bria

830

Her own tranfgreffions, to upbraid me mine !
That malice, not repentance, brought thee hither,
By this appears: I gave, thou fay ft, th example;
I led the way: bitter reproach, but true. Th
I to myself was falfe, ere thou to me:
Such pardon therefore as I give my folly, 825
Take to thy wicked deed ; which when thou feeft
Impartial, felf-fevere, inexorablejd band ટ
Thou wilt renounce thy feeking, and much rather
Confefs it feign'd. • Weakness is thy excuse,
And I believe it; weakness to refift
Philiftian gold: if weakness may excufe, 20
What Murtherer, what Traitor, Parricide,
Incestuous, Sacrilegious, but may plead it
All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore
With God or Man will gain thee no remission. 1835
But Love constrain'd thee; call it furious rage 10
To fatisfice thy luft: Love feeksyt have Love; [way
My Love how could' fu thou hope, who took'stthét
To raife in me inexpiable hate, grad Pascot V
Knowing, as needs: I muft, by thee betray'd? ~840
In vain thou ftrivift to cover shame with fhame, a
For by evafions thy crime uncover'st more!: bad 13Ɛ

Dal: Since thou determin'ft weakness for no plea
In mah ob woinari; though to thy own condenming;
Hear what affaults) I had, whatifnares befides, 845
What fieges ginkmeɔsound; ereil confented;
Which might have aw`dɛthęsbdft refolv'd of Men, k
The conftariteft, at have yielded without blame. T
I was not Gold, as to>my charge thou lay'ft, 1h
That wrought with me : 'thou know'ft the Magiftrated

And

4

851

855

And Princes of my Country came in perfon,
Sollicited, commanded, threatned, urg'd,›,
Adjur'd by all the Bonds of civil Duty:
And of Religion, press'd how just it was,
How honourable, how glorious to entrap
A common enemy, who had deftroy'd!!
Such numbers of our Nation and the Prieft: 05. *..
Was not behind, but ever at my ears) str
Preaching how meritorious with the Gods 1.
It would be to ensnare an irreligious get 1
Dishonourer of Dagon: what had I 1985
T'oppose against such powerful-Arguments Rai
Only my love of thee held long debate;
And combated in Glence all their reasons
With hard conteft. At length that grounded maximi,
So rife and celebrated in the mouths.

Of wifeft men, that to the public good

Private refpects must yield, with grave authority
Took full poffeffion of me, and prevail'd ;'

"

860

[end

་ ་

Virtue, as I thought, Truth, Duty so enjoining. 870
-Samf. I thought where all thy circling wiles would
In feign'd Religion, smooth hypocrific.
But had thy love, still odiously pretended,
Been as it ought, fincere, it would have taught thèe
Far other reasonings, brought forth other deeds. 875
1-before all the daughters of my Tribe off 1. 11
And of my Nation chose thee from among and to W
My enemies';vlov'd thee, as too well thou knew'A;
Too well, umbofom'd all my fecrets to theeyaga er!
Not out of levity, but overpow'r'd bigo son 2 N
By thỳ, request, who could deny then nothing
DRA

Yet

Yet now am judg'd an enemy. Why then
Didst thou at first receive me for thy Husband?
Then, as fince then, thy country's foe profest?
Being once a Wife, for me thou waft to leave 885
Parents and country; nor was I their subject,
Nor under their protection but my own;
Thou mine, not theirs. If aught against my life
Thy Country sought of thee, it sought unjustly,
Against the law of nature, law of nations;
No more thy country, but an impious crew
Of men confpiring to uphold their state

8g0

By worse than hoftile deeds, violating the ends
For which our Country is a name fo dear;
Not therefore to be obey'd. But zeal mov'd thee;
To please thy Gods thou didft it; Gods unable 896
T'acquit themselves and profecute their Foes
But by ungodly deeds: The contradiction

Of their own Deity Gods cannot be ;

Lefs therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd or fear'd.
Thefe falfe pretexts and varnish'd colours failing,
Bare in thy guilt, how foul must thou appear?

900

Dal. In argument with Men a Woman ever Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause. [breath; Samf. For want of words no doubt, or lack of Witness when I was worried with thy peals.

906

Dal. I was a fool, too rafh, and quite mistaken
In what I thought would have fucceeded beft.
Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson,
Afford me place to shew what recompence
Towards thee I intend for what I have misdone,
Mifguided; only what remains past cure

910

Bear

Bear not too fenfibly, nor ftill infift
T' afflict thyself in vain: tho' fight be loft,
Life yet hath many folaces, enjoy'd
Where other fenfes want not their delights,
At home in leisure and domestic ease,

Exempt from many à care and chance, to which
Eye-fight exposes daily men abroad.

I to the Lords will intercede, not doubting
Their favourable ear, that I may fetch thee
From forth this loathsome prison-house, t' abide
With me; where my redoubled love and care
With nurfing diligence, to me glad office,
May ever tend about thee to old age,

915

220

925

With all things grateful chear'd, and so supply'd, That what by me thou haft loft thou least shalt miss.

Samf. No, no, of my condition take no care; It fits not; thou and I long fince are twain ; Nor think me fo unwary or accurft

To bring my feet again into the fnare

930

Where once I have been caught: I know thy trains,
Tho' dearly to my coft, thy ginns, and toils:
Thy fair enchanted cup, and warbling charms
No more on me have pow'r, their force is null'd;
So much of Adder's wifdom I have learnt
To fence my ear against thy Sorceries.

936

If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men Lov'd,honour'd,fear'd me,thou alone could'ft hate me Thy Husband, flight me, fell me, and forego me; 940 How would't thou ufe me now, blind, and thereby Deceivable, in moft things as a child

Helpless, thence eafily contemn'd, and fcorn'd,

And

And last neglected? How would'st thou insult,
When I must live uxorious to thy will
In perfect thraldom, how again betray me,
Bearing my words and doings to the Lords,
To glofs upon, and cenfuring, frown or smile?
This Gaol I count the Houfe of Liberty

945

To thine, whofe Doors my feet shall never enter. 950
Dal. Let me approach at least, and touch thy hand.”
Samf.Not for thy life; left fierce remembrance wake
My fudden rage to tear thee joint by joint.
At diftance I forgive thee, go with that;
Bewail thy falfhood, and the pious works
It hath brought forth to make thee memorable
Among illustrious Women, faithful Wives:
Cherish thy haften'd widowhood with the gold
Of matrimonial treafon: fo farewel.

955

960

J

7

Dal. I fee thou art implacable, more deaf To pray'rs than winds and feas; yet winds to feas Are reconcil'd at length, and fea to shore: T Thy anger unappeafable, ftill rages,

965

Eternal Tempeft never to be calm'd.
Why do I humble thus myself, and suing
For Peace, reap nothing but repulse and hate ?
Bid go with evil omen, and the brand
Of infamy upon my name denounc'd ?'
To mix with thy concernments I defift
Henceforth, nor too much disapprove my own. 970
Fame, if not double-fac'd, is double-mouth'd,
And with contrary blaft proclaims moft deeds,
On both his wings, one black, the other white,
Bears greatest names in his wild airy flight.

My