Which to my country I was judg'd to' have shown. At this who ever envies or repines, I leave him to his lot, and like my own. CHORUS. She's gone, a manifeft ferpent by her fting Discover'd in the end, till now conceal'd. SAMSON. So let her go, God fent her to debafe me, And aggravate my folly, who committed To such a viper his most sacred trust Of fecrefy, my safety, and my life. CHORUS. 995 1000 Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, After offense returning, to regain Love once poffefs'd, nor can be easily And fecret fting of amorous remorse. 1005 Repuls'd, without much inward paffion felt SAMSON. Love-quarrels oft in pleafing concord end, Not wedlock-treachery indangering life. CHORUS. It is not virtue, wisdom, valor, wit, Strength, comeliness of shape, or amplest merit Harder to hit, (Which way foever men refer it) Much like thy riddle, Samson, in one day If ΙΟΙΟ 1015 Thy paranymph, worthless to thee compar'd, 1020 bath ftronger power, &c] This truth Milton has finely exemplified in Adam forgiving Eve, and he had full experience of it in his own cafe, as the reader may fee in the note upon Paradife Loft, X. 940. for I would not repeat it here. 1008. Love-quarrels oft in pleafing concord end,] Terence Andria III. III. 23. Succeffor ever juft the observation may be, that Milton in his Paradise Loft feems to court the favor of the female fex, it is very certain, that he did not carry the fame complaifance into this performance. What the Chorus here fays outgoes the very bittereft fatir of Euripides who was called the woman-hater. may be faid indeed in excufe, that Amantium iræ, amoris integra- and that thefe reproaches are rathe occafion was very provoking, ther to be looked upon, as a fud It tio eft. 1010. It is not virtue &c] How- den start of refentment, than cool and Succeffor in thy bed, Nor both fo loofly difally'd Their nuptials, nor this last so treacherously Had fhorn the fatal harvest of thy head. Is it for that fuch outward ornament Was lavish'd on their fex, that inward gifts Were left for hafte unfinish'd, judgment scant, Or value what is best In choice, but ofteft to affect the wrong? Or was too much of felf-love mix'd, Of conftancy no root infix'd, That either they love nothing, or not long? 1025 1030 Seeming at first all heav'nly under virgin veil, 1035 Soft, modeft, meek, demure, Once join'd, the contrary the proves, a thorn A cleaving mischief, in his way to virtue Adverse and turbulent, or by her charms awry inflav'd Draws him With dotage, and his fenfe deprav'd 1940 To folly' and shameful deeds which ruin ends. One virtuous rarely found, That in domestic good combines ; Happy that house! his way to peace is smooth: We have fuch a change of the number in the Paradife Loft IX. 1183. --in women overtrufling Lets her will rule; reftraint he will not brook, And left to herself, &c; and we juflified it there by a fimilar inftance from Terence. 1038.-far within defenfive arms A cleaving mischief,] The words Moft a cleaving mifchief allude to the 1046. Favor'd of Heav'n who finds &c] If Milton like Solo, mon and the Son of Sirach fatirizes the women in general, like them too he commends the virtuous and good, and efteeins a good wife a bleffing from the Lord. Prov. XVIII. 22. Wholo findeth 1 |