to go along with him, who came now the fecond
time with great threatnings to fetch him; the
Chorus yet remaining on the place, Manoa re-
turns full of joyful hope, to procure ere long his
Son's deliverance: in the midst of which dif
courfe an Hebrew comes in hafte, confusedly at
firft, and afterward more diftinctly relating the
Catastrophe, what Samfon had done to the Phi-
liftins, and by accident to himself; wherewith
the Tragedy ends.
Samfon.
Manoa, the Father of Samfon.
Dalila his Wife.
Harapha of Gath.
Publick Officer.
Messenger.
Chorus of Danites.
The Scene before the Prison in Gaza.
Samfon Agonistes.
Little onward lend thy guiding hand To these dark steps, a little farther on; For yonder bank hath choice of fun or shade : There I am wont to fit, when any chance Relieves me from my task of fervile toil, Daily in the common Prison else enjoin'd me; Where I a Prisoner chain'd, scarce freely draw The Air imprison'd also, close and damp, Unwholesome draught: but here I feel amends, The breath of Heav'n fresh blowing, pure and sweet, With day-spring born; here leave me to respire. This day a folemn Feast the people hold To Dagon their Sea-Idol, and forbid Laborious works, unwillingly this rest Their Superftition yields me; hence with leave
Re
Retiring from the pop'lar noife, I seek
This unfrequented place to find fome ease,
Eafe to the body fome, none to the mind
From restless thoughts, that like a deadly fwarm
Of hornets arm'd, no fooner found alone,
But rush upon me thronging, and present
Times past, what once I was, and what am now,
O wherefore was my birth from Heav'n foretold
Twice by an Angel; who at last in fight
Of both my Parents all in flames afcended
From off the Altar, where an Off'ring burn'd,
As in a fiery column charioting
His God-like prefence, and from some great act
Or benefit reveal'd to Abraham's race?
Why was my breeding order'd and prescrib'd
As of a person separate to God,
Defign'd for great exploits; if I muft die
Betray'd, captiv'd, and both my eyes put out,
Made of
my Enemies the scorn and gaze;
To grind in brazen fetters under task,
With this Heav'n-gifted ftrength? O glorious
Put to the labour of a beaft, debas'd
[ftrength
Lower than bondflave! Promife was that I
Should Ifrael from Philiftian yoke deliver;
Ask for this great deliv'rer now, and find him
Eyeless in Gaza at the Mill with flaves,
Himself in bonds under Philiftian yoke.
Yet stay, let me not rafhly call in doubt
Divine Prediction: what if all foretold
I Had been fulfill'd but thro' mine own default,
Whom have I to complain of but my self?
Who this high gift of strength committed to me,
In what part lodg'd, how eafily bereft me,
Under the Seal of filence could not keep,
But weakly to a Woman must reveal it,
O'ercome with importunity and tears.
O impotence of mind, in body ftrong!
But what is ftrength without a double share
Of wisdom, vaft, unwieldy, burthenfome,
Proudly fecure, yet liable to fall
By weakest subtleties, not made to rule,
But to fubferve where wisdom bears command.
God, when he gave me ftrength, to fhew withal
How flight the gift was, hung it in my Hair.
But Peace, I must not quarrel with the will
Of highest dispensation, which herein
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