The matchless Gideon in pursuit

280

Of Madian and her vanquish'd kings:

And how ingrateful Ephraim

Had dealt with Jephtha, who by argument,
Not worse than by his fhield and spear,
Defended Ifrael from the Ammonite,
Had not his prowefs quell'd their pride
In that fore battel, when fo many dy'd
Without reprieve adjudg'd to death,
For want of well pronouncing Shibboleth.
SAMSON.

Of fuch examples add me to the roll,
Me easily indeed mine may neglect,
But God's propos'd deliverance not so.

CHORUS.

Juft are the ways of God,

And justifiable to men ;

fufed to give loaves of bread to Gideon and his three hundred men purfuing after Zebah and Zalmunna kings of Midian. See Judg. VIII. 4-9.

282. And how ingrateful Ephraim &c] Jephthah fubdued the children of Ammon; and he is faid to have defended Ifrael by argument not worfe than by arms on account of the meffage which he fent unto the king

285

290

Unless

Unless there be who think not God at all:

295

If any be, they walk obfcure;

For of fuch doctrine never was there fchool,

But the heart of the fool,

And no man therein doctor but himself.

299

Yet more there be who doubt his ways not juft,
As to his own edicts found contradicting,
Then give the reins to wand'ring thought,
Regardless of his glory's diminution;
Till by their own perplexities involv'd
They ravel more, ftill lefs refolv'd,

But never find self-satisfying solution.

As if they would confine th' Interminable,

And tie him to his own prescript,

Who made our laws to bind us, not himself,

And hath full right t'exempt

305

310

Whom so it pleases him by choice

that time two and forty thousand of them. See Judg. XII. 1-6.

298. But the heart of the fool,] Alluding to Pfal. XIV. 1. and the fentiment is not very unlike that of a celebrated divine. "The fool "hath faid in his heart, There is no "God: and who but a fool would "have faid fo?"

299. And no man therein doctor but bimfelf.] There is fome

From

thing rather too quaint and fanciful in this conceit, and it appears the worfe, as this fpeech of the Chorus is of fo ferious a nature, and fill'd with so many deep and folemn truths. Thyer.

303. Regardless of his glory's di

minution;] This expreffion is ftrong as anciently understood. Cicero de Orat. II. 39. Majeftatem pop. Rom. minuere is the fame as Q4 crimen

From national obftriction, without taint

Of fin, or legal debt;

For with his own laws he can beft difpenfe.

He would not else who never wanted means, 315

Nor in refpect of th' enemy just cause

To fet his people free,

Have prompted this heroic Nazarite,

Against his vow of strictest purity,

To feek in marriage that fallacious bride,
Unclean, unchafte.

320

Down reason then, at least vain reasonings down,

Though reafon here aver

That moral verdict quits her of unclean :

Unchafte was fubfequent, her ftain not his.
But fee here comes thy reverend Sire
With careful step, locks white as down,
Old Manoah: advise

crimen læfæ majeftatis. Corn. Nepos Agef. 4. religionem minuere is violare. Richardfon.

319. vow of frictest purity,] Not a vow of celibacy, but of ftrictest purity from Mofaical and legal uncleannefs. Warburton.

324. That moral verdict quits her

of unclean:] That is, By the law of nature a Philiftian woman

325

Forthwith how thou oughtft to receive him.
SAMSON.

Ay me, another inward grief awak'd

With mention of that name renews th' affault.

330

Brethren and men of Dan, for such ye seem, Though in this uncouth place; if old refpect, As I fuppofe, tow'ards your once glory'd friend, My fon now captive, hither hath inform'd 335 Your younger feet, while mine caft back with age Came lagging after; fay if he be here.

CHORUS.

As fignal now in low dejected ftate,

As erft in high'eft, behold him where he lies.

MANOAH.

O miferable change! is this the man, That invincible Samfon, far renown'd,

349

tions. This the lawgiver effected by a vast variety of means: one of which was to hold all other nations under a legal impurity; the beft means of preventing intermarriages with them. Warburton.

336.while mine caft back with age] This is very artfully and properly introduc'd, to account for the Chorus coming to Samfon

The

before Manoah, for it is not to be fuppofed that any of his friends fhould be more concern'd for his welfare, or more defirous to visit him than his father.

340. O miferable change! &c] This fpeech of Manoah's is in my opinion very beautiful in its kind. The thoughts are exactly fuch as one may fuppofe would occur to

the

The dread of Ifrael's foes, who with a ftrength
Equivalent to Angels walk'd their streets,
None offering fight; who fingle combatant
Duel'd their armies rank'd in proud array,
Himfelf an army, now unequal match
To fave himself against a coward arm'd
At one spear's length. O ever-failing trust
In mortal ftrength! and oh what not in man
Deceivable and vain? Nay what thing good.
Pray'd for, but often proves our woe, our bane?

the mind of the old man, and are expreffed with an earnestnefs and impatience very well fuited to that anguifh of mind he must be in at the fight of his fon under fuch miferable afflicted circumftances. It is not at all unbecoming the pious grave character of Manoah, to reprefent him, as Milton does, even complaining and murmuring at this difpofition of Heaven, in the first bitternefs of his foul. Such fudden ftarts of infirmity are afcribed to fome of the greatest perfonages in Scripture, and it is agreeable to that well known maxim, that religion may regulate, but can never eradicate natural paffions and affections. Thyer.

352. I pray'd for children, and thought barrenness

In wedlock a reproach;] Some lines from a fragment of Euripides

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350