O impotence of mind, in body strong! By weakest fubtleties, not made to rule, But to fubferve where wifdom bears command. 55 60 65 Light, the prime work of God, to me is extinct, 70 And all her various objects of delight Annull'd, which might in part my grief have eas'd, Of man or worm; the vileft here excel me: 78 Scarce half I feem to live, dead more than half. 80 Without all hope of day! O first created Beam, and thou great Word, And filent as the moon, When the deferts the night, Hid in her vacant interlunar cave. Since Light fo neceffary is to life, And almoft life itself, if it be true That light is in the Soul, She all in ev'ry part; why was the fight So obvious and fo eafie to be quench'd; To live a life half dead, a living death, 85 90 95 ICO And bury'd; but O yet more miferable! Myfelf, my Sepulchre, a moving Grave! By privilege of death and burial From worst of other evils, pains and wrongs, 105 But made hereby obnoxious more To all the miferies of Life, Life in captivity Among inhuman foes. But who are these? for with joint pace I hear 110 Perhaps my enemies who come to ftare Their daily practice to afflict me more. O change beyond report, thought or belief! As one past hope, abandon'd, 115 120 And by himself given over; In flavish habit, ill-fitted weeds O'er-worn and foil'd: Or do my eyes mifreprefent? Can this be he, Irresistible Samson; whom unarm'd 125 [ftand; No ftrength of man, or fiercest wild beaft could with Who tore the Lion, as the Lion tears the Kid, Ran on imbattled Armies clad in Iron, And weaponless himself, Made Arms ridiculous, ufelefs the forgery 130 Of brazen Shield and Spear, 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, 135 In fcorn of their proud arms and warlike tools, 140 Or grov'ling foil'd their crefted helmets in the duft. In Ramath-lechi, famous to this day: 145 Then by main force pull'd up, and on his fhoulders The Gates of Azza, Poft, and maffie Bar, [bore Up to the Hill by Hebron, feat of Giants old, Thy Bondage or loft Sight, Prifon within Prison Infeparably dark? Thou art become (O worst imprisonment!) The Dungeon of thyfelf; thy Soul 155 [plain) By how much from the top of wond'rous glory, Strongest of mortal men, To loweft pitch of abject fortune thou art fall'n. For him I reckon not in high estate, Whom long descent of birth, 170 Or the sphere of fortune raises ; But thee, whofe ftrength, while Virtue was her mate, Might have fubdu'd the Earth, Univerfally crown'd with highest praises. 175 Samf. Samf. I hear the found of words; their fenfe the air Diffolves unjointed, ere it reach my ear. [might, Chor. He fpeaks: let us draw nigh. Matchlefs in We come, thy friends and neighbours not unknown, To vifit or bewail thee; or, if better Counsel or confolation we may bring, 183 Salve to thy Sores: apt words have pow'r to swage And are as balm to fefter'd wounds. 185 [learn 390 Samf. Your coming, Friends, revives me; for I Yet that which was the worft now leaft afflicts me, My Veffel, trusted to me from above, 200 205 t |