For inward light alas

Puts forth no visual beam.

O mirror of our fickle state,

Since man on earth unparallel'd!

The rarer thy example stands,

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 not in high estate

Whom long descent of birth

Or the sphere of fortune raises;

165

170

But thee whose strength, while virtue was her mate, Might have fubdued the earth,

Univerfally crown'd with highest praises.

175

Sams. I hear the found of words, their sense the air

Diffolves unjointed ere it reach my ear.

Chor. He speaks, let us draw nigh. Matchless in might, The glory late of Ifrael, now the grief;

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

To vifit or bewail thee, or if better,

Counsel or confolation we may bring,

181

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.

185

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 superscription, (of the most

I would be understood) in profp'rous days

190

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

Yet that which was the worst now least afflicts me, 195
Blindness, for had I fight, confus'd with shame,
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 secret gift of God
To a deceitful woman? tell me, Friends,
Am I not fung and proverb'd for a fool
In every street? do they not fay, how well
Are come upon him his deserts? yet why?
Immeasurable strength 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.

200

205

Chor. Tax not divine disposal; wisest men 210 Have err'd, and by bad women been deceiv'd; And shall again, pretend they ne'er so wise. Deject not then so overmuch thyself,

Who haft of forrow thy full load besides;

Yet truth to say, I oft have heard men wonder 215 Why thou shouldst wed Philistian women rather Than of thine own tribe fairer, or as fair,

At

At least of thy own nation, and as noble.

Sams. The firft I faw at Timna, and she pleas'd Me, not my parents, that I fought to wed

220

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
The marriage on; that by occasion hence
I might begin Ifrael's deliverance,
The work to which I was divinely call'd.
She proving false, the next I took to wife
(O that I never had! fond wish too late,)
Was in the vale of Sorec, Dalila,

225

That specious monster, my accomplish'd fnare. 230
I thought it lawful from my former act,
And the fame end; ftill watching to opprefs
Ifrael's oppreffors: of what now I fuffer
She was not the prime cause, but I myself,

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

235

Chor. In feeking juft occafion to provoke

The Philistine, thy country's enemy,

Thou never waft remifs, I bear thee witness:

Yet Ifraël ftill ferves with all his fons.

240

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

On Ifrael's governors, and heads of tribes,
Who seeing those great acts, which God had done
Singly by me against their conquerors,
Acknowledg'd not, or not at all confider'd

245

Deliverance offer'd: I on th' other fide
Us'd no ambition to commend my deeds,

(doer;
The deeds themselves, though mute, spoke loud the
But they perfifted deaf, and would not seem 249
To count them things worth notice, till at length
Their lords the Philiftines with gather'd pow'rs
Enter'd Judea seeking me, who then
Safe to the rock of Etham was retir'd,
Not flying, but fore-casting in what place
To set upon them, what advantag'd best:
Mean while the men of Judah, to prevent

The harrafs of their land, befet me round;
I willingly on fome conditions came

255

Into their hands, and they as gladly yield me
To the uncircumcis'd a welcome prey,

260

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 ease than strenuous liberty;
And to defpife, or envy, or suspect
Whom God hath of his special favor rais'd

270

As

As their deliverer; if he ought begin,
How frequent to desert him, and at last
To heap ingratitude on worthieft deeds?

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

275

Their great deliverer contemn'd,

The matchless Gideon in pursuit

280

Of Madian and her vanquish'd kings:
And how ingrateful Ephraim

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

285

For want of well pronouncing Shibboleth.

Sams. Of such examples add me to the roll,

290

Me easily indeed mine may neglect,

But God's propos'd deliverance not so.

Chor. Just are the ways of God,

And justifiable to men;

Unless there be who think not God at all:

295

If any be, they walk obscure;

For of fuch doctrin never was their school,

But the heart of the fool,

And no man therein doctor but himself.

Yet more there be who doubt his ways not juft, 300

As to his own edicts found contradicting,

Then