted Trophies won on me And with confusion blank his Worshippers Man With cause this hope relieves thee and these words I as a Prophecy receive for God Nothing more certain will not long defer To vindicate the glory of his name Against all competition nor will long Endure it doubtful whether God be Lord Or Dagon But for thee what shall be done Thou must not in the mean while here forgot Lie in this miserable loathsom plight Neglected I already have made way To some Philistian Lords with whom to treat About thy ransom well they may by this Have satisfi'd thir utmost of revenge By pains and slaveries worse then death inflicted On thee who now no more canst do them harm Sam. Spare that proposal Father spare the trouble Of that sollicitation let me here As I deserve pay on my punishment And expiate if possible my crime Shameful garrulity To have reveal'd Secrets of men the secrets of a friend How hainous had the fact been how deserving Contempt and scorn of all to be excluded All friendship and avoided as a blab The mark of fool set on his front But I Gods counsel have not kept his holy secret Presumptuously have publish'd impiously Weakly at least and shamefully A sin That Gentiles in thir Parables condemn To thir abyss and horrid pains confin'd Man Be penitent and for thy fault contrite But act not in thy own affliction Son Repent the sin but if the punishment Thou canst avoid self-preservation bids Of th' execution leave to high disposal And let another hand not thine exact Thy penal forfeit from thy self perhaps God will relent and quit thee all his debt Who evermore approves and more accepts Best pleas'd with humble and filial submission Him who imploring mercy sues for life Then who self-rigorous chooses death as due Which argues over-just and self-displeas'd For self-offence more then for God offended Reject not then what offerd means who knows But God hath set before us to return thee Home to thy countrey and his sacred house Where thou mayst bring thy off'rings to avert His further ire with praiers and vows renew'd Sam. His pardon I implore but as for life To what end should I seek it when in strength All mortals I excell'd and great in hopes With youthful courage and magnanimous thoughts Of birth from Heav'n foretold and high exploits Full of divine instinct after some proof Of acts indeed heroic far beyond The Sons of Anac famous now and blaz'd Fearless of danger like a petty God I walk'd about admir'd of all and dreaded On hostile ground none daring my affront Then swoll'n with pride into the snare I fell Of fair fallacious looks venereal trains Softn'd with pleasure and voluptuous life At length to lay my head and hallow'd pledge Of all my strength in the lascivious lap Of a deceitful Concubine who shore me Like a tame Weather all my precious fleece Then turn'd me out ridiculous despoil'd Shav'n and disarm'd among my enemies Chor. Desire of wine and all delicious drinks Which many a famous Warriour overturns Thou couldst repress nor did the dancing Rubie Sparkling out-pow'rd the flavor or the smell Or taste that cheers the heart of Gods and men Allure thee from the cool Crystalline stream Sam. Where ever fountain or fresh current flow'd Against the Eastern ray translucent pure With touch aetherial of Heav'ns
Mess. O whither shall I run or which way flie The sight of this so horrid spectacle Which earst my eyes beheld and yet behold For dire imagination still persues me But providence or instinct of nature seems Or reason though disturb'd and scarse consulted To have guided me aright I know not how To thee first reverend Manoa and to these My Countreymen whom here I knew remaining As at some distance from the place of horrour So in the sad event too much concern'd Man The accident was loud heard before thee With rueful cry yet what it was we hear not No Preface needs thou seest we long to know Mess. It would burst forth but I recover breath And sense distract to know well what I utter Man Tell us the sum the circumstance defer Mess. Gaza yet stands but all her Sons are fall'n All in a moment overwhelm'd and fall'n Man Sad but thou knowst to Israelites not saddest The desolation of a Hostile City Mess. Feed on that first there may in grief be surfet Man Relate by whom Mess. By Samson Man That still lessens The sorrow and converts it nigh to joy Mess. Ah Manoa I refrain too suddenly To utter what will come at lasttoosoon Lest evil tidings with too rude irruption Hitting thy aged ear should pierce too deep Man Suspense in news is torture speak them out Mess. Then take the worst in brief Samson is dead Man The worst indeed O all my hope 's defeated To free him hence but death who sets all free Hath paid his ransom now and full discharge What windy joy