There exercise all his fierce accidents, As on entrails, joints, and limbs, With answerable pains, but more intense, My griefs not only pain me As a lingering disease, 1 " But, finding nó redress, ferment and rage; Nor less than wounds immedicable Rankle, and fester, and gangrene, To black mortification. Thoughts, my tormentors, arm'd with deadly stings, Mangle my apprehensive tenderest parts, Exasperate, exulcerate, and raise Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb Sleep hath forsook and given me o'er And sense of Heaven's desertion. I was his nursling once, and choice delight, Promised by heavenly message twice descending. 'Abstemious I grew up, and thrived amain; He led me on to mightiest deeds, Above the nerve of mortal arm, Against the uncircumcised, our enemies: Whom I by his appointment had provoked, The close of all my miseries, and the balm. With studied argument, and much persuasion sought Lenient of grief and anxious thought: But with the afflicted in his pangs their sound Little prevails, or rather seems a tune Harsh, and of dissonant mood from his complaint; Unless he feel within Some source of consolation from above, Secret refreshings, that repair his strength, God of our fathers, what is man! That thou towards him with hand so various, Temper❜st thy providence through his short course, The angelic orders, and inferior creatures mute, Nor do I name of men the common rout, Grow up and perish, as the summer fly, And people's safety, which in part they effect: Changest thy countenance, and thy hand, with no Of highest favours past [regard From thee on them, or them to thee of service. Nor only dost degrade them, or remit To life obscured, which were a fair dismission, But throw'st them lower than thou didst exalt them Unseemly falls in human eye, Too grievous for the trespass or omission; Oft leavest them to the hostile sword Of Heathen and profane, their carcasses To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captíved; [high; Or to the unjust tribunals, under change of times, And condemnation of the ingrateful multitude. If these they 'scape, perhaps in poverty With sickness and disease thou bow'st them down, Painful diseases and deform'd, In crude old age; Though not disordinate, yet causeless suffering For oft alike both come to evil end. So deal not with this once thy glorious champion, The image of thy strength, and mighty minister. What do I beg? how hast thou dealt already! Behold him in his state calamitous, and turn His labours, for thou canst, to peaceful end.But who is this, what thing of sea or land? Female of sex it seems, That so bedeck'd, ornate, and gay, Comes this way sailing Like a stately ship Of Tarsus, bound for the isles Of Javan or Gadire With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, Sails fill'd, and streamers waving, Courted by all the winds that hold them play, Her harbinger, a damsel train behind; Than Dalila thy Wife. [me. Sam. My Wife! my Traitress: let her not come near Cho. Yet on she moves, now stands and eyes thee fix'd, About to have spoke; but now, with head declined, Like a fair flower surcharged with dew, she weeps, And words address'd seem into tears dissolved, But now again she makes address to speak. Enter DALILA. Dal. With doubtful feet and wavering resolution I came, still dreading thy displeasure, Samson, Which to have merited, without excuse, I cannot but acknowledge; yet, if tears My penance hath not slacken'd, though my pardon Hath led me on, desirous to behold To lighten what thou suffer'st, and appease Sum. Out, out, Hyæna! these are thy wonted arts, And arts of every woman false like thee, To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray, Her husband, how far urged his patience bears, |