By female ufurpation, or difmay'd.

But we had beft retire, I fee a Storm.

1060

Samf. Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain.

Chor. But this another kind of tempest brings.]

Samf. Be less abftrufe, my riddling days are past.

1066

Chor. Look now for no inchanting voice, nor fear The bait of honied Words; a rougher tongue Draws hitherward, I know him by his stride, The Giant Harapha of Gath, his look Haughty, as is a pile high built and proud.

Comes he in Peace? what wind hath blown him hither

I lefs conjecture, than when first I saw

The fumptuous Dalila floating this way:

His habit carries peace, his brow defiance.

Sampf. Or peace or not, alike to me he comes.

1071

Char. His fraught we foon fhall know, he now arrives. 10755

Har. I come not, Sampfon, to condole thý chance,
As thefe perhaps, yet wish it had not been,
Though for no friendly intent. I am of Gath,
Men call me Harapha, of flock renown'd;
As Og or Anak, and the Emins old

1080

That Kariathaim held; thou knowit me now,

If thou at all art known. Much I have heard
Of thy prodigious might and feats pefform'd
Incredible to me, in this difpleas'd,

That I was never prefent cn the place

1085

Of thofe encounters, where we might have try'd
Each other's force in Camp or lifted field:
And now am come to fee of whom fuch noife

Hath walk'd about, and each limb to furvey,
If thy appearance answer loud report.

1090

Samf. The way to know were not to fee but tafte.

Har. Doft thou already fingle me? I thought
Gieves and the Mill had tam'd thee. O that fortune
Had brought me to the Field, where thou art fam'd
T' have wrought fuch wonders with an Afs's Jaw;
I should have forc'd thee foon with other arms, 1096
Or left thy carcass where the Afs lay thrown:
So had the glory of Prowess been recover'd
To Paleftine, won by a Philiftin

From the unfore-fkin'd race, of whom thou bear'ft
The higheft name for valiant Acts; that honour
Certain to have won by mortal duel from thee,
I lofe, prevented by thy eyes put out:

1101

Samf. Boaft not of what thou wouldst have done, but do What then thou wouldst; thou seeft it in thy hand. 1105

Har. To combat with a blind Man. I difdain ;. And thou haft need much washing to be touch'd.

1110

Samf. Such ufage as your honourable Lords Afford me, affaffinated and betray'd; Who durft not with their whole united pow'rs In fight withstand me fingle and unarm'd, Nor in the houfe with chamber Ambushes Clofe-banded durft attack me, no, not sleeping, Till they had hir'd a Woman with their gold Breaking her Marriage-Faith, to circumvent me. 1115 Therefore without feign'd fhifts let be affign'd Some narrow place enclos'd, where fight may give thee, Or rather flight, no great advantage on me; Then put on all thy gorgeous arms, thy Helmet And Brigandine of brafs, thy broad Habergeon, Vant-brafs, and Greves, and Gauntlet, and thy Spear A Wea

1120

A Weaver's beam, and seven-times folded fhield;
I only with an Oak'n staff will meet thee,
And raise fuch out-cries on thy clatter'd Iron,

Which long shall not with-hold me from thy head; 1125.
That in a little time while breath remains thee,
Thou oft fhalt wish thyself at Gath, to boast
Again in fafety what thou wouldst have done.
To Samfon, but fhalt never see Gath more..

Har. Thou durft not thus difparage glorious arms
Which greatest Heroes have in battle worn,
Their ornament and fafety, had not spells

1130

And black enchantments, fome Magician's Art,
Arm'd thee or charm'd thee ftrong; which thou from
[Heav'n

Feign'ft at thy Birth was giv'n thee in thy Hair,
Where ftrength can leaft abide, though all thy Hairs
Were briftles rang'd like those that ridge the back
Of chaf'd wild Boars, or ruffl'd Porcupines..