this day had I conceiv'd Hopeful of his Delivery which now proves Abortive as the first-born bloom of spring Nipt with the lagging rear of winters frost Yet e're I give the rains to grief say first How dy'd he death to life is crown or shame All by him fell thou say'st by whom fell he What glorious hand gave Samson his deaths wound Mess. Unwounded of his enemies he fell Man Wearied with slaughter then or how explain Mess. By his own hands Man Self-violence what cause Brought him so soon at variance with himself Among his foes Mess. Inevitable cause At once both to destroy and be destroy'd The Edifice where all were met to see him Upon thir heads and on his own he pull'd Man O lastly over-strong against thy self A dreadful way thou took'st to thy revenge More then anough we know but while things yet Are in confusion give us if thou canst Eye-witness of what first or last was done Relation more particular and distinct Mess. Occasions drew me early to this City And as the gates I enter'd with Sun-rise The morning Trumpets Festival proclaim'd Through each high street little I had dispatch't When all abroad was rumour'd that this day Samson should be brought forth to shew the people Proof of his mighty strength in feats and games I sorrow'd at his captive state but minded Not to be absent at that spectacle The building was a spacious Theatre Half round on two main Pillars vaulted high With seats where all the Lords and each degree Of sort might sit in order to behold The other side was op'n where the throng On banks and scaffolds under Skie might stand I among these aloof obscurely stood The Feast and noon grew high and Sacrifice Had fill'd thir hearts with mirth high chear wine When to thir sports they turn'd Immediately Was Samson as a public servant brought In thir state Livery clad before him Pipes And Timbre's on each side went armed guards Both horse and foot before him and behind Archers and Slingers Cataphracts and Spears At sight of him the people with a shout Rifted the Air clamouring thir god with praise Who had made thir dreadful enemy thir thrall He patient but undaunted where they led him Came to the place and what was set before him Which without help of eye might be assay'd To heave pull draw or break he still perform'd All with incredible stupendious force None daring to appear Antagonist At length for intermission sake they led him Between the pillars he his guide requested For so from such as nearer stood we heard As over-tir'd to let him lean a while With both his arms on those two massie Pillars That to the arched roof gave main support He unsuspitious led him which when Samson Felt in his arms with head a while enclin'd And eyes fast fixt he stood as one who pray'd Or some great matter in his mind revolv'd At last with head erect thus cryed aloud Hitherto Lords what your commands impos'd I have perform'd as reason was obeying Not without wonder or delight beheld Now of my own accord such other tryal I mean to shew you of my strength yet greater As with amaze shall strike all who behold This utter'd straining all his nerves he bow'd As with the force of winds and waters pent When Mountains tremble those two massie Pillars With horrible convulsion to and fro He tugg'd he shook till down they came and drew The whole roof after them with burst of thunder Upon the heads of all who sate beneath Lords Ladies Captains Councellors or Priests Thir choice nobility and flower not only Of this but each Philistian City round Met from all parts to solemnize this Feast Samson with these immixt inevitably Pulld down the same destruction on himself The vulgar only scap'd who stood without Chor. O dearly-bought revenge yet glorious Living or dying thou hast fulfill'd The work for which thou wast foretold To Israel and now ly'st victorious Among thy slain self-kill'd Not willingly but tangl'd in the fold Of dire necessity whose law in death conjoin'd Thee with thy slaughter'd foes in number more Then all thy life had slain before Semichor While thir hearts were jocund and sublime Drunk with Idolatry drunk with Wine And fat regorg'd of Bulls and Goats Chaunting thir Idol and preferring Before our living Dread who dwells In Silo his bright Sanctuary Among them he a spirit of phrenzie sent Who hurt thir minds 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 So fond are mortal men Fall'n into wrath divine As thir own ruin on themselves to invite Insensate left or to sense reprobate And with blindness internal struck Semichor But he though blind of sight Despis'd and thought extinguish't quite With inward eyes illuminated His fierie vertue rouz'd From under ashes into sudden flame And as an ev'ning Dragon came 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