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Yet more there be who doubt his ways not juft, As to his own edicts found contradicting, Then give the reins to wandring thought, Regardless of his glory's diminution; Till by their own perplexities involv'd They ravel more, ftill lefs refolv'd, But never find self-fatisfying folution.

As if they would confine th' interminable,
And tie him to his own prescript,

Who made our laws to bind us, not himself,
And hath full right t' exempt
Whom fo it pleases him by choice
From national obftriction, without taint
of fin, or legal debt;

means,

For with his own laws he can beft difpenfe.
He would not elfe, who never wanted
Nor in refpect of th' enemy juft caufe
To fet his people free,

Have prompted this heroic Nazarite
Againft his vow of ftricteft purity,

To feek in marriage that fallacious bride,
Unclean, unchafte.

Down reason then, at least vain reasoning down, Though reafon here aver

That moral verdict quits her of unclean :
Unchafte was fubfequent, her ftain not his..
But fee here comes thy rev'rend fire
With careful step, locks white as down,
Old Manoa: advife

Forthwith how thou ought'ft to receive him.

Samf. Ay me, another inward grief awak'd With mention of that name renews th' affault. Man. Brethren and men of Dan, for fuch ye feem, Though in this uncouth place; if old refpect, As I fuppofe, toward your once glory'd friend, My fon now captive, hither hath inform'd Your younger feet, while mine caft back with age Came lagging after; fay if he be here.

Chor. As fignal now in low dejected state
As erft in higheft, behold him where he lies.
Man. O miferable change! is this the man,
That invincible Samfon, far renown'd
The dread of lfrael's foes, who with a ftrength.
Equivalent to angels walk'd their streets,
None offering fight; who fingle combatant
Duell'd their armies rank'd in proud array,
Himself an army, now unequal match
To fave himself against a coward arm'd
At one fpear's length. O ever-failing truft
In mortal strength! and oh what not in man
Deceivable and vain? nay, what thing good
Pray'd for, but often proves our woe, our bane?
I pray'd for children, and thought barrenness
In wedlock a reproach; I gain'd a fon,
Such a fon as all men hail'd me happy;
Who would be now a father in my stead?
O wherefore did God grant me my request,
And as a blessing with fuch pomp adorn'd?
Why are his gifts defirable, to tempt

Our earnest pray'rs, then giv'n with folemn hand-
As graces, draw a fcorpion's tail behind?
For this did th' angel twice defcend? for this
Ordain'd thy nurture holy, as of a plant;
Select and facred, glorious for a while,
The miracle of men; then in an hour
Enfnar'd, affaulted, overcome, led bound,
Thy foes derifion, captive, poor, and blind,
Into a dungeon thruft, to work with flaves?
Alas methinks whom God hath chofen once
To worthieft deeds, if he through frailty err,
He should not fo o'erwhelm, and as a thrall
Subject him to fo foul indignities,
Be it but for honour's fake of former deeds.

Samf. Appoint not heav'nly difpofition, father,
Nothing of all thefe evils hath befall'n me
But juftly; I, myfelf have brought them on,.

Sole author, I, fole caufe: if ought seem vile,
As vile hath been my folly, who have profan'd
The mystery of God giv'n me under pledge
Of vow, and have betray'd it to a woman,
A Canaanite, my faithlefs enemy: L

This well I knew, nor was a

at all furpriz'd

T

But warn'd by oft experience; did not the
of Timna firft betray me, and reveal
The fecret wrefted from me in her height
Of nuptial love profeft, carrying it straight
To them who had corrupted her, my spies,
And rivals in this other was there found col benot
More faith? who alfo in her prime of love,
Spoufal embraces, vitiated with gold,
Though offer'd only, by the fcent conceiv'd
Her fpurious first-born; treafon against me?
Thrice the affay'd with flatt'ring pray'rs and fighs,
And amorous reproaches to win from me
My capital fecret, in what part my strength
Lay ftor'd, in what part fumm'd, that the might know
Thrice I deluded her, and turn'd to sport
Her importunity, each time perceiving
How openly, and with what impudence

