To publish them, both common female faults:
Was it not weakness alfo to make known

For importunity, that is for nought,

Wherein confifted all thy ftrength and fafety? 780
To what I did thou fhowd'ft me firft the way.
But I to enemies reveal'd, and fhould not:
Nor fhould'ft thou have trufled that to woman's
Ere I to thee, thou to thyself waft cruel. (frailty:
Let weakness then with weakness come to parle
So near related, or the fame of kind, 786
Thine forgive mine; that men may cenfure thine
The gentler, if feverely thou exact not
More ftrength from me, than in thyfelf was found.
And what if love, which thou interpret'ft hate,
The jealoufy of love, pow'rful of sway

791

In human hearts, nor less in mine tow'ards thee
Caus'd what I did? I faw thee mutable

Of fancy, fear'd left one day thou would'ft leave me
As her at Timna, fought by all means therefore
How to indear, and hold thee to me firmeft: 796
No better way I faw than by impórtuning
To learn thy fecrets, get into my power
Thy key of ftrength 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 fafe cuftody, and hold:

800

That made for me; I knew that liberty

Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,

While

810

While I at home fat full of cares and fears, 805
Wailing thy absence in my widow'd bed;
Here I should still enjoy thee day and night
Mine and love's prifoner, not the Philiftines,
Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad,.
Fearless at home of partners in my love.
These reasons in love's law have paft for good,
Though fond and reafonless to some perhaps;
And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much woe,
Yet always pity' or pardon hath obtain'd.
Be not unlike all others, not austere
As thou art ftrong, inflexible as steel.
If thou in ftrength all mortals doft exceed,
In uncompaffionate anger do not fo.

815

Samf. How cunningly the forceress displays
Her own tranfgreffions, to upbraid me mine? 820
That malice not repentance brought thee hither,
By this appears:
I gave, thou say'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,

825

Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest
Impartial, felf-fevere, inexorable,

Thou wilt renounce thy feeking, and much rather
Confefs it feign'd: weakness is thy excuse,
And I believe it, weakness to refift
Philiftian gold: if weakness may excuse,

What murderer, what traitor, parricide,

830

Inceftuous, facrilegious, but may plead it?
All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore
With God or Man will gain thee no remiffion. 835
But love constrain'd thee; call it furious rage
To fatisfy thy luft: love feeks to' have love;
My love how could'ft thou hope, who took'ft the way
To raise in me inexpiable hate,

Knowing, as needs I muft, by thee betray'd? 840
In vain thou ftriv'ft to cover fhame with fhame,
Or by evafions thy crime uncover'st more.

Dal. Since thou determin'ft weakness for no plea In man or woman, though to thy own condemning, Here what affaults I had, what fnares befides, 845 What fieges girt me round, ere I confented; Which might have aw'd the best resolv'd of men, The conftanteft, to' have yielded without blame. It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'ft, That wrought with me: thou know'ft the magiftrates And princes of my country came in perfon, 851 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 honorable, how glorious to intrap 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 infnare an irreligious R

855

860

Dif

Dishonorer 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 these reasons

With hard conteft: at length that grounded maxim

So rife and celebrated in the mouths

Of wisest men, that to the public good

866

Private refpects must yield, with grave authority Took full poffeffion of me and prevail'd;

Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty so injoining. 870 Sams. I thought where all thy circling wiles would In feign'd religion, smooth hypocrify.

(end;

876

But had thy love, ftill odiously pretended,
Been, as it ought, fincere, 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'ft,
Too well, unbofom'd all my fecrets to thee,
Not out of levity, but over-power'd

880

By thy requeft, who could deny thee nothing;
Yet now am judg'd an enemy. Why then
Didft thou at firft receive me for thy husband,
Then, as fince then, thy country's foe profess'd?
Being once a wife, for me thou waft to leave 885
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

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

890

By worse than hoftile deeds, violating the ends
For which our country is a name fo dear; 894
Not therefore to be' obey'd. But zeal mov'd thee;
To please thy Gods thou didft it; Gods unable
T'acquit themselves and profecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction
Of their own deity, Gods cannot be;

Lefs therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd. 900
These false pretexts and varnish'd colors 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.

904

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

Dal. I was a fool, too rafh, and quite mistaken In what I thought would have fucceeded beft, Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samfon, Afford me place to show what recompenfe Tow'ards thee I intend for what I have misdone, Misguided; only what remains paft cure

Bear not too fenfibly, nor ftill insist

910

T'afflict thyself in vain: though fight be loft,

Life yet hath many folaces, enjoy'd

915

Where other fenfes want not their delights

R 2

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