No ftrength of man or fierceft wild beast could withstand;
Who tore the lion, as the lion tears the kid,

Ran on imbattel'd armies clad in iron,

And weaponless himself,

Made arms ridiculous, useless the forgery

Of brazen shield and fpear, the hammer'd cuirass,
Chalybean-temper'd steel, and frock of mail
Adamantean proof;

But fafeft he,who stood aloof,

When infupportably his foot advanc'd,

In fcorn of their proud arms and warlike tools,

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Spurn'd them to death, by troops. The bold Afcalonite
Fled from his lion-ramp, old warriors turn'd.

Their plated backs under his heel;

Or grov'ling foil'd their crefted helmets in the duft,
Then with what trivial weapon came to hand,
The jaw of a dead ass, his sword of bone,

A thousand fore-skins fell, the flow'r of Palestine,

In Ramath-lechi famous to this day.

I

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Then by main force pull'd up, and on his fhoulders bore

The gates of Azza, poft, and maffy bar,

Up to the hill by Hebron, feat of giants old,

No journey of a fabbath-day, and loaded fo;

Like whom the Gentiles feign to bear up Heaven. 150
Which fhall I first bewail,

Thy bondage or loft fight,

ww

The dungeon of thyself; thy foul

(Which men enjoying fight oft without caufe complain)

Imprifon'd now indeed,

In real darkness of the body dwells,

Shut up from outward light

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T'incorporate with gloomy night;

For inward-light alas

Puts forth no vifual beam.

O mirror of our fickle ftate,
Since man on earth unparellel'd!

The rarer thy example ftands,

By how much from the top of wondrous glory,
Strongest of mortal men,

To lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fall'n.

For him I reckon net in high estate,

Whom long defcent of birth

Or the sphere of fortune raifes;

But thee,whofe ftrength, while virtue was her mate,
Might have fubdued the earth,

Univerfally crown'd with highest praises.

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SAMS. I hear the found of words, their fenfe the air Diffolves unjointed,ere it reach my ear.

CHOR.Hefpeaks,let us draw nigh. Matchlefs in might, The glory late of Ifrael, now the grief;

We come thy friends and neighbours not unknown 180 From Efhtaol and Zora's fruitful vale

To vifit or bewail thee, or if better,

Counfel or confolation we may bring,

Salve to thy fores; apt words have pow'r to fwage

The tumors of a troubled mind,

And are as balm to fefter'd wounds.

!

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SAMS. Your coming, Friends, revives me, for I learn Now of my own experience, not by talk, How counterfeit a coin they are,who friends Bear in their fuperfcription, (of the most I would be understood) in profp'rous days

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They fwarm, but in adverfe withdraw their head, Not to be found, though fought. Ye fee, O Friends, How many evils have inclos'd me round;

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Yet that, which was the worst, now leaft afflicts me, 195
Blindness, for had I fight, confus'd with fhame,
How could I once look up, or heave the head,
Who like a foolish pilot have fhipwrack'd
My veffel trufted to me from above,
Gloriously rigg'd; and for a word, a tear,
Fool, have divulg'd the fecret gift of God
To a deceitful woman? tell me, Friends,
Am I not fung and proverb'd for a fool
In every ftreet? do they not fay, how well
Are come upon him his deferts? yet why?
Immeasurable ftrength they might behold
In me, of wisdom nothing more than mean;
This with the other should, at least, have pair'd,
These two proportion'd-ill drove me transverse.

CHOR. Tax not divine difpofal; wifeft men
Have err'd, and by bad women been deceiv'd;
And fhall again, pretend they ne'er fo wife.
Deject not then so overmuch thyself,
Who haft of forrow thy full load befides;
Yet truth to fay, I oft have heard men wonder,
Why thou shouldst wed Philistian women rather
Than of thine own tribe fairer, or as fair,
At least of thy own nation, and as noble.

SAMS. The first I faw at Timna, and the pleas'd
Me, not my parents, that I fought to wed
The daughter of an infidel: they knew not,
That what I motion'd was of God; I knew
From intimate impulfe, and therefore urg'd

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The marriage on; that by occafion hence
I might begin Ifrael's deliverance,

The work,to which I was divinely call'd.
She proving falfe, the next I took to wife
(O that I never had! fond with too late,)
Was in the vale of Sorec, Dalila,

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That fpecious monfter, my accomplish'd fnare.
I thought it lawful from my former act,

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And the fame end; ftill watching to opprefs
Ifrael's oppreffors: of what now I fuffer
She was not the prime caufe, but I myfelf,

Who vanquish'd with a peal of words (O weaknefs!)
Gave up my fort of filence to a woman.

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CHOR. In feeking juft occafion to provoke

The Philiftine, thy country's enemy,

Thou never waft remifs, I bear thee witnefs:
Yet Ifraël ftill ferves with all his fons.

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SAMS. That fault I take not on me, but transfer

On Ifrael's governors, and heads of tribes,
Who feeing thofe great acts, which God had done
Singly by me against their conquerors,
Acknowledg'd not, or not at all confider'd
Deliverance offer'd: I on th' other fide
Us'd no ambition to commend my deeds,

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The deeds themselves, though mute, spoke loud the doer;
But they perfifted deaf, and would not feem

To count them things worth notice, till at length 250
Their lords the Philistines with gather'd pow'rs
Enter'd Judea feeking me, who then

Safe to the rock of Etham was retir'd,
Not flying, but fore-cafting in what place
To fet upon them, what advantag'd beft:

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Mean while the men of Judah, to prevent
The harrafs of their land, befet me round;
I willingly on fome conditions came

Into their hands, and they as gladly yield me

To the uncircumcifed a welcome prey,

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Bound with two cords; but cords to me were threds

Touch'd with the flame: on their whole hoft I flew
Unarm'd, and with a trivial weapon fell'd
Their choiceft youth; they only liv'd who fled.
Had Judah that day join'd, or one whole tribe, 265
They had by this poffefs'd the tow'rs of Gath,
And lorded over them, whom now they serve :
But what more oft in nations grown corrupt
And by their vices brought to fervitude,
Than to love bondage more than liberty,
Bondage with eafe than ftrenuous liberty;
And to defpife, or envy, or fufpect,
Whom God hath of his special favor rais'd
As their deliverer; if he ought begin,
How frequent to defert him, and at last

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To heap ingratitude on worthieft deeds?

CHOR. Thy words to my remembrance bring How Succoth and the fort of Penuel

The matchlefs Gideon in pursuit

Of Madian and her vanquish'd kings:

And how ingrateful Ephraim

Had dealt with Jephtha, who by argument,
Not worse than by his fhield and fpear,
Defended Ifrael from the Ammonite,
Had not his prowefs quell'd their pride.
In that fore battel, when fo many dy'd
Without reprieve adjudg'd to death,