She purpos'd to betray me, and (which was wore
Than undiffembled hate) with what contempt
She thought to make me traitor to myself;
Yet the fourth time, when muftring all her wiles,
With blandith'd parleys, feminine affaults,
Tongue-batteries, fhe furceas'd not day nor night
To ftorm me over-watch'd, and weary'd out.
At times when men feek moft repofe and reft,
I yielded, and unlock'd her all my heart,
Who with a grain of manhood well resolv’d
Might easily have fhock off all her fnares:
But foul effeminacy held me yok'd
Her bond-flave; O indignity, O blot
To honour and religion! fervile mind
Rewarded well with fervile punishment!

The base degree to which I now am fall'n.
These rags, this grinding, is not yet fo bafe
As was my former fervitude, ignoble,

Unmanly, ignominious, infamous,

True flavery, and that blindness worfe than this,
That faw not how degen'rately I ferv'd.

Man. I cannot praife thy marriage choices, fon, Rather approv'd them not; but thou didst plead Divine impulfion prompting how thou might'st Find fome occafion to infeft our foes.

I ftate not that; this I am fure, our foes
Found foon occafion thereby to make thee
Their captive, and their triumph; thou the fooner
Temptation found'st, or over-potent charms
To violate the facred truft of filence

Deposited within thee; which to have kept
Tacit, was in thy pow'r: true; and thou bear'ft
Enough, and more the burden of that fault;
Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid fcore. A worfe thing yet remains,
This day the Philiftines a pop'lar feast
Here celebrate in Gaza; and proclaim
Great pomp and facrifice, and praises loud
To Dagon, as their god who hath deliver'd
Thee, Samfon, bound and blind into their hands,
Them out of thine, who flew'ft them many a flain.
So Dagon fhall be magnify'd, and God,
Befides whom is no God, compar'd with idols,
Difglorify'd, blafphem'd, and had in fcorn
By the idolatrous rout amidst their wine;
Which to have come pafs by means of thee,
Samfon, of all thy fufferings think the heaviest,
Of all reproach the moft with fhame that ever
Could have befall'n thee and thy father's house.

Samf. Father, I do acknowlege and confefs
That 1 this honour, I this pomp have brought
To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high
Among the heathen round; to God have brought

Difhonour, obloquy, and op'd the mouths
Of idolifts, and atheifts; have brought fcandal
To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt
In feeble hearts, propenfe enough before
To waver, or fall off and join with idols;
Which is my chief affliction, fhame and forrow,
The anguifh of my foul, that fuffers not

Mine eye to harbour fleep, or thoughts to reft.
This only hope relieves me, that the ftrife
With me hath end; all the contest is now
'Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath presum'd
Me overthrown, to enter lifts with God,
His Deity comparing and preferring
Before the God of Abraham. He, be fure,
Will not connive, or linger, thus provok'd,
But will arife and his great name affert :
Dagon must stoop, and fhall ere long receive
Such a discomfit, as fhall quite defpoil him
Of all these boafted trophies won on me,
And with confufion blank his worshippers.

[words

Man. With caufe this hope relieves thee, and thefe

I as a prophecy receive; for God,

Nothing more certain, will not long defer
To vindicate the glory of his name
Against all competition, nor will long
Endure it, doubtful whether God be Lord,
Or Dagon. But for thee what fhall be done?
Thou must not in the mean while here forgot
Lye in this miferable loathsom plight
Neglected. I already have made way.

To fome Philiftian lords with whom to treat
About thy ranfom: well they may by this
Have fatisfy'd their utmost of revenge

By pains and flav'ries, worfe than death, inflicted
On thee who now no more canft do them harm.

Samf. Spare that proposal, father, fpare the trouble Of that follicitation; let me here,

As I deferve, pay on my punishment;