In pow'r of others, never in my own; Scarce half I seem to live, dead more than half. Without all hope of day! O first created Beam, and thou great Word, Why am I thus bereav'd thy prime decree? And filent as the moon, When she deserts the night Hid in her vacant interlunar cave. And almost life itself, if it be true That light is in the foul, She all in every part; why was the sight So obvious and fo easy to be quench'd? By privilege of death and burial 95 100 From worst of other evils, pains and wrongs, 105 But But made hereby obnoxious more To all miseries of life, Life in captivity Among inhuman foes. But who are these? for with joint pace I hear 110 O change beyond report, thought, or belief! As one paft hope, abandon'd, And by himself giv'n over; In flavish habit, ill-fitted weeds O'er-worn and foil'd; Or do my eyes mifreprefent? Can this be he, That heroic, that renown'd, Irrefiftible Samfon? whom unarm'd 115 120 125 (withstand; No ftrength of man, or fierceft wild beaft could Who tore the lion, as the lion tears the kid, Ran on imbattel'd armies clad in iron, And weaponless himself, Made arms ridiculous, useless the forgery 130 Of brazen fhield and fpear, the hammer'd cuirafs, Chaly'bean temper'd fteel, and frock of mail Ada Adamantean proof; But fafeft he who flood aloof, When insupportably his foot advanc'd, 135 In fcorn of their proud arms and warlike tools, Spurn'd them to death by troops. The bold AfcaloFled from his lion ramp, old warriors turn'd (nite Their plated backs under his heel; 140 Or grov'ling foil'd their crested helmets in the dust. Then with what trivial weapon came to hand, The jaw of a dead ass, his fword of bone, 145 A thousand fore-fkins fell, the flow'r of Palestine, ; 151 For inward light alas Puts forth no visual beam. O mirror of our fickle ftate, The rarer thy example ftands, By how much from the top of wondrous glory, 165 To lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fall'n. For him I reckon not in high eftate Whom long defcent of birth Or the sphere of fortune raises; 170 But thee whofe ftrength, while virtue was her mate, Might have fubdu'd the earth, Univerfally crown'd with highest praises. 175 Samf. I hear the found of words, their sense the Diffolves unjointed ere it reach my ear. (air Chor. He fpeaks, let us draw nigh. Matchlefs in The glory late of Ifrael, now the grief; (might, We come thy friends and neighbours not unknown From Efhtaol and Zora's fruitful vale To vifit or bewail thee, or if better, 181 Salve to thy fores; apt words have pow'r to fwage The tumors of a troubled mind, And are as balm to fefter'd wounds. 185 Samf. Your coming, Friends, revives me, for I Now of my own experience, not by talk, O (learn Bear I would be understood) in profp'rous days 200 Gloriously rigg'd; and for a word, a tear, 205 Chor. Tax not divine difpofal; wisest men 210 Have err'd, and by bad women been deceiv'd; And shall again, pretend they ne'er so wife. Deject not then so overmuch thyself, Who haft of forrow thy full load befides; Yet truth to say, I oft have heard men wonder 215 Why thou shouldft wed Philiftian women rather Than of thine own tribe fairer, or as fair, At |