Their ornament and safety, had not spells
And black inchantments, fome magician's art,
Arm'd thee or charm'd thee strong, which thou from
Feign'dst at thy birth was giv'n thee in thy hair,
Where strength can least abide, though all thy hairs
Were briftles rang'd like those that ridge the back
Of chaf'd wild boars, or ruffled porcupines.
SAMS. 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
No lefs through all my finews, joints, and bones,
Than thine, while I preferv'd these 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, spread before him
How highly it concerns his glory now
To frustrate and dissolve these magic spells,
Which I to be the power of Ifrael's God
Avow, and challenge Dagon to the test,
Offering to combat thee his champion bold,
With th' utmost of his Godhead feconded:
Then thou shalt fee, or rather to thy forrow
Soon feel, whose God is strongest, thine or mine. 1155
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 else, no better service
With thofe thy boisterous locks, no worthy match
For valor to affail, nor by the sword
Of noble warrior, fo to ftain his honor,
But by the barber's razor best fubdued.
SAMS. All these indignities, for fuch they are
From thine, thefe evils I deferve and more,
Acknowledge them from God inflicted on me
Juftly, yet despair 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
Defy thee to the trial of mortal fight,
By combat to decide whose God is God,
Thine, or whom I with Ifrael's fons adore.
HAR. Fair honor that thou doft thy God, in trufting
He will accept thee to defend his cause,
A Murderer, a Revolter, and a Robber.
SAMS. Tongue-doughty Giant, how dost thou prove
HAR. Is not thy nation subject to our lords? Their magiftrates confefs'd it, when they took thee As a league-breaker and deliver'd bound
Into our hands: for hadft thou not committed 1185 Notorious murder on those thirty men
At Ascalon, who never did thee harm,
Then like a robber stripp'dst them of their robes ?
The Philiftines, when thou hadst broke the league,
Went up with armed powers thee only feeking, 1190
To others did no violence nor fpoil.
SAMS. Among the daughters of the Philiftines
I chose a wife, which argued 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 fpies,
Who threatning cruel death constrain'd the bride
To wring from me and tell to them my secret,
That folv'd the riddle which I had propos'd.
When I perceiv'd all set on enmity,
As on my enemies, wherever chanc'd,
I us'd hoftility, and took their spoil
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, presum'd
Single rebellion, and did hostile acts.
I was no private but a person rais'd
With strength sufficient and command from Heaven
To free my country; if their servile minds
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 offense
Had not disabled me, not all your force:
Thefe fhifts refuted, anfwer thy appellant
Though by his blindness maim'd for high attempts,
Who now defies thee thrice to fingle fight,
As a petty enterprife of fmall enforce.
HAR. With thee, a man condemn'd, a flave inroll'd,
Due by the law to capital punishment ?
To fight with thee no man of arms will deign.
SAMS. Cam'ft thou for this, vain boaster, to survey me,
To défcant on my strength, and give thy verdict?
Come nearer, part not hence fo flight inform'd;
But take good heed my hand survey not thee.
HAR. O Baal-zebub! can my ears unus'd
Hear thefe difhonors, and not render death?
SAMS. No man withholds thee, nothing from thy hand Fear I incurable; bring up thy van,
My heels are fetter'd, but my fift is free.
HAR. This infolence other kind of anfwer fits.
SAMS. Go, baffled coward, left I run upon thee,
Though in thefe chains, bulk without spirit vast,
And with one buffet lay thy structure low,
Or fwing thee in the air, then dash thee down
To th' hazard of thy brains and flatter'd fides.
HAR. By Aftaroth ere long thou shalt lament
These braveries in irons loaden on thee.
CHO. His giantship is gone fomewhat crest-faln, Stalking with lefs unconscionable strides,
And lower looks, but in a fultry chafe.
SAMS. I dread him not, nor all his giant-brood,
Though fame divulge him father of five fons,
All of gigantic fize, Goliah chief.
CHO. He will directly to the lords, I fear And with malicious counsel stir them up Some way or other yet further to afflict thee.
SAMS. He muft allege fome cause, and offer'd fight Will not dare mention, left a question rise Whether he durft accept the' offer or not,
And that he durft not plain enough appear'd.
Much more affliction than already felt
They cannot well impose, nor I sustain;
If they intend advantage of my labors,
The work of many hands, which earns my keeping
With no fmall profit daily to my owners.
But come what will, my deadlieft foe will prove
My speedieft friend, by death to rid me hence,
The worst that he can give, to me the best,
Yet fo it may fall out, because their end
Is hate, not help to me, it may with mine
Draw their own ruin who attempt the deed.
CHO. Oh how comely it is, and how reviving
To the fpirits of juft men long opprefs'd!
When God into the hands of their deliverer
To quell the mighty of the earth, th' oppreffor,
The brute and boisterous force of violent men
Hardy and industrious to support
Tyrannic power, but raging to pursue
The righteous and all fuch as honor truth;
He all their ammunition
And feats of war defeats
|