Sam. I know no Spells, ufe no forbidden Arts →
My truft is in the living God, who gave me
At my Nativity this ftrength, diffus'd

1135

11400

No lefs through all my finews, joints and bones,

Than thine, while I preferv'd thefe locks unfhorn,

The pledge of my unviolated vow.

For proof hereof, if Dagon be thy God,.

Go to his Temple, invocate his aid

With folemneft devotion, fpread before him

How highly it concerns his glory now

To fruftrate and diffolve thefe magick Spells,
Which I to be the power of Ifrael's God
Avow, and challenge Dagon to the test,
Off'ring to combat thee his Champion bold,
With th' utmost of his Godhead feconded:
Then thou fhalt fee, or rather to thy forrow
Soon feel, whofe God is strongest, thine or mine.

1150

1155

Har.

Har. Prefume not on thy God; whate’er he be,
Thee he regards not, owns not, hath cut off
Quite from his people, and deliver'd up
Into thy Enemies hand, permitted them
To put out both thine eyes, and fetter'd fend thee
Into the common Prifon, there to grind
Among the Slaves and Affes thy comrades,
As good for nothing elfe; no better service
With thofe thy boyft'rous locks, no worthy match
For Valour to affail, nor by the sword
Of noble Warriour, fo to ftain his honour,
But by the Barber's razor beft fubdu'd.

Samf. All thefe indignities, for fuch they are
From thine, these evils I deserve and more,
Acknowledge them from God inflicted on me
Juftly, yet defpair not of his final pardon,
Whofe ear is ever open, and his eye
Gracious to re-admit the fuppliant;
In confidence whereof I once again
Defie thee to the trial of mortal fight,
By combat to decide whofe God is God,
Thine, or whom I with Ifrael's Sons adore.

1160

1165

1170

1175

Har. Fair honour that thou doft thy God, in trufting

He will accept thee to defend his caufe,

A Murtherer, a Revolter, and a Robber.

1180

Samf. Tongue doughty Gi nt, how doft thou prove me

[thefe ?

Har. Is not thy Nation subject to our Lords? Their Magiftrates confeft it, when they took thee

As a League-breaker, and deliver'd bound

Into our hands: for hadft thou not committed.
Notorious murther on thofe thirty men

1185

At Afkalon, who never did thee harm ;

Then like a Robber strip'dst them of their robes ?

The

The Philiftins, when thou hadst broke the league,
Went up with armed pow'rs, thee only feeking,
To others did no violence nor spoil.

;

Samf. Among the Daughters of the Philifins
I chofe a Wife, which argu'd me no foe
And in your City held my nuptial Feast:
But your ill-meaning Politician Lords,
Under pretence of bridal friends and guests,
Appointed to await me thirty Spies;

Who threatning cruel death conftrain'd the Bride
To wring from me and tell to them my fecret,
That folv'd the riddle which I had propos'd.
When I perceiv'd all fet on enmity,
As on my enemies, where ever chanc'd,
I us'd hoftility, and took their fpoil
To pay my Underminers in their coin.
My Nation was fubjected to your Lords:
It was the force of Conqueft; force with force
Is well ejected when the Conquer'd can.
But I a private perfon, whom my Country
As a league-breaker gave up bound, prefum'd
Single Rebellion, and did hoftile Acts:

I was no private person, but was rais'd

To free my Country; if their fervile minds

With ftrength fufficient and command from Heav'n

Me their deliverer fent would not receive,

But to their Masters gave me up for nought,

Th' unworthier they; whence to this day they ferve.
I was to do my part from Heav'n affign'd,
And had perform'd it if my known offence
Had not difabl'd me, not all your force.
These shifts refuted, anfwer thy appellant,
Though by his blindness maim'd for high attempts,
Who now defies thee thrice to fingle fight,
As a petty enterprise of small enforce.

1190

1195

1200

1205

1210

1240

Har. With thee, a Man condemn'd, a Slave enroll'd,

Due