To fome great work, thy glory,
And people's fafety, which in part they effect:
Yet toward these thus dignify'd, thou oft
Amidft their height of noon,
Changest thy countenance, and thy hand with no regard Of highest favours past
From thee on them, or them to thee of fervice.
Nor only doft degrade them, or remit
To life obfcur'd, which were a fair difmiffion,
But throw'ft them lower than thou didst exalt them high,
Unfeemly falls in human eye,
Too grievous for the trefpafs or omission,
Oft leav'ft them to the hoftile fword
Of heathen and prophane, their carcases
To dogs and fowls a prey, or elfe captiv'd:
Or to th' unjust tribunals, under change of times,
And condemnation of the ingrateful multitude.
If these they 'scape, perhaps in poverty
With fickness and difeafe thou bow't them down,
Painful diseases and deform'd,
Though not disordinate, yet caufclefs fuff'ring
The punishment of diffolate days, in fine,
Juft or unjust, alike feem miferable,
For oft alike, both come to evil end.
So deal not,with this once thy glorious champion, The image of thy ftrength and mighty minifter. What do I beg? how haft thou dealt already? Behold him in his ftate calamitous, and turn His labours, for thou canft, to peaceful end.
But who is this, what thing of fea or land?
Feinale of fex it feems,
That fo bedeckt, ornate, and gay,
Comes this way failing
Like a stately ship
Of Tarfus, bound for th' ifles
Of Javan or Gadier,
With all her bravery on, and tackle trim,
Sails fill'd, and streamers waving,
Courted by all the winds that hold them play,
An amber fcent of odorous prefume
Her harbinger, a damsel train behind;
Some rich Philistian matron she may feem,
And now at nearer view, no other certain
Than Dalila thy wife.
Samf. My wife, my trayt'refs, let her not come near me.
Chor. Yet on fhe moves, now stands and eyes thee fix'd.
About t' have spoke, but now, with head declin'd,
Like a fair flow'r furcharg'd with dew, fhe weeps,
And words addrefs'd seem tears diffolv'd,
Wetting the borders of her filken veil:
But now again she makes address to speak.
Dal. With doubtful feet and wavering refolution
I came, ftill dreading thy displeasure, Samfon,
Which to have merited, without excufe,
I cannot but acknowlege; yet if tears
May expiate (though the fact more evil drew
In the perverse event than I forefaw)
My penance hath not flacken'd, though my pardon.
No way affur'd. But conjugal affection
Prevailing over fear, and timorous doubt
Hath led me on defirous to behold
Once more thy face, and know of thy estate,
If aught in my ability may ferve
To lighten what thou fuffer'st, and appease
Thy mind with what amends is in my pow'r,
Though late, yet in fome part to recompenfe
My rafh, but more unfortunate misdeed.
Samf. Out, out Hyæna; these are thy wonted arts,
And arts of ev'ry woman falfe like thee,
To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray,
Then as repentant to fubmit, befeech,
And reconcilement move with feign'd remorfe,
Confefs, and promife wonders in her change,
Not truly penitent, but chief to try,
Her husband, how far urg'd his patience bears,
His virtue or weakness which way to affail:
Then with more cautious and inftructed skill
Again tranfgreffes, and again fubmits;
That wifest and best men full oft beguil'd,
With goodness principled not to reject
The penitent, but ever to forgive,
Are drawn to wear out miferable days,
Entangled with a pois'nous bofom fnake,
If not by quick destruction foon cut off,
As I by thee, to ages an example.
Dal. Yet hear me, Samfon; not that I endeavour To leffen or extenuate my offence,
But that on th' other fide if it be weigh'd
By itself, with aggravations not furcharg'd,
Or elfe with juft allowance counterpois'd,
I may, if poffible, thy pardon find
The cafier towards me, or thy hatred lefs,
First granting, as I do, it was a weakness
In me, but incident to all our sex,
Curiofity, inquifitive, importune
Of fecrets, then with like infirmity
To publish them, both common female faults:
Was it not weaknefs alfo to make known
For importunity, that is, for naught,
Wherein confifted all thy ftrength and fafety?
To what I did thou fhew'dft me first the way.
But I to enemies reveal'd, and fhould not;
Nor should'st thou have trusted that to woman's frailty:
Ere I to thee, thou to thyself waft cruel.
Let weakness then with weakness come to parl,
So near related or the fame of kind,
Thine forgive mine; that men may cenfure thine
The gentler, if feverely thou exact not
More strength from me, than in thyfelf was found.
And what if love, which thou interpret'ft hate,
The jealoufy of love, powerful of fway,
In human hearts, nor lefs in mine towards thee,
Caus'd what I did? I faw thee mutable
Of fancy, fear'd left one day thou wou'dft leave me
As her at Timna, fought by all means therefore
How to endear, and hold thee to me firmest:
No better way I faw than by importuning
To learn thy fecrets, get into my pow'r
Thy key of strength and fafety: thou wilt fay,
Why then reveal'd? I was affur'd by those
Who tempted me, that nothing was defign'd
Against thee but fafe cuftody, and hold:
That made for me, I knew that liberty
Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home fat full of cares and fears,
Wailing thy abfence in my widow'd bed;
Here I should ftill enjoy thee day and night
Mine and love's pris'ner, not the Philiftins,
Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad,
Fearless at home of partners in my love.
Thefe reafons in love's law have paft for good,
Though fond and reafonlefs to fome perhaps ;
And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much wo,
Yet always pity or pardon hath obtain'd:
Be not unlike all others, not auftere
As thou art strong, inflexible as fteel.
If thou in ftrength all mortals doft exceed,
In uncompaffionate anger do not fo.
Samf. How cunningly the forceress difplays
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,
I to myself was falfe ere thou to me:
Such pardon therefore as I give my folly,
Take to thy wicked deed, which when thou feest
Impartial, felf-fevere, inexorable,
Thou wilt renounce thy feeking, and much rather
Confefs it feign'd, weakness is thy excufe,
And I believe it, weakness to refift
Philiftian gold: if weakness may excufe,
What murderer, what traitor, parricide,
Incestuous, facrilegious, but may plead it?
All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore
With God or man will gain thee no remission,
But love constrain'd thee; call it furious rage
To fatisfy thy luft: love feeks to have love;
My love how couldst thou hope, who took'st the way
To raife in me inexpiable hate,
Knowing, as needs I muft, by thee betray'd?
In vain thou ftriv'ft to cover fhame with fhame,
For by evafions thy crime uncover'st more.
Dal. Since thou determin'st weakness for no plea
In man or woman, though to thy own condemning,
Hear what affaults I had, what fnares befides,
What fieges girt me round, ere I confented;
Which might have aw'd the best resolv'd of men,
The conftantest, to have yielded without blame.
It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st,
That wrought with me: thou know'st the magistrates
And princes of my country came in perfon,
Solicited, commanded, threatn'd, urg'd,
Abjur'd by all the bonds of civil duty
And of religion, prefs'd how juft it was,
How honourable, how glorious to entrap
A common.enemy, who had defstroy'd
Such numbers of our nation: and the priest
Was not behind, but ever at my ear,
Preaching how meritorious with the gods.
It would be to enfnare an irreligious
Dishonourer of Dagon: what had I
T' oppose against such pow'rful arguments?
Only my love of thee held long debate;
And combated in filence all their reafon
With hard conteft: at length that grounded maxim,
So rife and celebrated in the mouths
Of wifeft men; that to the public good
Private refpects muft yield; with grave authority.
Took full poffeffion of me, and prevail'd;
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