First granting, as I do, it was a weakness
In me, but incident to all our sex,
Curiosity, inquifitive, importune
Of fecrets, then with like infirmity

To publish them, both common female faults:
Was it not weakness also to make known
For importunity, that is, for naught,

Wherein confifted all thy strength and safety?
To what I did thou fhewd'ft me first the way.
But I to enemies reveal'd, and should not;

Nor should'st thou have trusted that to woman's frailty:
Ere I to thee, thou to thyself wast cruel.

Let weakness then with weakness come to parl,
So near related, or the fame of kind,

Thine forgive mine; that men may censure thine
The gentler, if severly thou exact not

More ftrength from me, than in thyfelf was found.
And what if love, which thou interpret't hate,
The jealoufy of love, powerful of sway,

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’dst leave me
As her at Timna, fought by all means therefore
How to endear, and hold thee to me firmeft:
No better way I faw than by importuning
To learn thy fecrets, get into my pow'r
Thy key of strength and safety: thou wilt fay,
Why then reveal'd? I was affur'd by those
Who tempted me, that nothing was defign'd
Against thee but safe custody, and hold:
That made for me, I knew that liberty

Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home fate full of cares and fears,
Wailing thy abfence in my widow'd bed;
Here I should still enjoy thee day and night
Mine and love's pris'ner, not the Philiftins,
Whole to my self, unhazarded abroad,
Fearless at home of partners in my love.
These reasons in love's law have past for good,
Though fond and reasonless to some perhaps;
And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much wo.
Yet always pity or pardon hath obtain❜d:

Be not unlike all others, not austere
As thou art strong, inflexible as steel.
If thou in strength all mortals dost exceed,
In uncompaffionate anger do not fo.

Samf. How cunningly the forceress displays
Her own tranfgreffions, to upbraid me mine?
That malice not repentance brought thee hither,
By this appears: I gave, thou say'st, 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
Confess it feign'd, weakness is thy excufe,
And I believe it, weakness to resist

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 remiffion,
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 raise in me inexpiable hate,

Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betray'd?
In vain thou ftriv't to cover fshame 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 refolv❜d of men,
The conftanteft, to have yielded without blame.
It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st,
That wrought with me: thou know'ft the magistrates
And princes of my country came in perfon,
Solicited, commanded, threatn'd, 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 destroy'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 reafons

With hard contest: at length that grounded maxim,

So rife and celebrated in the mouths

Of wifest men; that to the publick good
Private respects must yield; with grave authority
Took full poffeffion of me, and prevail'd ;

Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty so enjoining.
Samf. I thought where all thy circling wiles would end;
In feign'd religion, fmooth hypocrify.

But had thy love, still odiously pretended,

Been, as it ought, sincere, it wou'd have taught thee
Far other reafonings, brought forth other deeds.
I before all the daughters of my tribe

And of my nation chose thee from among

My enemies, lov'd thee, as too well thou knew'st,
Too well, unbofom'd all my secrets to thee,
Not out of levity, but over-pow'r'd

By thy request, who could deny thee nothing;
Yet now am judg'd an enemy. When 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
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 fought of thee, it fought unjustly,
Against the law of nature, law of nations,
No more thy country, but an impious crew
Of men confpiring to uphold their state
By worse than hostile 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 didst it; gods unable

T'acquit themselves and profecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction
Of their own deity, gods they 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?

Dal. In argument with men a woman ever

Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause.

Samf. For want of words no doubt, or lack of breath, Witnefs when I was worried with thy peals.

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

Bear not too fenfibly, nor still insist

T'afflict thyself in vain: though sight be lost,
Life yet hath many folaces, enjoy'd

Where other fenfes want not their delights
At home in leifure and domestick ease,
Exempt from many a care and chance, to which
Eye-fight exposes daily men abroad.

I to the lords will intercede, not doubting
Their favourable car, that I may fetch thee
From forth this loathfome prifon-house, t'abide
With me, where my redoubl'd love and care
With nurfing diligence, to me glad. office,
May ever tend about thee to old age

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