Living or dying thou haft fulfill'd The work for which thou waft foretold Not willingly, but tangled in the fold 1665 So fond are mortal men Fall'n into wrath divine, As their own ruin on themfelves t' invite, Infenfate left, or to sense reprobate, And with blindness internal struck. 2 SEMICHOR. But he, though blind of fight, Defpis'd and thought extinguifh'd quite, With inward eyes illuminated, His fiery virtue rous'd 1680 1685 1690 From From under ashes into fudden flame, And as an evening dragon came, Affailant on the perched roofts, And nefts in order rang'd Of tame villatic fowl; but as an eagle 1695 His cloudlefs thunder bolted on their heads. So virtue giv'n for loft, Deprefs'd, and overthrown, as feem'd, MAN. Come, come, no time for lamentation now, Nor much more caufe; Samfon hath quit himself Like Samfon, and heroicly hath finish'd A life heroic, on his enemies Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning, 3 1710 1715 1720 Nothing Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail Or knock the breaft, no weakness, no contempt, Sok'd in his enemies' blood, and from the stream 1725 1730 1735 1740 Home to his father's houfe: there will I build him Oft he seems to hide his face, But unexpectedly returns, VOL. XII. 1745 1750 F And And to his faithful champion hath in place Borne witness gloriously; whence Gaza mourns, And all that band them to refift His uncontrolable intent; His fervants he with new acquist Of true experience from this great event END OF SAMSON AGONISTES. 1755 1 |