440

So Dagon fhall be magnify'd, and God,
Besides whom is no God, compar'd with idols
Difglorify'd, blafphem'd, and had in fcorn
By the idolatrous rout amidst their wine;
Which to have come to pass by means of thee,
Samfon, of all thy fufferings think the heaviest, 445
Of all reproach the most with shame that ever
Could have befall'n thee and thy father's house.
SAMSON.

Father, I do acknowledge and confefs
That I this honor, I this pomp have brought
To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high
Among the Heathen round; to God have brought
Dishonor, obloquy, and op'd the mouths

Of idolifts, and atheists; have brought scandal
To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt
In feeble hearts, propenfe enough before
To waver, or fall off and join with idols;
Which is my chief affliction, fhame and forrow,
my foul, that fuffers not

The anguish of

450

455

Mine

and these words

I as a prophecy receive;] This method of one perfon's taking an omen from the words of another

was

Mine eye to harbour fleep, or thoughts to reft.
This only hope relieves me, that the strife

With me hath end; all the contéft is now
'Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath presum'd,
Me overthrown, to enter lifts with God,

His deity comparing and preferring

Before the God of Abraham.

460

Will not connive, or linger, thus provok'd,
But will arife and his great name affert :
Dagon must stoop, and shall ere long receive
Such a discomfit, as fhall quite despoil him
Of all these boafted trophies won on me,
And with confufion blank his worshipers.

MANOA H.

470

With caufe this hope relieves thee, and thefe words

I as a prophecy receive; for God,

Nothing more certain, will not long defer

To vindicate the glory of his name

Against all competition, nor will long
Indure it doubtful whether God be Lord,

475

Or

Or Dagon. But for thee what shall be done!
Thou must not in the mean while here forgot
Lie in this miserable loathsome plight

480

Neglected. I already have made way

To fome Philiftian lords, with whom to treat
About thy ranfom: well they may by this

Have fatisfy'd their utmost of revenge

484

By pains and flaveries, worse than death inflicted

On thee, who now no more canft do them harm.

SAM SO N.

Spare that propofal, Father, fpare the trouble
Of that folicitation; let me here

As I deferve, pay on my punishment;
And expiate, if poffible, my crime,
Shameful garrulity. To have reveal'd
Secrets of men, the fecrets of a friend,

How hainous had the fact been, how deserving
Contempt, and fcorn of all, to be excluded

500. That gentiles in their parables condemn &c. Alluding to the ftory of Tantalus, who for revealing the fecrets of the Gods was condemn'd to pains in Hell Cicero Tufc. Difp. IV. 16.—pocta impendere apud inferos faxum Tantalo faciunt ob fcelera,

490

All

animique impotentiam, et fuperbiloquentiam. Euripides affigns the fame punishment, and for the fame reafon. Oreftes 8.

ότι θεοις ανθρωπων Κοινης τραπέζης αξιωμ' έχων ισαν,

Axe

All friendship, and avoided as a blab,

The mark of fool fet on his front?

495

But I God's counsel have not kept, his holy secret

Presumptuously have publish'd, impiously,

Weakly at least, and shamefully: a fin
That Gentiles in their parables condemn
To their abyss and horrid pains confin'd.
MANO AН.

Be penitent and for thy fault contrite,
But act not in thy own affliction, Son:
Repent the fin, but if the punishment
Thou canst avoid, felf-prefervation bids;
Or th' execution leave to high difpofal,
And let another hand, not thine, exact
Thy penal forfeit from thyfelf; perhaps
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt;
Who ever more approves and more accepts ;
(Beft pleas'd with humble' and filial fubmiffion)

Ακολασον εσχε γλώσσαν, αισχε την

νόσον.

Mr. Warburton's remark is that "the ancient myftagogues taught, "that the Gods punifhed both the "revealers and the violators of "their myfteries. Milton had here

500

505

510

Him who imploring mercy fues for life,
Than who felf-rigorous chooses death as due;
Which argues over-just, and self-displeas'd
For felf-offenfe, more than for God offended.
Reject not then what offer'd means; who knows
But God hath fet before us, to return thee

515

Home to thy country and his facred house,
Where thou mayft bring thy offerings, to avert
His further ire, with pray'rs and vows renew'd? 520

SAMSON.

His pardon I implore; but as for life, To what end fhould I feek it? when in ftrength All mortals I excell'd, and great in hopes With youthful courage and magnanimous thoughts Of birth from Heav'n foretold and high exploits, Full of divine inftinct, after fome proof

Of acts indeed heroic, far beyond

The fons of Anak, famous now and blaz'd,

531.none daring my affront.] None daring to contend with me, and meet me face to face, according to the etymology of the word. See the note on Paradise Loft, IX. 330.

535.-hallow'd pledge] This is the genuin reading of the firft

526

Fearless

edition; in moft of the others it is abfurdly corrupted into hollow pledge.

538. all my precious fleece,] Read of my precious fleece. Thus in Paradife Loft, I. 596. the fun in a mift is fhorn of his beams: and