SAMSON AGONISTES.

103

Which argues over-just, and self-displeas'd
For self-offense, more than for God offended. 515
Reject not then what offer'd means; who knows
But God hath set before us, to return thee
Home to thy country and his sacred house,
Where thou mayst bring thy offerings, to avert
His further ire, with pray'rs and vows renew'd? 520
SAM. His pardon I implore; but as for life,
To what end should I seek it? when in strength
All mortals I excell'd, and great in hopes
With youthful courage and magnanimous thoughts
Of birth from Heav'n foretold and high exploits,
Full of divine instinct, after some proof

Of acts indeed heroic, far beyond

The sons of Anak, famous now and blaz'd,
Fearless of danger, like a petty god

526

530

I walk'd about admir'd of all and dreaded
On hostile ground, none daring my affront.
Then swoll'n with pride into the snare I fell
Of fair fallacious looks, venereal trains,
Soften'd with pleasure and voluptuous life;
At length to lay my head and hallow'd pledge 535
Of all my strength in the lascivious lap

Of a deceitful concubine, who shore me
Like a tame wether, all my precious fleece,
Then turn'd me out ridiculous, despoil'd,
Shav'n, and disarm'd among mine enemies.

540

CHOR. Desire of wine and all delicious drinks,

Which many a famous warrior overturns,
Thou couldst repress, nor did the dancing ruby

Sparkling, out-pour'd, the flavor, or the smell,

Or taste that cheers the heart of gods and men, 545 Allure thee from the cool crystallin stream.

SAM. Wherever fountain or fresh current flow'd Against the eastern ray, translucent, pure With touch ethereal of Heav'n's fiery rod I drank, from the clear milky juice allaying Thirst, and refresh'd; nor envy'd them the grape Whose heads that turbulent liquor fills with fumes.

550

CHOR. O madness, to think use of strongest wines And strongest drinks our chief support of health, When God with these forbidd'n made choice to rear His mighty champion, strong above compare, 556 Whose drink was only from the liquid brook.

[plete

SAM. But what avail'd this temp'rance, not comAgainst another object more enticing? What boots it at one gate to make defense, And at another to let in the foe,

Effeminately vanquish'd? by which means,

560

Now blind,dishearten'd, sham'd, dishonor'd, quell'd, To what can I be useful, wherein serve

My nation, and the work from Heav'n impos'd, 565
But to sit idle on the houshold hearth,

A burd'nous drone; to visitant's a gaze,
Or pity'd object, these redundant locks
Robustious to no purpose clustring down,

Vain monument of strength; till length of years 570
And sedentary numness craze my limbs

To a contemptible old age obscure?

Here rather let me drudge and earn my bread,

Till vermin or the draff of servile food

Consume me, and oft-invoked death

Hasten the welcome end of all my pains.

575

MAN. Wilt thou then serve the Philistines with that Which was expressly giv❜n thee to annoy them? [gift Better at home lie bed-rid, not only idle, Inglorious, unemploy'd, with age outworn.

580

But God who caus'd a fountain at thy prayer
From the dry ground to spring, thy thirst to' allay
After the brunt of battel, can as easy

Cause light again within thy eyes to spring,
Wherewith to serve him better than thou hast; 585
And I persuade me so; why else this strength
Miraculous yet remaining in those locks?
His might continues in thee not for nought,
Nor shall his wondrous gifts be frustrate thus.

SAM.All otherwise to me my thoughts portend, 590
That these dark orbs no more shall treat with light,
Nor th' other light of life continue long,
But yield to double darkness nigh at hand:
So much I feel my genial spirits droop,
My hopes all flat, Nature within me seems
In all her functions weary of herself,
My race of glory run, and race of shame,
And I shall shortly be with them that rest.

595

MAN. Believe not these suggestions which proceed From anguish of the mind and humors black, 600 That mingle with thy fancy. I however Must not omit a father's timely care

To prosecute the means of thy deliverance

By ransome, or how else: mean while be calm,
And healing words froin these thy friends admit.

SAM. O that Torment should not be confin'd To the body's wounds and sores,

607

My griefs not only pain me

As a lingring disease,

But finding no redress, ferment and rage,

Nor less than wounds immedicable

Rankle, and fester, and gangrene,

To black mortification.

620

Thoughts my tormentors arm'd with deadly stings

Mangle my apprehensive tenderest parts,

Exasperate, exulcerate, and raise

625

Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb

Or medicinal liquor can asswage,

Nor breath of vernal air from snowy Alp.

Sleep hath forsook and giv'n me o'er

To death's benumming opium as my only cure: 630 Thence faintings, swoonings of despair,

And sense of Heav'n's desertion.

But now hath cast me off as never known,
And to those cruel enemies,

Whom I by his appointment had provok'd,
Left me all helpless with th' irreparable loss
Of sight, reserv'd alive to be repeated

645

The subject of their cruelty or scorn.
Nor am I in the list of them that hope;

Hopeless are all my evils, all remediless;

This one prayer yet remains, might I be heard,
No long petition, speedy death,

650

The close of all my miseries, and the balm.
CHOR. Many are the sayings of the wise
In ancient and in modern books inroll'd,
Extolling patience as the truest fortitude;
And to the bearing well of all calamities,
All chances incident to man's frail life,
Consolitaries writ

655

With study'd argument, and much persuasion sought

Lenient of grief and anxious thought:

But with th' afflicted in his pangs their sound
Little prevails, or rather seems a tune

660