Though fond and reafonless to some perhaps; And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much woe, Yet always pity' or pardon hath obtain’d. Be not unlike all others, not austere If thou in ftrength all mortals dost exceed, SAMSON. How cunningly the forceress displays 815 Her own tranfgreffions, to upbraid me mine? 820 I to myfelf was false ere thou to me; 825 Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest Impartial, self-severe, inexorable, Thou wilt renounce thy feeking, and much rather Confess it feign'd: weakness is thy excufe, And I believe it, weakness to refift 839 All 835 All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore Knowing, as needs I muft, by thee betray'd? In vain thou ftriv'ft to cover shame with fhame, DALILA. 840 845 Since thou determin'ft weakness for no plea In man or woman, though to thy own condemning, Hear what affaults I had, what fnares befides, What fieges girt me round, ere I consented; Which might have aw'd the best resolv'd of men, The conftanteft, to' have yielded without blame. It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st, That wrought with me; thou know'st the magistrates And princes of my country came in person, 851 Solicited, commanded, threaten'd, urg'd, Adjur'd by all the bonds of civil duty How honorable, how glorious to intrap 855 A common enemy, who had destroy'd Such numbers of our nation: and the priest It would be to infnare an irreligious Dishonorer of Dagon: what had I 869 T'oppose against fuch pow'rful arguments? And combated in filence all these reasons With hard conteft; at length that grounded maxim So rife and celebrated in the mouths Of wifeft men, that to the public good Private refpects muft yield, with grave authority 850. thou know'ft the magiftrates And princes of my country came in perfon,] Judg. XVI. 5. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto ber, and faid unto her &c. So exact is Milton in all the particulars of 866 Took the ftory, and improves every incident. 864. all thefe reafons.] We follow the reading of Milton's own edition, and not of the others all their reasons. 934. Thy Took full poffeffion of me and prevail'd; Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty so injoining. SAMSON. 879 I thought where all thy circling wilds would end; In feign'd religion, smooth hypocrify. But had thy love, ftill odiously pretended, Been, as it ought, fincere, it would have taught thee Far other reasonings, brought forth other deeds. 875 I before all the daughters of my tribe And of my nation chose thee from among My enemies, lov'd thee, as too well thou knew'st, 880 By thy request, who could deny thee nothing; life 885 899 No No more thy country, but an impious crew In argument with men a woman ever Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause. SAMSON. 904 For want of words no doubt, or lack of breath; Witness when I was worried with thy peals. DALILA. I was a fool, too rash, and quite mistaken In what I thought would have fucceeded beft. Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samfon, Afford me place to show what recompenfe 910 Tow'ards |