Samfon made captive, blind, and now in the prison at Gaza, there to labor as in a common workhoufe, on a feftival day, in the general ceffation from labor, comes forth into the open air, to a place nigh, fomewhat retir'd, there to fit a while and bemoan his condition. Where he happens at length to be vifited by certain friends and equals of his tribe, which make the Chorus, who seek to comfort him what they can; then by his old father Manoah, who endevors the like, and withal tells him his purpose to procure his liberty by ranfom; lastly, that this feaft was proclam'd by the Philistines as a day of thanksgiving for their deliverance from the hands of Samfon, which yet more troubles him. Manoah then departs to profecute his endevor with the Philiftine lords for Samfon's redemption; who in the mean while is vifited by other perfons; and lastly by a public officer to require his coming to the feaft before the lords and people, to play or show his strength in their prefence; he at first refuses, difmiffing the public officer with abfolute denial to come; at length perfuaded inwardly that this was from God, he yields to go along with him, who came now the second time with great threatnings to fetch him: The Chorus yet remaining on the place Manoah returns full of joyful hope, to procure ere long his fon's deliverance: in the midst of which difcourfe an Hebrew comes in hafte, confufedly at first, and afterward more diftinctly relating the catastrophe, what Samfon had done to the Philiftines, and by accident to himself; wherewith the tragedy ends.

VOL. I.

P

THE

THE PERSONS.

SAMSON.

MANOAH, the Father of Samfon.

DALILA, his Wife.

HARAPHA of Gath.

Public Officer.

Meffenger.

Chorus of Danites.

The SCENE before the Prifon in Gaza.

SAMSON AGONISTES.

A

SAMSON.

Little onward lend thy guiding hand

To thefe dark steps, a little further on;
For yonder bank hath choice of fun or shade:
There I am wont to fit, when any chance
Relieves me from my talk of fervile toil,
Daily' in the common prifon elfe injoin'd me,
Where I a prifoner chain'd, scarce freely draw
The air imprison'd alfo, close and damp,
Unwholesome draught: but here I feel amends,

Samfon Agoniftes] The fubject but a very indifferent one for a dramatic fable. However he has made the best of it. He feems to have chofen it for the fake of the fatire on bad wives. Warburton.

Samfon Agonistes] That is Samfon an actor, Samfon reprefented in a play. Ayusns, ludio, hiftrio, actor fcenicus.

Samfon] Milton after the example of the Greek tragedians, whom he profeffes to imitate, opens his drama with introducing one of its principal perfonages explaining the story upon which it is founded. Thyer. 1. Alittle onward lend thy guiding

band

5

The

To thefe dark steps,] So Tirefias in Euripides, Phæniffæ ver. 841. Ηγε προπαροιθε θυγατερ, ὡς τυφλῳ σποδι &c. Richardfon.

3. For yonder bank] The fcene of this tragedy is much the fame as that of the Οιδίπες επι κολωνω in Sophocles, where blind Oedipus is conducted in like manner and represented fitting upon a little hill near Athens: but yet I think there is fcarcely a fingle thought the fame in the two pieces, and I am fure the Greek tragedy can have no pretence to be esteem'd better, but only because it is two thousand years older.

II

The breath of Heav'n fresh blowing, pure and sweet,
With day-spring born; here leave me to refpire.
This day a folemn feast the people hold
To Dagon their fea-idol, and forbid
Laborious works; unwillingly this reft

Their fuperftition yields me; hence with leave
Retiring from the popular noife, I seek
This unfrequented place to find fome ease,
Ease to the body fome, none to the mind

From restless thoughts, that like a deadly swarm
Of hornets arm'd, no fooner found alone,
But rush upon me thronging, and present
Times paft, what once I was, and what am now.
O wherefore was my birth from Heav'n foretold
Twice by an Angel, who at laft in fight
Of both my parents all in flames ascended

13. To Dagon their fea-idol,] For Milton both here and in the Paradife Loft follows the opinion of thofe, who defcribe this idol as part man, part fish. I. 462.

Dagon his name, fea monfter, upward man

And downward fish.

24. Twice by an Angel,] Once so his mother, and again to his father Manoah and his mother both,

15

20

25 From

From off the altar, where an offering burn'd,
As in a fiery column charioting

His god-like prefence, and from fome great
Or benefit reveal'd to Abraham's race?
Why was my breeding order'd and prefcrib'd
As of a perfon feparate to God,

act

Defign'd for great exploits; if I muft die
Betray'd, captív'd, and both my eyes put out,
Made of my enemies the scorn and gaze;

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35

With this Heav'n-gifted ftrength? O glorious ftrength

To grind in brazen fetters under task

Put to the labor of a beaft, debas'd

Lower than bond-flave! Promife was that I
Should Ifrael from Philiftian yoke deliver;

Afk for this great deliverer now, and find him
Eyeless in Gaza at the mill with flaves,

ftood tho' not exprefs'd. As in a fiery column charioting &c, and as from fome great at c.

33. Betray'd, captiv'd,] It fhould be pronounced with the accent upon the laft fyllable, as afterwards ver. 694.

To dogs and fowls a prey, or elfe captiv'd.

I think we commonly pronounce it with the accent upon the first

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