And what if love, which thou interpret'st hate The jealousy of love, powerful of sway
In human hearts, nor less in mine tow'rds thee, Caus'd what I did? I saw thee mutable
Of fancy, fear'd lest one day thou wouldst leave me As her at Timna, sought by all means therefore How to endear, and hold thee to me firmest : No better way I saw than by importuning To learn thy secrets, get into my power The key of strength and safety. Thou wilt say,
Why then reveal'd? I was assur'd by those Who tempted me, that nothing was design'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 sat full of cares and fears, Wailing thy absence in my widow'd bed; Here I should still enjoy thee day and night Mine and love's prisoner, not the Philistines', Whole to myself unhazarded abroad, Fearless at home of partners in my love. These reasons in love's law have pass'd for good, Though fond and reasonless to some perhaps : And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much.
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 uncompassionate anger do not so.
Sams. How cunningly the sorceress displays Her own transgressions, to upbraid me mine? That malice not repentance brought thee hither, By this appears. I gave thou say'st, the example, I led the way: bitter reproach, but true; I to myself was false ere thou to me; Such pardon therefore as I give my folly, Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest Impartial, self-severe, inexorable,
Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much rather. Confess it feign'd. Weakness is thy excuse,.
And I believe it; weakness to resist Philistian gold: if weakness may excuse, What murderer, what traitor, parricide, Incestuous, sacrilegious, 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 satisfy thy lust; love seeks 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 striv'st to cover shame with shame, Or by evasions 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 assaults I had, what snares besides, What sieges girt me round, ere I consented; Which might have awed the best resolved of men, The constantest to have yielded without blame. It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st, That wrought with me; thou knowest the magistrates And princes of my country came in person, Solicited, commanded, threaten'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 ensnare an irreligious Dishonourer of Dagon: what had I T'oppose against such powerful arguments? Only my love of thee held long debate, And combated in silence all these reasons With hard contest: at length that grounded maxim So rife and celebrated in the mouths Of wisest men, that to the public good
Private respects must yield, with grave authority Took full possession of me and prevail'd; Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty so enjoining.
Sams. I thought where all thy circling wiles
In feign'd religion, smooth hypocrisy.
But had thy love, still odiously pretended, Been, as it ought, sincere, it would have taught thee Far other reasonings, 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, unbosom'd all my secrets to thee, Not out of levity, but overpower'd
By thy request, who could deny thee nothing; Yet now am judg'd an enemy. Why then Didst thou at first receive me for thy husband, Then, as since then, thy country's foe profess'd? Being once a wife, for me thou wast to leave Parents and country; nor was I their subject, Nor under their protection, but my own, Thou mine, not theirs. If ought against my life Thy country sought of thee, it sought unjustly, Against the law of nature, law of nations; No more thy country but an impious crew Of men conspiring to uphold their state By worse than hostile deeds, violating the ends For which our country is a name so 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 prosecute their foes But by ungodly deeds; the contradiction Of their own deity, gods cannot be;
Less therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd. These false 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.
Sams. For want of words no doubt, or lack of breath; Witness when I was worried with thy peals.
Dal. I was a fool, too rash, and quite mistaken In what I thought would have succeeded best. Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson, Afferd me place to show what recompense
Tow'rds thee I intend for what I have misdone, Misguided only what remains past cure
Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist
To' afflict thyself in vain. Though sight be lost, Life yet bath many solaces, enjoy'd, Where other senses want not their delights, At home in leisure and domestic ease, Exempt from many a care and chance to which Eye-sight exposes daily men abroad.
I to the lords will intercede, not doubting Their favourable ear, that I may fetch thee From forth this loathsome prison-house, to abide With me, where my redoubled love and care With nursing diligence, to me glad office, May ever tend about thee to old age
With all things grateful cheer'd, and so supplied, That what by me thou hast lost thou least shalt miss Sams. No, no, of my condition take no care; It fits not; thou aud I long since are twain: Nor think me so unwary or accurs'd,
To bring my feet again into the snare
Where once I have been caught; I know thy trains, Though dearly to my cost, thy gins and toils; Thy fair enchanted cup, and warbling charms No more on me have power, their force is null'd, So much of adder's wisdom I have learn'd, To fence my ear against thy sorceries.
If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men Lov'd, honour'd, fear'd me, thou alone couldst hate
Thy husband, slight me, sell me, and forego me; How wouldst thou use me now, blind, and thereby Deceivable in most things as a child,
Helpless, thence easily contemn'd and scorn'd, And last neglected? how wouldst thou insult When I must live uxorious to thy will In perfect thraldom? how again betray me, Bearing my words and doings to the lords To gloss upon, and, censuring, frown or smile? This jail I count the house of liberty
To thine, whose doors my feet shall never enter..
Dal. Let me approach at least, and touch thy hand. Sams. Not for thy life, lest fierce remembrance My sudden rage to tear thee joint by joint. [wake
At distance I forgive thee; go with that; Bewail thy falsehood, and the pious works It hath brought forth to make thee memorable Among illustrious women, faithful wives: Cherish thy hasten'd widowhood with the gold Of matrimonial treason: so farewell.
Dal. I see thou art implacable, more deaf To prayers, than winds and seas; yet winds to seas Are reconcil'd at length, and sea to shore.; Thy anger, unappeasable, still rages, Eternal tempest never to be calm'd. Why do I humble thus myself, and suing For peace, reap nothing but repulse and hate? Bid go with evil omen and the brand Of infamy upon my name denounc'd? To mix with thy concernments I desist Henceforth, nor too much disapprove my own. Fame if not double-fac'd is double-mouth'd, And with contrary blast proclaims most deeds; On both his wings, one black, the other white, Bears greatest names in his wild airy flight, My name perhaps among the circumcis'd In Dan, in Judah, and the bordering tribes, To all posterity inay stand defam'd, With malediction mention'd, and the blot Of falsehood most unconjugal traduc'd. But in my country where I most desire, In Ecron, Gaza, Asdod, and in Gath, I shall be nam'd among the famousest Of women, sung at solemn festivals, Living and dead recorded, who to save Her country from a fierce destroyer, chose Above the faith of wedlock bands; my tomb With odours visited, and annual flowers; Not less renown'd than in mount Ephraim Jael, who with inhospitable guile
Smote Sisera sleeping, through the temples nail'd. Nor shall I count it heinous to enjoy
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