صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

Amidft their highth of noon

Changest thy count'nance, and thy hand with no regard

Of highest favors past

From thee on them, or them to thee of fervice.

Nor only doft degrade them, or remit

To life obfcur'd, which were a fair difmiffion,

685

But throw'ft them lower than thou didst exalt them high,

Unfeemly falls in human eye,

Too grievous for the trespass or omiffion;

Oft leav'ft them to the hostile fword

Of Heathen and profane, their carcases

To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captív'd;

690

Or to th' unjust tribunals, under change of times, 695 And condemnation of th' ingrateful multitude.

If these they scape, perhaps in poverty

With fickness and disease thou bow'st them down,
Painful diseases and deform'd,

In crude old-age;

Though not difordinate, yet causeless suffering
The punishment of diffolute days: in fine,
Juft or unjust alike feem miferable,

For oft alike both come to evil end.

700

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion, The image of thy ftrength, and mighty minifter. What do I beg ? how haft thou dealt already? Behold him in this ftate calamitous, and turn

His labors, for thou canft to peaceful end.
But who is this, what thing of sea or land?

710

Female of fex it feems,

That fo bedeck'd, ornate, and gay,

Comes

Comes this way failing

Like a stately ship

Of Tarfus, bound for th' iles

715

Of Javan or Gadire

With all her bravery on, and tackle trim,

Sails fill'd, and ftreamers waving,

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,
An amber fcent of odorous perfume

720

Her harbinger, a damsel train behind;

Some rich Philiftian matron fhe may seem,
And now at nearer view, no other certain

Than Dalila thy wife.

[near me.

SAMS. My Wife, my Traitress, let her not come CHо. Yet on the moves, now stands, and eyes thee

fix'd,

About t' have spoke, but now, with head declin'd
Like a fair flower surcharg'd with dew, she weeps,
And words addrefs'd feem into tears diffolv'd,
Wetting the borders of her filken veil :

730

But now again she makes address to speak.
DAL. With doubtful feet and wavering refolution
I came, ftill dreading thy difpleasure, Samson,
Which to have merited, without excuse,
I cannot but acknowledge; yet if tears
May expiate (though the fact more evil drew
In the perverse event than I forefaw)

735

My penance hath not flacken'd, though my pardon No way affur'd. But conjugal affection,

Prevailing

over fear and timorous doubt, Hath led me on defirous to behold

740

Once

Once more thy face, and know of thy eftate,
If ought in my ability may serve

To lighten what thou fuffer'ft, and appease

Thy mind with what amends is in my power,
Though late, yet in fome part to recompenfe

745

My rash but more unfortunate mifdeed.

SAMS. Out, out, Hyæna; these are thy wonted arts, And arts of every woman false like thee,

To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray,

750

Then as repentant to submit, beseech,

And reconcilement move with feign'd remorse,
Confefs, and promise wonders in her change,

Not truly penitent, but chief to try

Her husband, how far urg'd his patience bears,

755

His virtue or weakness which way to affail:
Then with more cautious and inftructed skill
Again tranfgreffes, and again fubmits;
That wifest and best men full oft beguil❜d,
With goodness principled not to reject
The penitent, but ever to forgive,
Are drawn to wear out miserable days,
Intangled with a pois'nous bofom fnake,
If not by quick deftruction foon cut off
As I by thee, to ages an example.

760

765

DAL. Yet hear me, Samfon; not that I endevor

To leffen or extenuate my offense,

But that on th' other fide if it be weigh'd

By' itself, with aggravations not furcharg'd,
Or else with juft allowance counterpois'd,

I may, if poffible, thy pardon find

770

The

The eafier towards me, or thy hatred less.
Firft granting, as I do, it was a weakness

In

me, but incident to all our sex,

Curiofity, inquifitive, importune

Of fecrets, then with like infirmity

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 strength and safety?
To what I did thou show'dft me first the way.
But I to enemies reveal'd, and should not:

775

780

Nor fhould't thou have trufted that to woman's frailty: Ere I to thee, thou to thyfelf waft cruel.

Let weakness then with weakness come to parle 785
So near related, or the fame of kind,

Thine forgive mine; that men may cenfure thine
The gentler, if feverely thou exact not
More ftrength from me, than in thyself was found.
And what if love, which thou interpret'st hate,
The jealoufy of love, pow'rful of fway
In human hearts, nor lefs in mine tow'rds thee,
Caus'd what I did? I faw thee mutable

790

Of fancy, fear'd left one day thou would't leave me As her at Timna, fought by all means therefore 795 How to indear, and hold thee to me firmest: No better way I faw than by importuning To learn thy fecrets, get into my power The key of ftrength and fafety: thou wilt say, Why then reveal'd? I was affur'd by those Who tempted me, that nothing was defign'd

VOL. XII.

D

8c0

Against

Against thee but fafe cuftody, and hold:
That made for me; I knew that liberty
Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home fat full of cares and fears,
Wailing thy abfence in my widow'd bed;
Here I should ftill enjoy thee day and night
Mine and love's prifoner, not the Philistines,
Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad,
Fearless at home of partners in my love.

805

810

These reasons in love's law have paft for good,

Though fond and reafonlefs to fome perhaps;

And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much woe, Yet always pity' or pardon hath obtain’d.

Be not unlike all others, not auftere
As thou art ftrong, inflexible as steel.

815

If thou in ftrength all mortals doft exceed,
In uncompaffionate anger do not fo.

SAMS. 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 fay'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,

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: weaknefs is thy excufe,

And I believe it, weakness to refift

Philiftian gold if weakness may excufe,

820

825

830

What

« السابقةمتابعة »